Moscow to Pilot Biometric Age Verification at Self-Checkout Lanes
Starting this fall, Russian supermarkets will allow customers to confirm their age with facial recognition instead of showing ID, streamlining purchases of restricted goods.
In Russia, biometrics are already used to buy train tickets, pay for public transport, log into banking apps, and even pass border control. Now the technology is expanding to retail. Beginning in fall 2025, self-checkout counters in Moscow supermarkets will offer biometric age verification, according to Vladislav Povolotsky, CEO of the Center for Biometric Technologies, who announced the project at the Eastern Economic Forum.
The pilot will launch in one of the city’s largest retail chains. The service will apply to any purchase with age restrictions, freeing store staff from manual ID checks and speeding up customer service. Shoppers who prefer traditional methods will still be able to show their passports.
Russia is steadily expanding everyday biometric services. Recently, it was announced that SIM cards can soon be issued with biometric verification at mobile carrier stores. The first biometric terminals will appear in Moscow and St. Petersburg, with other regions to follow.
