Age Verification

1. Purpose and Scope

This policy sets out Bevendo’s approach to age verification for the sale and delivery of alcohol through its digital platform at bevendo.co.uk. It applies to Bevendo’s online ordering and delivery arrangements, including deliveries carried out directly by Bevendo or through third-party delivery operators.

Bevendo operates a digital marketplace platform facilitating the sale and delivery of alcohol by independent licensed merchant partners to customers. Each merchant partner remains responsible for holding and maintaining the licences and authorisations applicable to alcohol sales from its premises. Bevendo arranges or facilitates delivery and maintains age-verification requirements designed to support the lawful delivery of alcohol through the Platform.

Where delivery is carried out by Bevendo directly, Bevendo is responsible for ensuring that the applicable delivery-stage age-verification procedures are followed. Where delivery is carried out by a third-party delivery operator, responsibility for carrying out and ensuring compliance with the applicable delivery-stage age-verification procedures will be allocated in accordance with the relevant contractual arrangements between Bevendo, the delivery operator and its delivery personnel.

2. Legal Framework

This policy is established in accordance with the following legislation and guidance:

• The Licensing Act 2003 and the mandatory licensing conditions made under it, which require that alcohol is not sold or supplied to persons under the age of 18.
• The Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) (Amendment) Order 2026, which came into force on 15 September 2026 and permits qualifying digital proof of age to be used for alcohol sales.
• The Challenge 25 scheme, which Bevendo adopts as its age-verification standard and under which any person who appears to be under the age of 25 must provide satisfactory proof that they are aged 18 or over before alcohol is handed over.
• UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 insofar as they govern the collection and processing of any age verification data.

3. Online Age Verification at Checkout

3.1 Current Approach — Mandatory Declaration

At the point of checkout on bevendo.co.uk, every customer is required to confirm that they are aged 18 or over before their order can be processed. This confirmation is an active, explicit, and mandatory step in the checkout flow. Customers who do not confirm their age cannot complete a purchase.

The checkout confirmation must make clear that the purchaser is aged 18 or over and that the person accepting delivery must also be aged 18 or over.

Customers should ensure that the person accepting the delivery is able to satisfy the applicable age-verification requirements and, where required by the applicable delivery process, that their name corresponds to the name associated with the order.

Where Bevendo records the checkout age declaration or associated information, that information will be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary in accordance with Bevendo’s applicable data-retention practices, Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection law.

3.2 Digital Verification Services

Bevendo acknowledges that the mandatory online declaration described in Section 3.1 constitutes a self-declaration rather than a verified proof of age. The 2026 amendment permits qualifying digital proof of age to be used for alcohol sales. Bevendo does not currently accept digital proof of age and continues to rely on physical proof of age at delivery. Bevendo may introduce a registered Digital Verification Service as part of its age-verification process where permitted by applicable law and supported by Bevendo’s operational and delivery arrangements. Until such a service is introduced, the procedures set out in Sections 3.1 and 4 apply.

4. Age Verification at Point of Delivery — Challenge 25

4.1 The Challenge 25 Policy

Bevendo operates a mandatory Challenge 25 policy at the point of delivery. This means that any person who appears to be under the age of 25 must be asked to provide valid photographic proof of age before alcohol is handed over.

Under this Policy, Challenge 25 is a mandatory requirement applying to all Bevendo alcohol deliveries, whether delivery is carried out by a third-party delivery operator or directly by Bevendo.

All alcohol deliveries must be identified and processed as age-restricted deliveries so that the applicable age-verification procedure is triggered, whether delivery is carried out by a third-party delivery operator or directly by Bevendo. Before handing over alcohol, the rider must complete the applicable age and sobriety checks. Where identification is required, the photograph on the identification must match the recipient and, where required by the applicable delivery process, the name on the identification must match the name associated with the order. Riders must not photograph or retain copies of identification documents as part of the physical age-verification check, and any proof-of-delivery image must not show the recipient’s face or identification document.

4.2 Accepted Forms of Identification

Bevendo currently accepts physical proof of age only at the point of delivery.

The following forms of photographic identification are accepted as valid proof of age at the point of delivery:

• A valid UK or international passport.
• A valid UK or European Union photocard driving licence.
• A PASS-accredited proof of age card bearing the national Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) hologram.
• A valid national identity card issued by a member state of the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.
• A valid identity card issued to a serving member of HM Armed Forces, including the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force.

The following are not accepted as valid proof of age:

• Birth certificates.
• Bank cards.
• Student cards without PASS accreditation.
• Photographs, screenshots or other digital images of identification documents.

For the avoidance of doubt, any Digital Verification Service implemented by Bevendo at checkout in accordance with Section 3.2 does not replace the age-verification requirements applicable at the point of delivery unless and until the applicable delivery process, whether operated by a third-party delivery operator or directly by Bevendo, supports such digital verification in accordance with applicable law.

4.3 Delivery Refusal

Delivery riders carrying out Bevendo deliveries must refuse to hand over alcohol in the following circumstances:

• The recipient appears to be under the age of 25 and cannot provide valid proof of age.
• The proof of age provided appears to be expired, damaged, or fraudulent.
• Where identification is required, the photograph does not match the recipient or, where required by the applicable delivery process, the name on the identification does not match the name associated with the order.
• The recipient appears to be intoxicated by alcohol or under the influence of drugs at the point of delivery.
• The recipient is under the age of 18 as established by their proof of age.
• There is reasonable suspicion that the alcohol is being purchased on behalf of a person under the age of 18 — a proxy purchase.

In all cases where delivery cannot be completed, the rider must not leave the alcohol unattended, in a safe place, with a neighbour, building reception, or with any other person who has not satisfied the applicable age-verification requirements.

Where the intended recipient is absent, cannot provide satisfactory proof of age where required, appears intoxicated by alcohol or under the influence of drugs, or the delivery is otherwise refused in accordance with this Policy, the rider must follow the applicable returns procedure of the relevant delivery operator or, where delivery is carried out by Bevendo directly, Bevendo’s own returns procedure. This may include contacting the relevant delivery support service before commencing a return. The order must be dealt with in accordance with the applicable returns procedure, which may require the entire order to be returned to the original collection point or another designated location. It must not be left at the delivery address.

4.4 Recording Refused Deliveries

Every refused or unsuccessful age-restricted delivery must be recorded through the reporting process applicable to the relevant delivery operator or, where the delivery is carried out by Bevendo directly, through Bevendo’s designated reporting process.

The record should include, where available, the date and time of the attempted delivery, the delivery address or relevant order reference, the reason why delivery was not completed, the outcome of any age or sobriety verification required under this Policy, and any other relevant information recorded as part of the applicable delivery or returns process.

Where delivery is carried out by a third-party delivery operator, Bevendo will obtain and retain information relating to refused or unsuccessful age-restricted deliveries to the extent made available through the operator’s reporting systems, account records or agreed reporting arrangements. Where delivery is carried out by Bevendo directly, the relevant delivery record must be submitted to Bevendo promptly following the attempted delivery.

Bevendo will maintain appropriate records of refused or unsuccessful age-restricted deliveries and, where appropriate or required, make relevant information available to the relevant merchant partner, premises licence holder or Designated Premises Supervisor and to any relevant licensing or enforcement authority.

4.5 Third-Party Delivery Operator Non-Compliance

Where Bevendo reasonably determines that a third-party delivery operator has materially failed to comply with this Policy or otherwise presents an unacceptable age-verification risk, Bevendo will cease using that operator for Bevendo alcohol deliveries and will appoint or transition to an alternative delivery provider as soon as reasonably practicable.

5. Policy Review and Version Control

This Policy will be reviewed by Bevendo no less than every six months, and immediately following any of the following events: a change in relevant legislation or regulatory guidance, a compliance incident involving an underage sale or suspected underage sale, a material change in Bevendo’s delivery model or third-party delivery arrangements, or any introduction of a Digital Verification Service under Section 3.2.

All previous versions of this policy will be retained and dated. The current version will be published on the Bevendo website and made available to all staff, delivery partners, and merchant partners upon request.

6. Related Policies and Documents

This Policy should be read together with any other applicable Bevendo policies, procedures, terms and contractual documents relating, among other things, to alcohol sales, delivery, age verification and regulatory compliance, as amended from time to time.

Version History