Age Check Certification Scheme
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersReddish, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Age Check Certification Scheme does
Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) is a UKAS-accredited, not-for-profit conformity assessment body (ISO/IEC 17065) headquartered in Stockport, United Kingdom, that tests and certifies age verification, age estimation, and identity assurance systems. Founded in 2010 and operating with 11-50 employees, ACCS issues certifications against ISO/IEC 27566-1, IEEE 2089.1-2024, PAS 1296:2018, CAN/DGSI 127:2025, the UK PASS proof-of-age scheme, UK GDPR, and the Age Appropriate Design Code, with ICO-approved certification criteria under UK GDPR Article 42(5). The technology stack spans a UKAS-accredited certification body, an IEEE-approved laboratory, an AVID Monitoring API for continuous merchant compliance, and methodology including liveness, presentation attack detection, ambient lighting, injection attack detection, biometric subject behavior, comparative, in-situ, and e-test purchasing assessments.
ACCS earns revenue from quote-based certification fees (typically on multi-year contracts with 2-3 year validity), professional testing service engagements, recurring AVID Monitoring subscriptions, training and qualification courses, and product/document sales including ISO/IEC 27566-1:2025. Go-to-market is sales-led: clients apply through the website, complete a free telephone needs assessment, and receive a quotation before any fees are incurred, with a public registry of certified organizations reinforcing demand. Customers span digital identity vendors (Yoti, Sumsub, Gataca, Paravision, Veratad, Ondato), e-commerce and marketplaces (eBay), biometrics hardware (Innovative Technology), government and public sector PASS issuers (Young Scot, Bracknell Forest Borough Council), and education platforms (Springpod), with the organization extending internationally across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific.
Age Check Certification Scheme firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Age Check Certification Scheme
- Legal name
- Age Check Certification Scheme Ltd
- Website
- https://accscheme.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Age Check Certification Scheme industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Conformity Assessment Services
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Assessment & Examination Integrity Audits (EDADAGAE)
Keywords
Where Age Check Certification Scheme is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Reddish
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Age Check Certification Scheme business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Certification Services: Fees for certifying age verification, age estimation, ID verification, GDPR compliance, ISO standards, and other certification assessments. Pricing is provided after telephone interview assessment of certification needs.
- Testing Services: Technical evaluation, in-situ testing, comparative testing, liveness testing, biometric behavior testing, ambient lighting analysis, and injection attack detection services with customized test plans and detailed reporting.
- E-Test Purchasing: Online test purchasing services for businesses selling age-restricted products online, with customized test plans and detailed compliance reporting.
- Qualifications and Courses: Learning zone offerings including qualifications and courses related to age verification and certification.
- Product Sales: Shop selling documents, resources and products including ISO/IEC 27566-1:2025 standard documentation. Shipping available globally with free UK shipping over £50.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Certification Application - Initial assessment followed by quotation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Age Check Certification Scheme product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) is a UKAS-accredited conformity assessment body that tests and certifies age check systems. It provides independent third-party certification and testing services for age verification, age estimation, age assurance, and identity verification systems against international standards including ISO/IEC 27566-1, IEEE 2089.1, PAS 1296, CAN/DGSI 127:2025, and ICO-approved GDPR/AADC criteria. The scheme also operates an AVID Monitoring Service for continuous compliance verification and a PASS (Proof of Age Standards Scheme) accreditation programme for proof-of-age card issuers in the UK.
Product overview
Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) operates as a UKAS-accredited conformity assessment body providing certification, testing, and monitoring services for age verification and identity assurance systems. The portfolio is organized around several core offerings: ISO/IEC 27566-1 Certification (the international gold standard for age assurance systems launched 2026), AVID Monitoring Service (automated continuous monitoring for merchants selling age-restricted products), Age Verification Certification (covering PAS 1296, IEEE 2089.1, and other standards), Age Estimation certification (for facial and behavioral age estimation technologies), ID Verification Certification (including UK Digital Identity Framework and Presentation Attack Detection), UK GDPR Certification, Age Appropriate Design Code Certification, and Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) accreditation. Testing services include Technical Evaluation, In-Situ Testing, Liveness Testing, Ambient Lighting Analysis, Injection Attack Detection, and E-Test Purchasing. ACCS also offers certification pathway tools including an Audit Effort Calculator and Certification Quiz.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ISO/IEC 27566-1 Certification International certification scheme based on ISO/IEC 27566-1:2025 for age assurance systems, providing a framework for assessing whether an age assurance service is safe, effective, privacy-preserving, and interoperable. Available to age assurance providers, relying parties and intermediaries globally.
- AVID Monitoring Service Automated continuous monitoring service that verifies online merchants selling age-restricted products have operational age verification systems in place. Designed for payment service providers (PSPs), online marketplaces, and network providers needing due-diligence assurance.
- Age Verification Certification Certification services for age verification systems evaluated against multiple standards including PAS 1296:2018, IEEE 2089.1-2024, CAN/DGSI 127:2025 and ACCS Technical Requirements. Targeted at technology providers of age check solutions.
- Age Estimation Certification Certification for age estimation technologies that determine whether a person is over, under, or within a category of ages to a specified level of confidence by reference to inherent features or behaviours. Used by biometric facial age estimation providers.
- Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) Accreditation UK accreditation programme for proof-of-age card issuers. PASS cards are trusted proof-of-age documents recognised by retailers and hospitality venues to prevent unlawful age-restricted transactions.
- ID Verification Certification Certification covering the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework, Presentation Attack Detection (PAD) and Global Digital Identity Certification (GDIC) for identity verification service providers.
- UK GDPR Certification Certification for compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation, including ACCS 2:2021 Technical Requirements for Data Protection and Privacy approved by the UK Information Commissioner's Office under Article 42(5) of UK GDPR.
- Age Appropriate Design Code Certification Certification for online services designed and built in accordance with the Age Appropriate Design Code of Practice protecting children's data, covering ACCS 3:2021 Technical Requirements approved by the ICO.
- Presentation Attack Detection (PAD) Testing Testing service for biometric security against fraudulent attempts including spoofing, mask attacks and other presentation attacks on biometric age check systems.
- Injection Attack Detection (IAD) Testing Testing based on CEN/TS 18099 standard to assess the resilience of biometric systems against injection attacks such as API calls, database manipulation or code injection attempts.
- Ambient Lighting Analysis Testing service evaluating age check systems under diverse lighting conditions, from low-light hospitality venues to flashing lights in casinos.
- Technical Evaluation Comprehensive system evaluation covering performance, security, usability and compliance assessment of age check systems.
- In-Situ Testing Testing validating identity verification systems' efficacy in real-world scenarios such as self-service checkouts and kiosks.
- Liveness Testing Testing validating the effectiveness of biometric systems in detecting spoofing attempts to ensure genuine presence verification.
- E-Test Purchasing Online test purchasing service evaluating age verification processes to ensure legal compliance, with customized test plans and detailed compliance reporting for businesses selling age-restricted products online.
- ISO 30107 Certification Certification for biometric presentation attack detection systems using passive and active penetration testing to ensure age check systems are appropriately secure.
Quantifiable outcome
- Certification validity periods ranging from 2-3 years with renewal requirements ensuring ongoing compliance
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Age Check Certification Scheme
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Age Check Certification Scheme technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature5 records
Age Check Certification Scheme partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AVID Certification Services LimitedcoreAll audit, certification and test purchasing services are provided under a Service Level Agreement by AVID Certification Services Limited, a separate entity registered in England and Wales (Reg No 14865982) at the same Stockport address. The 'A-Frame Logo' and 'Age Check' is a registered certification mark of AVID Certification Services Ltd.
- UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service)coreUKAS provides official accreditation recognition for ACCS as a product certification body (ISO/IEC 17065), lending regulatory credibility and government recognition to ACCS certifications.
- IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)coreIEEE has approved ACCS laboratory testing for amalgamating worldwide standards into unified certification schemes, particularly for IEEE 2089.1 Online Age Verification standard.
- UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)coreICO has approved ACCS certification criteria (ACCS 2:2021 Technical Requirements for Data Protection and Privacy) for GDPR certification under Article 42(5), enabling certified organizations to demonstrate UK GDPR compliance.
- AVID Monitoring Services CorporationminorAVID Monitoring Services Corporation, a Delaware Registered C-Corp, provides the technical monitoring service for continuous verification of age assurance implementation by merchants. ACCS provides independent Certificates of Conformity under this arrangement.
- Payment Card Industry / Major Card AssociationscoreACCS monitors merchants on behalf of the payment card industry (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, AMEX, etc.) to ensure compliance with card association rules for age-restricted products, content and services. PSPs commission monitoring services for high brand risk merchants.
- Online MarketplacesminorMajor online marketplaces including Amazon, eBay, TikTok Shop, Google Shopping place obligations on merchants to comply with age verification requirements. AVID Monitoring service enables marketplace compliance verification.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Age Check Certification Scheme competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- iBeta (Identity Biometric Testing & Analysis): iBeta is a NIST-accredited biometric testing lab that conducts presentation attack detection (ISO 30107) and biometric performance testing. It is the closest direct peer to ACCS, competing in the same biometric/age-verification certification niche for vendors like Yoti, Ondato, and Paravision.
Broad incumbents
- BSI Group (British Standards Institution): BSI is the UK's national standards body and a major certification/audit provider (ISO 27001, ISO 9001, etc.). As a broad incumbent, BSI overlaps with ACCS on management systems certification but does not specialize in age assurance or biometric certification.
- TÜV SÜD: TÜV SÜD is a global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) body operating across many verticals including digital identity, cybersecurity, and biometric testing. It is a broad incumbent peer to ACCS with deeper international reach.
- DEKRA: DEKRA is a German TIC leader offering cybersecurity, IoT, and digital identity testing and certification. It competes with ACCS for digital identity and biometric certification mandates in EMEA but operates as a multi-vertical incumbent.
- Intertek: Intertek is a global TIC company providing assurance, testing, inspection, and certification across multiple industries. It offers cybersecurity and digital trust services that overlap with ACCS's ID verification and age assurance certification scope.
- SGS: SGS is the world's largest TIC company with cybersecurity, digital identity, and biometric testing capabilities. As a broad incumbent, SGS competes for the same enterprise certifications as ACCS but across many verticals.
- Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global TIC company offering testing, inspection, and certification services including cybersecurity and digital identity. It is a broad incumbent comparable to ACCS in certification scope but lacks age assurance specialization.
- UL Solutions: UL Solutions provides testing, inspection, and certification services globally, with growing cybersecurity and digital identity offerings. It competes with ACCS in broader TIC but does not specialize in age assurance.
- Eurofins Digital Testing: Eurofins Digital Testing provides end-to-end testing, QA, and certification services for digital products including identity, payments, and cybersecurity. It is comparable to ACCS in providing third-party certification for digital trust technologies.
Emerging players
- FIDO Alliance: FIDO Alliance develops authentication standards and operates a certification program for FIDO2/passkey products. While FIDO focuses on authentication rather than age assurance, it is a comparable standards-body-as-certifier model with adjacent digital identity scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Age Check Certification Scheme social profiles
Digital presenceAge Check Certification Scheme compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance10 records
Age Check Certification Scheme financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Age Check Certification Scheme leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Age Check Certification Scheme subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Age Check Certification Scheme funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Age Check Certification Scheme M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Age Check Certification Scheme
What does Age Check Certification Scheme do?
Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) is a UKAS-accredited conformity assessment body that tests and certifies age check systems. It provides independent third-party certification and testing services for age verification, age estimation, age assurance, and identity verification systems against international standards including ISO/IEC 27566-1, IEEE 2089.1, PAS 1296, CAN/DGSI 127:2025, and ICO-approved GDPR/AADC criteria. The scheme also operates an AVID Monitoring Service for continuous compliance verification and a PASS (Proof of Age Standards Scheme) accreditation programme for proof-of-age card issuers in the UK.
Is Age Check Certification Scheme a public or private company?
Age Check Certification Scheme is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Age Check Certification Scheme founded?
Age Check Certification Scheme was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Age Check Certification Scheme based?
Age Check Certification Scheme is headquartered in Reddish, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Age Check Certification Scheme make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Certification Services are the primary driver. The others are testing Services, E-Test Purchasing, qualifications and Courses and product Sales.
Who are Age Check Certification Scheme's main competitors?
iBeta (Identity Biometric Testing & Analysis) is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are BSI Group (British Standards Institution), TÜV SÜD, DEKRA, Intertek, SGS, Bureau Veritas, UL Solutions and Eurofins Digital Testing. FIDO Alliance is listed as an emerging player.
Does Age Check Certification Scheme have an API?
Yes. AVID Monitoring API for Age Verification Service Providers (AVSPs) to register and connect with the monitoring system. The API enables AVSPs to onboard, submit website details, and integrate with the AVID Monitoring Service to provide ongoing conformity validation for merchants selling age-restricted products online. Developer documentation is at accscheme.com/wp-content/uploads/AVID-Monitoring-%E2%80%93-AVSP-API-Set-Up-Guide.pdf.
What industry is Age Check Certification Scheme in?
Age Check Certification Scheme's product category is Conformity Assessment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAGAE, Assessment & Examination Integrity Audits. Its NAICS code is 54138 and its SIC code is 8734.