ANKENY, Iowa -- Casey's General Stores Inc. is moving to a more efficient way of carding customers, according to The Times, Ottawa, Ill.
Rather than a clerk trying to figure out the age, or making a guess as to whether an ID is authentic, Illinois licenses and ID cards will be scanned like a grocery item and verified, said the report.
About two-dozen Illinois stores have installed the scanning equipment, and the Casey's in Ottawa is among the first in the state to make the switch. "Illinois is one of the states that has the technology [image-nocss] for scanning licenses. It's easier for clerks to ID and monitor the selling of age-restricted products," Bill Walljasper, Casey's CFO, told the newspaper.
Walljasper was referring to the bar codes on the back of newer Illinois ID cards. The scanning device relays to the clerk whether it is an authentic ID card with a "yes" or "no" message.
While customers may be skeptical of having their IDs scanned, Walljasper stressed the scanners do not save any of the card information or send the data elsewhere. "It is not kept or transmitted anywhere. We're just trying to take the guesswork out of [carding]," Walljasper said. "It's purely a yes' or no' answer, it tells the clerk whether it's a valid drivers license. We're not keeping a data bank on Bill Smith; all it is is a quick verification.... It's an effort to deter underage drinking and underage smoking."
Walljasper said eventually all of Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey's 270 Illinois stores will be equipped with the scanners, the report added.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.