Going forward, you will be able to finish buying alcohol and cigarettes at convenience stores in one step without presenting an ID separately.
SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus, the three mobile carriers, said on the 1st they launched the "PASS ID payment" service, which handles ID verification and payment at the same time.
With this service, if you register a digital ID such as a resident registration card or driver's license and a credit card in advance in the PASS app, scanning a QR code at the counter completes both age verification and card payment in one go. Until now, at convenience stores or unmanned vending machines, customers had to present a physical ID for age verification and then proceed with payment again, drawing complaints that it was inconvenient.
The 15 million customers currently using the PASS digital ID service can start using it right away by adding only a card, without installing a separate app. The three carriers expect that skipping the ID presentation and verification steps will reduce payment wait times and provide a faster, more convenient purchase experience, especially during commuting hours and late at night.
It is also expected to serve as a "safety device" for small business owners. Under the enforcement decrees of the Food Sanitation Act and the Youth Protection Act revised and implemented in March this year, even if a business sells alcohol or cigarettes to a minor, it can be exempted from administrative penalties such as suspension of operations if there is objective evidence that an ID was checked. PASS ID payment can electronically leave a record of ID verification, making it usable as evidence in related disputes.
The service, in partnership with GS Retail, is first being introduced starting today at GS25 convenience stores nationwide and will also be applied to unmanned cigarette vending machines installed by Beaverworks. Adult verification and payment data are encrypted and delivered to GS25 through NICE Information & Telecommunication, a value-added network (VAN) operator. NICE Information & Telecommunication is the first among VAN companies to join hands with the three carriers to support this service.
The three carriers plan to expand the service to various online and offline areas that require adult verification or residence verification, including convenience stores, vending machines and self-checkout counters at large supermarkets, as well as major tourist destinations in Korea.
A representative of the three carriers said, "PASS ID payment is an innovative service that integrates ID verification and payment into a single step," and added, "For customers, it will offer convenience, and for merchants, it will become a new standard that improves work efficiency and payment speed."