Mastercard Enters Age Verification Arena

Mastercard is getting into the age verification business, announcing a new “Identity Attribute Verification” service.

In a blog post, the financial giant positions the service as a means of letting merchants confirm the “additional attributes” of cardholders, beyond name and payment information, including such things as “age, date of birth or address.” But given how rarely transactions require address verification, and how frequently some form of age validation is needed (such as for purchases of alcohol), the service is poised to mainly perform the latter.

The Mastercard blog post, authored by EVP and Global Head of Identity Dennis Gamiello, offers an example of how the system will work:

“Let’s say you’ve just closed on your first home and want to order a bottle of champagne to celebrate. You’d place your item in your online basket as normal, and then be asked to confirm you’re old enough to make the purchase. In the background, Mastercard enables merchants to easily validate your age with your card issuer securely and without adding any unnecessary friction to your experience. Your card is enough.”

The service’s announcement comes at a time of mounting concern over the issue of age verification in digital channels. In the U.S., a number of states have passed legislation concerning the processing of minors’ personal information, and in some cases requiring age checks for access to social media and adult content. Likewise, the United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act requires age verification for access to certain websites, and Ofcom, its regulatory authority, is currently working on guidance for how exactly that can be done. Publication of its final guidance is expected in 2025.

Mastercard, for its part, is planning a phased rollout of its Identity Attribute Verification service. “Initially, we will focus on a few countries across Europe, with plans to expand into additional markets in 2025,” states the company’s blog post, adding that it will “work with governments and organizations that are looking for seamless ways to verify identity attributes more accurately and confidently.”

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October 15, 2024 – by Alex Perala