QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Transcription

1 PASS SCHEME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Look out for the PASS hologram THE NATIONAL PROOF OF AGE STANDARDS SCHEME INFORMATION ABOUT AGE-RESTRICTED SALES

2 ABOUT PASS What is PASS? PASS stands for the Proof of Age Standards Scheme and is the UK s national guarantee scheme for Proof of Age Cards. PASS does not issue cards but regulates those cards schemes that are accredited to use the PASS logo. What does a PASS card look like? The hallmark of a PASS card is the unique hologram which only PASS accredited schemes are licensed to use. All cards also carry full name, date of birth, and passport quality photograph. Visuals of all PASS card schemes can be found at How does PASS ensure card details are accurate? In order to obtain a PASS card, applicants must provide proof of their age and identity and have their application and photographs countersigned by a suitable referee. PASS card schemes are required to carry out appropriate checks of data provided to ensure that, as far as possible, all data pertaining to age and identity of applicants are correct. Independent auditors, appointed by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), carry out periodic audits on card schemes to ensure that they meet and maintain the stringent standards required for PASS accreditation. How common are forgeries? A fake or forged PASS card has never yet been found. Although it is difficult to police the trade in novelty cards, websites are regularly monitored by Trading Standards to ensure that they do not offer fake PASS cards. The PASS hologram is a registered trademark which makes its forgery a criminal offence; any evidence of forgery of the PASS hologram will be vigorously pursued by the PASS Board and the relevant authorities with a view to prosecution Who supports PASS? The PASS scheme is actively encouraged and supported by: Home Office Scottish Government Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) Trading Standards Institute (TSI) Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) National Pubwatch Scheme and; all the main UK trade associations 1 representing retailers selling age restricted goods/services. Acceptance of PASS cards is furthermore promoted as part of the Challenge 21 and Challenge 25 schemes. 1 These included but are not limited to the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB), the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR), the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), the BII, the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN), and NOCTIS. In Scotland trade associations that support PASS include the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, the Scottish Retail Consortium and the Scottish Grocers Federation.

3 RETAILERS What are the benefits of accepting PASS cards? Accepting a PASS hologram card which carries the bearer s image and acceptable date of birth is due diligence, as advised by Home Office and ACPO. The presence of a PASS hologram on a card tells you that the card is genuine and not a so called novelty or fake proof of age card. Many young people (up to a third of 18/19 year olds) do not have passports or driving licences so a PASS card may be their only means of photo ID. Don t turn away legitimate business. What training materials are available from PASS? Sample/training cards to help with recognition of the PASS hologram are available free of charge from PASS. A range of posters including Challenge 25, Challenge 21 and a poster showing the 5 step checking process are available to download from the PASS website at What should I do if I suspect a card has been tampered with or does not belong to the person presenting the card? Do not return the card to the bearer but retain the card, explaining why you have kept it. Issue a receipt and hand to your local licensing police who will deal with the matter in accordance with locally agreed protocol. For further information see Home Office guidance on fake ID (Feb 2011). Are PASS cards only issued to over 18s? No. PASS cards may be issued to applicant of all ages. It is your responsibility to check the date of birth and make sure that the person is old enough to purchase the goods/services in question. Most PASS cards have a bold 18+ symbol where the card holder is 18 and over. Can I be prosecuted for accepting a PASS card? No-one has been prosecuted for accepting a PASS card. Make sure that you always follow the 5 step process for checking PASS cards. What is the 5 step checking process? 1 Check the PASS hologram. Is it genuine (as shown on PASS training cards). 2 Check the photograph. Does it match the bearer? 3 Check the date of birth. Is the person old enough? 4 Check the card. Make sure it is smooth to the touch and has not been tampered with. 5 Check the person. Are you satisfied?

4 YOUNG PEOPLE What are the benefits of PASS cards for young people? PASS cards offer a convenient and cost effective means of proving your age without the need to carry around valuable documents such as passports or driving licences. If lost or stolen, such documents are expensive to replace ( to replace a passport, 20 for a driving licence). Do retailers have to accept a PASS card? No. No form of ID will guarantee access to any age restricted product. Remember that there is no automatic right of entry to licensed premises nor is there an automatic right to service of alcohol; entry is always at the discretion of the licensee for whatever reason he or she decides. Most companies are aware that PASS cards are recognised as legal proof of age and have a policy of accepting PASS cards though from time to time cards may be refused, usually because door supervisors/employees have not been properly briefed on proof of age. Examples of operators that DO accept PASS cards The following are just some examples of major operators that have a company policy of accepting PASS cards: ON TRADE JD Wetherspoon Greene King Inventive Leisure (e.g. Revolution) Intertain (e.g. Walkabout) Luminar Leisure Mitchells and Butlers Marstons Novus (e.g. Tiger Tiger) Orchid Pub Group Spirit Stonegate OFF TRADE Asda Iceland Morrisons Sainsburys Spar Tesco Waitrose How do I apply for a PASS card? You need to apply direct to any of the PASS accredited schemes. There are three national schemes (CitizenCard, Validate UK and Young Scot if you live in Scotland) and around 15 local authorities in England and Wales who issue cards locally. Contact details of all schemes can be found on the PASS website at most have application forms available to download on their websites. How much will it cost? Prices vary and your card issuer will be able to advise. The average price is around 15, more if you request an urgent application. Am I guaranteed a card if I apply? No. Around a quarter of all applications are rejected. The most common problems are that the documentation you provide is not in order or your referee can t be contacted or is deemed unsuitable. If your application is not successful you will be told the reason. Any suspected fraudulent applications will be logged and the authorities notified if appropriate. If my card is refused by a retailer what should I do? If your PASS card has been refused you should complete and return the card refusal form on the PASS website and/or contact your card issuer direct. Your card issuer will contact the venue and find out why the card was refused and report back to you the outcome of any investigation as to why your card was refused. PASS will send a letter and training materials to the venue/ retail outlet.

5 POLICE AND TRADING STANDARDS OFFICERS Members of my local pubwatch or business watch group are nervous about accepting PASS cards. What advice should I give them? You may wish to refer to the PASS Mythbuster document which has been circulated to police licensing officers [attached at Appendix 1] and which should help to dispel some of the more commonly held urban myths around PASS cards. You should offer reassurance that there is no evidence for forgeries of PASS cards and that each application is rigorously checked to ensure that all data is correct. Point out that asking for and accepting PASS cards is due diligence provided that retailers make basic checks such as ensuring that the card has not been tampered with and that the person is old enough. Ultimately, the decision as to what form of proof of age to accept lies with the retailer, but you should ensure that the information you give is balanced, up to date and in line with the advice of ACPO/ACPOS and the TSI as well as the Home Office and Scottish Government who all advocate acceptance of PASS. What is the policy of ACPO/ACPOS re. PASS? ACPO and ACPOS advocate PASS cards as the preferred alternative to passports and driving licences for the purpose of age verification for age restricted sales. What is TSI s policy on PASS? The Trading Standards Institute (TSI) fully supports PASS scheme and is an integral partner in that it provides an independent auditing service to ensure that all PASS accredited card schemes adhere to PASS requirements. Ron Gainsford, OBE, Chief Executive of the TSI states that PASS is the accepted and credible proof of age alternative to new style driving licences and passports. TSI continues to strongly support PASS and to advise the trading standards community accordingly. We see PASS as being a reliable indicator of businesses exercising due diligence in their selling of age controlled products. What action should I take over confiscated PASS cards? Any confiscated cards should be returned to either the card issuer or PASS rather than to the card issuer and/or PASS. For further details including advice on devising a locally agreed protocol in respect of issuing receipts for confiscated cards and recommended action if there is reason to suspect the card is fake, has been tampered with or used fraudulently (e.g. used by someone other than the cardholder) see page 24 of the guidance on false ID issued by the Home Office (Feb 2011). Chief Constable Jon Stoddard, ACPO licensing lead, has issued the following public statement and guidance to police licensing officers: The Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) has ACPO s full support as a vital tool in helping to reduce underage drinking and the associated harms to individuals and society. PASS gives young people a convenient means of proving their age and offers retailers a reliable means of ensuring that they are exercising due diligence at the point of sale. ACPO advises against the practice of carrying valuable ID such as passports for alcohol related purchases; if lost or stolen such documents can be of use to criminals as well as causing inconvenience and expense to those who have to replace them.

6 APPENDIX ONE: PASS MYTHBUSTER Fake PASS cards can be bought off the internet To date there is no evidence that the PASS hologram has been forged and/or used on novelty or fake ID. Fake or novelty ID can easily be purchased from a range of internet sites for as little as 10. Although it is virtually impossible to police the trade in so-called novelty cards, such sites are monitored on a regular basis to ensure that they do not offer PASS hologrammed cards. The PASS hologram is a registered trademark which makes its forgery a criminal offence; any evidence of systematic or actual forgery of the PASS hologram will be vigorously pursued by the PASS Board and the relevant authorities with a view to prosecution. PASS card applications are not checked it s easy to get one with a false date of birth The rigour of the application process as checked via Trading Standard Institute (TSI) audits means that the risk of cards being issued with false data is minimal. In order to obtain a PASS card, applicants must provide proof of their age and identity and have their application and photographs countersigned by a suitable referee. PASS card schemes are required to carry out appropriate checks of data provided to ensure that, as far as possible, all data pertaining to age and identity of applicants are correct. They are instructed to reject any applications where there is any doubt as to the veracity of the details supplied. Independent auditors, appointed by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), carry out periodic audits on card schemes to ensure that they meet and maintain the stringent standards required for PASS accreditation. It s better to ask for passports and driving licences than PASS cards ACPO and the Home Office encourage retailers to accept PASS cards over and above passports/driving licences as proof of age and offer reassurance that doing so is due diligence. The rigour of the PASS application process combined with the absence of evidence of forged cards bearing the PASS hologram makes PASS as reliable as passports and driving licences. Young people are rightly concerned about taking valuable documents such as passports with them on a night out, because of the inconvenience and expense to replace if lost or stolen. If they fall into the hands of criminals they can represent a real security risk. It s difficult to recognise PASS cards because each scheme is a different design The key to recognising a PASS card is the unique PASS hologram. The presence of the hologram indicates that the card is issued by a genuine issuer and can be accepted with confidence. Almost all PASS cards presented for the purpose of purchasing alcohol/tobacco are issued by the three national PASS card schemes, namely CitizenCard, ValidateUK and Young Scot [see examples opposite]. Visuals of all PASS cards are on the PASS website at

7 These are examples of PASS accredited schemes in the UK. A complete list of PASS accredited schemes complete with visuals of cards can be found at If you have any queries about PASS cards or would like free training/ sample cards to assist with recognition of the PASS hologram please contact kate@pass-scheme.org.uk or call

8 FURTHER INFORMATION Kate Winstanley PASS Director/Administrator PASS c/o British Retail Consortium 21 Dartmouth Street London SW1H 9BP OR Robert Humphreys Chairman, PASS Board May 2012 THE NATIONAL PROOF OF AGE STANDARDS SCHEME INFORMATION ABOUT AGE-RESTRICTED SALES