PORTLAND - 7 Eleven stores across the country this week began scanning drivers licenses and identification cards of customers purchasing alcohol or tobacco.
A laser scans the bar code on the back of licenses and identification cards. It sends the information to the cash register and tells the employee if the I.D. is valid and if the person is old enough to buy the product.
It doesn’t always work, especially on worn out drivers licenses or where you’ve moved and have a new sticker on the back for your address.
In those cases, employees can manually put in your I.D. number to verify your age.
"They scanned my I.D. today, it didn’t bother me it’s just a more sophisticated way to check your I.D.," Justin Forsman said.
"Some people are like, 'why are you checking my I.D.? You know how old I am.' I tell them it’s the new policy and I have to make sure your I.D. is valid and make sure you really are the age you say you are.”
As far as the information it keeps, 7 Eleven Field Consultant Kurt Lamburt insists that unlike grocery store discount cards their I.D. scanner records no customer information other than verify age.
“It collects a portion of the I.D. number, date of birth and date of expiration and issue of I.D. and that's all the information we're collecting.” he said.
As of this week, the I.D. scanners are in all 7 Eleven’s across the country.
Employee Christina Stubbs said it helps protect employees from being fined by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.
"I don't want to lose my job and I've had people come in here (OLCC employees) and make sure I was carding all my customers," she said.
The new scanners also speed up transactions at the check-out stand, which Lamburt said is really at the heart of what a convenience store is supposed to do.
