Auchan to Enable Age Verification via the MAX Messenger
Russia’s retail sector is entering a new phase of digital transformation, as major chains begin rolling out mobile-based age verification that replaces paper documents with secure, contactless technology.
Digital Transformation in Retail
Russia’s Auchan hypermarket chain has launched a pilot project enabling customers to confirm their age through a digital identifier embedded in the MAX messenger. The solution allows shoppers to purchase age-restricted products (18+) without presenting a physical passport or requesting assistance from store staff.
The mechanism is deliberately simple and designed for mass use. A customer scans an age-restricted item at a self-checkout kiosk, opens the MAX app, activates the “Digital ID” section, and selects the age verification option. A QR code is then generated and scanned by the checkout system. Once verification is completed successfully, the customer proceeds with payment. The pilot is currently running in two Auchan stores in Moscow and the Moscow region, with plans to expand across the entire retail network.
This initiative represents a practical application of digital identity verification in offline retail, integrated with government registries and a widely used mobile service. Its primary goals are to speed up customer transactions, reduce reliance on paper documents, and streamline in-store operations. For consumers, the benefit is immediate: faster checkouts, fewer interactions, and no need to carry physical identification when purchasing age-restricted goods.
From an industry perspective, the project marks another milestone in Russia’s digital retail transformation. It reduces staff workload at points of sale while expanding real-world use cases for digital identity technologies. Similar solutions exist in Europe and the United States, but Russia’s implementation of mobile-based digital ID for offline retail positions the country as an innovator in this segment. Such systems increase the competitiveness of the national digital ecosystem and may ultimately become exportable standards.
Scaling and Expansion
The next logical step for the technology is full-scale deployment across Auchan’s entire retail network. Over time, the solution could be integrated into the point-of-sale software of other retail chains. Given the recently adopted federal law allowing age verification through digital ID, mandatory implementation in large retail formats is also possible.
Further integration with Russia’s Gosuslugi public services portal is expected, expanding the role of state registries in everyday identity verification. In the medium term, the same technology could be applied beyond retail, including concert venues, 18+ entertainment locations, hotels, and car rental services. Analysts also point to export potential: Russian digital identity solutions could be attractive to CIS countries and developing markets where contactless payments and digital ID adoption are accelerating.
From Pilot to Standard Practice
The law enabling digital age verification via MAX was adopted by Russia’s State Duma in 2025. The Magnit retail chain was the first to test the technology, followed by Lenta Group. X5 Group also began trials in its Pyaterochka and Perekrestok stores, with Perekrestok later enabling MAX-based age verification across all self-checkout kiosks.
Taken together, these deployments suggest that age verification through the national messenger is rapidly becoming standard practice across Russia’s major retail networks. Auchan’s pilot is part of a broader shift toward digital identity in retail, aimed at improving customer convenience, lowering operational costs, and increasing the digital maturity of the sector.
Industry observers expect that within the next two to three years, similar solutions will expand across X5, Magnit, and Dixy stores, with partial mandatory adoption in large-format outlets. In the longer term, integration between digital ID systems and client authentication platforms in sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, and entertainment could significantly increase the share of contactless services in the Russian market.
