Selling vape products on Shopify in the UK? You must legally verify every customer is 18+. Here's how to stay compliant while keeping your checkout friction-free.
Why Age Verification Is Required for Shopify Vape Stores in the UK
Under UK law, it's illegal to sell vape products to anyone under 18. This includes all nicotine-containing products and even some accessories. If you're running a Shopify vape store, you're required to:
- Prevent underage users from completing a purchase
- Use an active method of verification (not just a checkbox)
- Prove you took reasonable steps to comply
"When we launched our Shopify vape store, we didn’t realize how strict the age laws were. Switching to Pay by Bank gave us legal peace of mind, and our conversion rate went up." - James M., Shopify merchant from Manchester
What Happens If You Don’t Comply?
Not verifying customer age can lead to:
- Regulatory fines and product takedowns
- Loss of merchant accounts or payment gateway bans
- Store shutdowns under Shopify's acceptable use policy
Bottom line: If you're not actively verifying age, you're putting your store and business at risk.
Common Age Verification Methods (And Why They Fall Short)
Many Shopify vape merchants try to stay compliant using basic third-party apps or manual ID checks. But these solutions often create friction that drives shoppers away.
Popup-Based Apps (e.g., AgeChecked, NA Age Verifier)
These tools show a popup asking users to confirm their age or enter a birthdate. They may satisfy compliance, but they come with tradeoffs:
- High bounce rates on mobile devices
- Easy to bypass by entering a fake date
- Adds friction at the beginning of the user journey
Manual ID Uploads
Some stores ask customers to upload a photo of their ID before checkout. This provides strong legal proof, but:
- It's time-consuming for the customer
- It slows down fulfillment
- It can raise data privacy concerns
Neither approach offers a great customer experience — and both can hurt conversions.
Pay by Bank: Seamless Age Verification Through Trusted Bank Data
Pay by Bank solves this problem by verifying age behind the scenes, using information already verified by the customer’s UK bank.
How It Works:
- The customer selects Pay by Bank at checkout.
- They log into their banking app to approve the payment.
- WalliD's system checks the customer's verified age from the bank.
- Only customers 18+ can complete the transaction.
This method is:
- Invisible to the user (no popups or extra steps)
- Secure, using bank-level identity verification
- Compliant with UK law and Shopify's requirements
- Conversion-friendly, especially for mobile users
It’s the best of both worlds: legal compliance without customer friction.
Why Shopify Vape Stores Choose Pay by Bank
Beyond just age checks, Pay by Bank offers benefits tailored to high-risk, regulated merchants:
If you're in the vape industry, you know the value of simplifying checkout. Pay by Bank makes age verification something your customers never even see — and that's the point.
