Pokémon Card Stores requiring facial recognition scans for entry in Japan in latest anti-scalper move

Gotta scan ‘em all if they want to get in.

In today’s digitally secured world, there are certain sensitive situations in which you can expect facial recognition systems to be part of the procedure. International travel often requires a facial scan as part of immigration protocols, and banking apps may ask for it as an authentication factor before you can access your account.

And as of this summer, you may also need to have your face scan before you can purchase Pokémon cards.

On July 24, the Pokémon Card Game’s official website quietly announced that it will be introducing a facial recognition system for customers wishing to enter Japan’s Pokémon Card Stores. Agreement to the scan is a requisite for entering the stores.

The Pokémon Company says that facial recognition scans are being implemented for the purposes of crime prevention and to ensure compliance with entry and purchase rules, with that last point implying that this is the latest attempt to combat the growing problem of Pokémon card scalping. The Pokémon Company appears to be wising up to the risk that letting speculative bulk-buying run rampant will eventually erode its broad base of younger and more casual fans who, if the only way they can get Pokémon stuff is by buying it an inflated prices from a scalper though an online retail site, might instead just find another hobby/series to love.

Under the new system, customers will need to submit to a facial scan before entering Pokémon Card Stores . Facial scans will also be required for obtaining seiriken, essentially queue tickets that stores give out during crowded times with an entry time specified for later in the day, so that shoppers don’t have to physically wait outside the store for the entire time until they can get in. If any individual enters a Pokémon Card Store twice in the same day, or attempts to get more than one queue ticket in a single day, the system will alert the store staff, who may then ask the aspiring shopper about their repeat visit and have the right to refuse entry if they suspect the person of being a scalper.

▼ A Pokémon Card Store

Facial scans will be required for all shoppers of elementary school age or older, which translates into ages 6 and up. Children younger than 6 will not need to have their faces scanned, but are also prohibited from entering the Pokémon Card Stores without being accompanied by a parent or guardian, so in effect no one will be getting into the stores without themselves or someone in their group getting scanned. The Pokémon Company says that facial and visit number data will be retained to the extent necessary to fulfill the system’s safety and anti-scalping purposes, then deleted “after a certain amount of time has passed.”

At the present time, the facial recognition system appears to be only for the Pokémon Card Stores, popup stores that sell not only Pokémon cards, but also a selection of Pokémon plushies, toys, and sundry/household items. Facial recognition has not yet been announced as a requirement to the larger, permanent Pokémon Center superstores, though their online branch will be requiring shoppers to show Japanese government-issued ID cards for certain purchases, and even more regulations could be coming in the wake of the Japanese government setting up a task force to address potential problems within the trading card industry and retail spaces.

Related: Pokémon Card Store location list
Source: Pokémon Card Game official website via Kotaku
Images: Pokémon Card Game official website
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