Does Dollar General Scan IDs

Regarding purchasing age-restricted items such as tobacco products, alcohol, or prescription medications, some stores seem to be more strict than others regarding checking for age and identity verification.

Many stores will take your ID and check visually that your picture matches your in-person identity and that your birthdate is acceptable to sell you the age-restricted item.

They will also visually check that the expiration date on your ID is not past its expiration. Many major stores have upgraded their system to have a machine do the hard work for them and scan the barcode on the back of the identification card instead of the old-school visual check.

Of course, even in doing so, they will still visually check that your picture matches you. Since most stores scan IDs these days, does Dollar General scan them as well? Keep reading to find out.

Yes, Dollar General scans IDs when it comes to purchasing age-restricted products. 

There are many reasons retailers like Dollar General have upgraded their identity verification system to scan ids instead of relying on their ol’ trusty eyes. Some may think this is an invasion of privacy by gathering all their personal information, such as age, address, birthday, and gender.

Still, most stores deny that this information is stored in their systems. That would be why they will repeatedly ID you every time you shop. Let’s find out a little bit more about Dollar General’s ID scanning practices. 

What items does Dollar General scan ID’s for?

Dollar General will ask to see your identification card to visually inspect and scan it for any age-restricted item. When it comes to their products, the only age-restricted items they sell in their stores are tobacco products such as cigarettes, vapes, cartridges, nicotine patches, and alcohol products. Dollar General will not scan ID’s for other purchases that do not contain age-restricted merchandise.

Why did Dollar General start scanning ID’s?

When it comes to training employees to accurately assess each individual’s identification card, there can be information that slips through the cracks. Dollar General has said upgrading its system to scan ID’s has helped them maintain safety in selling age-restricted items to keep them out of the hands of those who are otherwise unable to purchase them.

They also feel like scanning IDs has helped them follow the order required to sell these age-restricted products that follow each state’s regulations. 

What does Dollar General see when scanning ID’s?

Dollar General sees the same information you see with your eyes: age, name, birthday, and expiration dates. Scanning identification cards have simply given the store an advantage in keeping age-restricted sales safe by catching fake ID’s, making it a clearer shot to avoid selling to underage or illegal individuals.

Are my identity and information compromised when my ID is scanned?

Generally, it is a simple “in and out” verification of your information that aligns with your purchase. But I can not say that it is always safe. There have been unfortunate cases of dishonest workers or scammers from various companies that can see your information and then abuse it.

This, however, seems to be a very uncommon thing to happen in the ID-scanning world. This falls in line with the same safety practices that stores take to help avoid your debit or credit card information being taken. I wouldn’t be concerned with Dollar General or similar stores scanning your ID as they are simply doing so to follow each state’s age-restricted purchase protocols.

Most stores do not store your personal ID information, but certain age-restricted businesses will save it on a data platform that is completely safe and encrypted. They do this to access your information in the event of an accident or other safety incidents that may happen within their business. This is common in nightclubs or bars and not in your general stores or gas stations.

In a world where it is fairly common to see individuals making or purchasing fake identification cards to buy age-restricted items that they would otherwise not be able to, it is a comforting technological advancement knowing that we can keep our young and impressionable from purchasing harmful substances.

When your friendly store clerk asks you to see and scan your ID for your purchase, just know that you are aiding in the best way you can by keeping age-restricted sales safe and appropriate.