Major cinema chains in the UK will now accept digital identification as proof of age.
UK Cinema Association members including Cineworld, Odeon, Showcase Cinemas, and Vue will be accepting the Yoti digital ID app to verify someone’s age.
This means that young people 13 and older can prove their age using their smartphones and eliminates the need to carry important ID documents such as a passport.
For many wanting to get into a ‘15’ or ‘18’ certificate film, proving their age without a passport or driving licence can be difficult and being turned away is no fun.
The new solution hopes to reduce the challenges many cinemas face in checking ages, as required by the current film classification system.
‘Of the 165 million to 170 million admissions per year UK cinemas were seeing pre-pandemic, around 30 per cent fall within the 15-24 year old bracket (and around 20 per cent within the 9-14 year old age group),’ said Phil Clapp, CEO at the UK Cinema Association said.
Since cinemas re-opened last May those proportions are likely to be even higher.
‘With an increase in recent years in the number of films classified at ‘15’ but with a broader youth appeal, the issue of proving age is becoming increasingly challenging,’ said Kelly Drew, Operations Director at Cineworld.
Drew believes that using the Yoti app to check ID will also help staff who are often on the receiving end of any resulting customer frustration.
‘Young people expect to be able to do everything with their phone and using it to prove their age will come naturally to them. It’s a win-win for both cinemas and young cinema-goers,’ said Robin Tombs, CEO and co-founder at Yoti.
How can you create your digital ID?
- Download the free Yoti (or Post Office EasyID app) app from the Android Play store or the Apple App Store
- Add a photo ID and a current photo to verify your identity.
- Open the Yoti app – tap to show the ID card and select age (no other personal details are shared)
- Present the ID card to cinema staff:
The Digital ID card will show the verified photo of the individual as well as a hologram that moves when the phone is tilted, for anti-spoofing purposes.
Cinema staff will also be able to scan the QR code on the card with a freely available web app.
Yoti’s reusable digital ID apps are already accepted by a wide range of organisations like the the NHS, Virgin Atlantic, 30,000 locations on the UK high street.
Most recently Yoti partnered with social media app beloved by Gen Z to introduce face-scanning age-verification.
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