Innovative Technology promotes MyCheckr age estimation to UK retailers ahead of tobacco ban

Innovative Technology has launched a campaign aimed at UK retailers ahead of the generational tobacco ban, which takes effect on 1 January 2027. The company is promoting its MyCheckr age-estimation system to help shop staff decide when to ask for identification. InfoPlay reported the campaign on 22 October 2026.

The new UK rule bars the sale of tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. The minimum age of sale will rise by one year each year, so that from 2040 no one born from that date will be able to buy tobacco legally, according to the company's explanation. Innovative Technology said this will make age-restricted sales increasingly complex because the legal age will change over time. The company has activated a countdown on its website, which on the report's date showed 71 days until the ban takes effect.

Innovative Technology presents MyCheckr as a reinforcement of the Challenge 25 policy used by UK retailers, under which identification is requested from anyone who appears to be under 25. Installed at the point of sale, the system gives an instant red or green indication to help staff decide when to request a document. According to the company, it provides an impartial decision that allows the policy to be applied consistently and lets staff explain to a customer why identification is being requested.

The company said age checks can create pressure, delays and even confrontations with customers, and that the changing legal age will increase that pressure on employees, so retailers need to prepare now. Features cited by Innovative Technology include instant age estimation and clear red and green alerts. The checks are anonymous: the system does not store images or personal data, and it works without an internet connection. The company said the system can be used for tobacco, vape and alcohol sales, and presents it as a tool to strengthen due diligence and show customers, partners and authorities that a business takes the prevention of sales to minors seriously.

Innovative Technology's age-estimation technology is already used in the gambling sector. At ICE Barcelona 2026 the company presented a player-protection solution combining ICU Lite on the machine with MyCheckr at casino entrances to prevent underage gambling. In France, the company named Bergens as official distributor of its age-verification technology, focused on tobacconists. In Spain, Innovative Technology has just marked 30 years of presence in the market.