Credit Cards and Age Verification: What You Need to Know
When it comes to proving your age, a credit card is not your go-to method. While some organizations use credit card information to validate your age, it is not a reliable form of identification in person or at the majority of online services.
Credit Card Information and Your Age
Your age is a piece of data that is maintained by the issuing bank. Certain online organizations possess the authority to request this information for age verification but cannot do so in person. For example, organizations like aspiring credit card issuers or internet service providers may ask for it. However, this is not the norm, and in-person age verification is rarely, if ever, conducted using credit card information alone.
Many credit card issuers, including Bank of America, have stopped including photos on credit cards after the Dodd-Frank Act was passed in 2010. The inclusion of such photos was often seen as a gimmick and not a functional feature. As a result, the photos on credit cards are often of very low quality, making them useless for age verification. Even if the information were available, your credit card does not serve as a form of ID—it is simply a plastic or metal rectangle with words on it.
Understanding the Requirements
In most countries, you must be 18 years old to obtain a credit card. Therefore, the issuer knows you are over 18, provided the card is valid and remains in your possession. However, the card itself does not provide a definitive way to verify your exact age. Some older credit card designs may include an issue number, which can give an approximation of the card's age, but this method is still largely guesswork.
For instance, if a card is issued number four, it might indicate that the cardholder is around 30 years old, given that a typical card is valid for around 3 years. If the expiry date of the card is within a few years, the issuing bank can estimate your age by adding the years since the card was issued. This estimate can range from roughly 20 to 22 years, depending on the card's validity period.
Beyond these rough estimates, the process becomes even more challenging, combining guesswork with practical experience. Some people, especially those who frequently provide age estimates at events like fairs and carnivals, can guess accurately. However, it's important to note that these methods are not infallible.
Verification Methods
While credit cards can be used to verify age for online services, most websites that require users to be 18 and over will accept a credit card as proof of age, provided that the card is valid and its name matches the user's identity. However, for in-person verification, you will need a more reliable form of identification, such as a driver's license or a state-issued ID card.
The information printed on a credit card includes your name, account number, CVV (Card Verification Value), and expiration date. When a card is used as a charge, it is linked to the issuer to validate the status of the account and the availability of funds. It does not, however, provide any direct proof of your age or identity beyond the verification that it belongs to a name associated with an active or closed account.
In summary, while credit cards can sometimes be used for age verification, they are not a reliable or practical method for in-person or online age verification. Instead, secure and officially recognized forms of identification such as a driver's license or state-issued ID are more suitable for authenticating your age and identity.