Pokémon card buyers may soon face facial recognition checks

Buying Pokémon cards has become surprisingly complicated. For many fans, getting hold of a new set now means dealing with online queues, ticket systems, purchase limits and products that sell out almost immediately. Scalpers know how to work around those systems. They use extra accounts, return to shops several times and coordinate purchases with other buyers. The Pokémon Company is now testing a much tougher solution: facial recognition. Five Pokémon TCG shops in Japan will use the technology to identify repeat visitors and stop them entering more than once per day. It’s a striking move, especially for something as ordinary as buying trading cards.

How the facial recognition system works

The trial will run at five Pokémon Card Store locations from 31 July to 16 August 2026. Anyone of primary-school age or older must agree to a facial scan before entering the shop or collecting a numbered ticket. Each customer can enter once and receive one ticket per day.

The system compares a visitor’s face with previous scans from the same day. When it spots a possible repeat visit, shop staff receive a warning. They can then refuse entry or block the customer from collecting another ticket. Young children below primary-school age won’t need to take part, although an adult must accompany them.

Customers can refuse the scan, but there’s a catch. They won’t be allowed into the shop or given an entry ticket. In practice, facial recognition isn’t optional for anyone who wants to buy cards at these locations. The system records facial images and information about how often someone has entered. The company says it will store that data securely and delete it after a set period.

Why normal purchase limits aren’t enough

Pokémon cards have become a major target for resellers. New expansion sets, promotional cards and special boxes often attract long queues. Some products disappear from shelves within minutes. Once stock runs out, the same items can appear online at much higher prices. Shops already use purchase limits to slow this down. The problem is enforcement.

A customer can leave, come back later and try again. They can use another account, another phone number or a different payment card. Some groups send several people into the same shop to buy the maximum amount each.

Facial recognition makes that harder. Instead of tracking an account or payment method, the system tracks the person. You can create another email address. You can’t easily create another face. That’s why the technology may work better than basic ticketing or account checks. It’s also why some customers may feel uncomfortable with it.

Facial recognition in a card shop feels like a big step

Most people associate facial recognition with airports, border checks, police systems or unlocking a smartphone. Seeing it used at the entrance to a Pokémon card shop feels very different. The purpose of this trial is fairly limited. The shops only want to enforce a one-visit-per-day rule during a busy sales period. Still, the wider possibilities are obvious.

Retailers could use the same technology for graphics card launches, limited-edition consoles, trainers, concert merchandise or any other product that attracts aggressive reselling. That doesn’t mean the system will work perfectly.

Facial recognition software can make mistakes. A false match could stop a legitimate customer from entering. A missed match could allow a scalper through twice. Staff will also need to handle situations where someone leaves briefly and tries to return. The technology may make the decision, but employees will still have to deal with the consequences.

Privacy will matter as much as accuracy

The biggest concern isn’t whether the system can recognise a face. It’s what happens to that information afterwards. A password can be changed. A payment card can be cancelled. Facial data is different. Once it’s leaked or misused, you can’t simply replace it.

That puts pressure on the operator to explain exactly what it collects, how long it keeps the information and who can access it. Customers will also want to know whether the scans are used only for entry checks or for anything else. The trial says the data will be deleted after a defined period. That’s useful, but trust will depend on how clearly the process is explained and how well the system is protected.

Could this happen in Europe?

A European version would face much tougher questions. EU privacy rules treat facial data used for identification as highly sensitive personal information. A retailer would need a clear legal reason for collecting it, strong security measures and strict limits on how long the data stays on file.

It would also need to show that less intrusive methods, such as named tickets or verified accounts, couldn’t solve the same problem. That doesn’t make facial recognition in shops impossible. It does make a quick rollout much less likely. European retailers would probably try other options first.

A practical fix with a serious cost

Scalping is a real problem, and ordinary purchase limits clearly haven’t solved it. Facial recognition could make repeated buying much harder and give more customers a fair chance to find products at normal prices. But the trade-off is clear.

Customers get better protection from resellers, while shops collect far more personal information. Some buyers will accept that. Others won’t. This trial will show whether the extra security actually improves the buying experience. If it reduces repeat purchases without causing long queues, data concerns or wrongful refusals, other retailers will pay attention. If it doesn’t, the lesson will be just as useful: not every effective technology belongs at the shop door.

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