5 Factors You Should Not Neglect When Buying an ID Scanner

ID scanners are mandatory for those industries that serve liquor and tobacco products. These industries need to maintain an age restriction to sell products containing tobacco and alcohol. If you possess a similar kind of business and need to buy ID scanners, there are several issues that you should take into consideration. Choosing the right kind of ID scanner for age verification is not a big deal. But, if you buy the wrong scanner that does not function properly, nothing can be more frustrating than this.

Consider These When Selecting the Best ID Scanner:

1. Which types of IDs can read the scanner readers?

You need an ID scanner that can read every license and ID required to encounter. In the US, license technology is used for two purposes – for driver’s licenses and state ID cards (like barcodes and magnetic stripes). Barcode/ magnetic stripe contains information like age and address. Even you can get both of these two scanners in one device.

2. When and where the age needs to be verified?

Where you are using the scanner matters a lot. If the ID scanner is required for bars and nightclubs, then you should buy a mobile, battery-powered, and hand-held scanner, easy for a bouncer to use while standing by the door. Liquor stores require a stationary ID scanner that can be plugged into the wall and is always ready to serve. If you need to cover several entrances and checkouts, then better you should buy multiple ID scanning units.

3. Is it possible to store the data?

Ordinary ID scanners simply read an ID and show the age of the person you want to verify. But some advanced scanners not only read the data but also store the data from the card in the built-in memory. You can use this data in near future to establish that you had scanned that particular ID.

4. Is it easy to use?

The ID scanner is always expected to be easy to use. Its screen should be large. You should look only for those products that have a graphic display to help you identify the customer’s age and identity as soon as possible. The screen must be backlit as you may need to use it in a dark environment, a nightclub for instance. Several ID scanners face difficulties to reset the scanner. If you want to ensure simple and easy use, you should look for scanners that never ask you to press buttons during the scans. An ideal scanner will take 1-2 seconds to complete the entire scanning process.

5. Is the scanner long-lasting?

An ID scanner needs to tolerate a lot of things. For instance, the bouncers at nightclubs put wear-and-tear on an ID scanner. That’s why you need a durable scanner. It is recommended to avoid models having protruding wires, badly shaped brackets, and external battery packs. Such a product would fail if a person drops the scanner accidentally even once. Most of the durable scanners are made of shock-resistant plastic, screen protectors, and hand straps. IT would be better if you can get one year warranty on manufacturing defects.

When you have considered all of these issues, you need to go through certain stages before buying an ID scanner.:

Searching

In the initial stage, you need to conduct thorough research to compile relevant information about the different types of scanners available in the market. You need to research the ID scan technical specification, the ID card scanning software capabilities, the reader scanner price, ID barcode scanner features, and ID scanning speed capabilities.

Comparing

Have you gathered all the relevant information? That’s fine. Now, in the second stage, you need to compare two or three different models of ID scanners. This comparison will help you determine which ID scanner is the best for your age verification application.

Purchasing

You need to observe the name of the company behind the products you are eager to buy. There are certain questions that you should ask the manufacturers before purchasing the product. For instance, how older is this company? Can you reach ID scanner technical support easily? Can you see the contact number of the company or the address of the company which has manufactured this product? How does the manufacturer offer assistance- via email or something else? How do you get the software updates available for the ID scanners?

A Final Takeaway

If you still don’t have an ID scanner, there are chances that you would accept a fake ID unintentionally. It can drag you into serious legal issues. Therefore, you need to look for a perfect ID scanner as soon as possible.