Fred Meyer Oregon Is Scanning Your Driver’s License, Is Washington State Next?

Fred Meyer Stores In Oregon Are Scanning Drivers' License Barcodes

If you decide to buy alcohol and age-restricted items at your local Fred Meyer, don't be surprised if in the future if they want to scan the barcode of your driver's license.

A New ID Checking Policy At Fred Meyer Has The Stores Scanning Your License

In an article posted by KGW8 News in Portland, recent shoppers in Oregon purchasing alcohol or other age-restricted items were shocked at being asked to show IDs and had their IDs scanned by the grocery retailer.

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Fred Meyer associates are asking for ID on every alcohol purchase and scanning the barcode of the license which might come as a jarring surprise to some customers.

In the article, Fred Meyer officials issued this statement concerning the policy:

At Fred Meyer, the safety of our customers, associates, and the communities that we serve is our top priority. We now require all customers to provide ID for the purchase of age-restricted items to help ensure 100% compliance with state and local requirements. This practice aligns us with the growing number of retailers and delivery providers that have already implemented this standard. 

Other states like Tennesee have already started implementing the policy and according to Fred Meyer, the cashier can also type in the information without having to scan the customer's driver's license.

In a posting on Facebook,  Fred Meyer had this to say about the policy:

Our policy is that all customers will be carded, regardless of their age. Cashiers will scan the back of the Customers ID at checkout. Data is not stored in our computer systems at all. This is done to speed up the checkout process and reduce the number of typos when entering dates of birth. If customers do not feel comfortable with the store scanning their ID, they can request that the cashier manually enter their date of birth instead. 

It seems like the policy will soon be nationwide for the retailer so don't be surprised in Washington State that the policy hasn't already taken effect or soon will take effect.

All you have to do if the scanning of your driver's license bothers you is just ask the cashier to type in your information to be compliant with the policy.

You can read more details about the policy here.