eBay age verification in the UK
eBay checks age for some restricted purchases. Its help distinguishes a credit-card route for bladed products from VerifyMyAge for certain other items, including alcohol.
Age check for some content or features Shopping and purchases verified 18 October 2026
Credit card, payment card and delivery are separate
eBay says the verification card is not charged or saved. Debit cards cannot complete this bladed-product check. Payment follows verification. Some restricted deliveries also need in-person proof of age. Official source · checked 18 October 2026
Why VerifyMyAge links to VerifyMy
VerifyMy’s own eBay integration page describes this deployment; verifymyage.com also redirects to VerifyMy. Its Google retention statement does not establish what the eBay deployment keeps. Official source · checked 18 October 2026
Compare methods · How checks work · What happens to your ID and verification results?
Facts panel
Published statements are shown with their sources and the dates we checked them. Missing information and availability limits remain explicit.
- Domain
- ebay.co.uk
- Age check
A retail purchase check, separate from an Online Safety Act content gate. It does not apply to every eBay purchase.
Age check for some content or features- Triggered by
- age-restricted purchases
- Applies to
- UK buyers of the restricted items
- Methods
- Credit cardOther
- Vendor
- VerifyMy; Other recorded providers for credit card (eBay credit-card route),
- Overall record checked
- 18 October 2026. Individual methods may have later checks, shown below.
Methods and retention, one row per method
| Method | Provider | Retention, as published | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card | eBay credit-card route |
“The card will only be used for verification and will not be charged or saved.” Quoted from ocs.ebay.co.uk; checked 18 October 2026. Held by the service. Period as stated: card not saved for this check. Notes: This statement covers the bladed-product credit-card check only. |
ocs.ebay.co.uk Primary source · checked 18 October 2026 |
| Other method | VerifyMyAge (VerifyMy) |
No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). Notes: Verifymy’s eBay pages (moved to new addresses, modified 4 September 2026): “When a customer makes a purchase, Verifymy will attempt age verification using the customer’s order details or a previous successful verification.” and, if that fails, the buyer gets an email link “to verify their age using a range of verification methods.” The buyer page says only that Verifymy encrypts data it collects and will never sell it; neither page states a retention period. The exact options for an individual buyer remain unconfirmed. |
verifymy.io Primary source · checked 18 October 2026 |
What you will see
- What happens
- Follow the route requested for the item. eBay describes an optional VerifyMyAge account for repeat purchases; otherwise relevant purchases require a new check.
- How long it takes
- Not stated by the service.
- If you decline
- The restricted purchase cannot complete until the required age check succeeds.
- Official help page
- ocs.ebay.co.uk
Questions people ask about eBay
Does eBay require age verification in the UK?
For some content or features. As of 18 October 2026, eBay asks UK users to complete an age check for age-restricted purchases, applying to UK buyers of the restricted items. A retail purchase check, separate from an Online Safety Act content gate. It does not apply to every eBay purchase.
Is the eBay age check a face scan?
A face-scan route is not confirmed in this record. The recorded methods are Credit card and Other method. Providers named: eBay credit-card route and VerifyMyAge (VerifyMy). A retail purchase check, separate from an Online Safety Act content gate. It does not apply to every eBay purchase.
What does eBay keep after the age check?
Credit card via eBay credit-card route: "The card will only be used for verification and will not be charged or saved." (ocs.ebay.co.uk; checked 18 October 2026). Other method via VerifyMyAge (VerifyMy): No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). A retail purchase check, separate from an Online Safety Act content gate. It does not apply to every eBay purchase.
What if the eBay age check is not working?
This site records what the service publishes; it does not troubleshoot or offer workarounds. eBay's own help page is https://ocs.ebay.co.uk/help/buying/default/age-restricted-items?id=5596. The record lists 2 methods; availability depends on the service and account: Credit card and Other method. If you do not complete the check, the service states: The restricted purchase cannot complete until the required age check succeeds. A retail purchase check, separate from an Online Safety Act content gate. It does not apply to every eBay purchase.
Regulator actions
No Ofcom or ICO action naming this service is recorded as of 18 October 2026.
Sources for this entry
- eBay UK: age-restricted items service help
- VerifyMy: eBay integration vendor page 4 September 2026
- VerifyMy: help with an eBay order vendor page 4 September 2026
Changes to this record
- — methods[other].source_url, sources, overview: eBay’s help page re-read 18 October 2026 (card wording unchanged). Verifymy’s two eBay pages had moved to /age-assurance/ (old addresses return 404); links updated and notes re-quoted. Still no retention statement for the eBay deployment. (was: Verifymy eBay pages under /age-verification-and-estimation/ (now 404)) manual
- — record: Added the eBay retail purchase record with separate credit-card and VerifyMyAge routes. manual
Correct this entry
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