Pokémon card scalping has led to the introduction of a mandatory facial recognition system at some stores in Japan, for all adult customers and children at elementary school age or older.
The Pokémon Company announced the drastic measure in an update on its official Japanese website, which states that the move has been deemed necessary to provide “a safe and secure shopping environment for all customers” and “to prevent crime.”
Entry to official Pokémon stores will be limited to one visit per person per day in order to limit customer spending, with repeat entry denied — though it’s unclear exactly what else would happen if you did try and push your luck.
“To ensure compliance with our entry rules, if we observe multiple attempts to enter the store, our staff may speak to you individually,” new guidanced has stated, which sounds like a polite way of saying you’ll get a good scolding.
And while children under elementary school age (pre-schoolers) won’t be subject to facial recognition checks, don’t think you can just send in your young sibling/child to buy the cards for you. “Pre-schoolers cannot enter the store alone,” the Pokémon Company noted. “They must be accompanied by a guardian.”
Earlier this month, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said The Pokémon Company would “take measures” to deal with the rampant shortages and scalping, though stopped short of mentioning anything specific. It seems likely Furukawa was referring to this facial recognition system — though whether it makes any dent on the lucrative Pokémon card resale market remains to be seen.
Pokémon cards have become a prime target for scalpers and thieves over the past few years due to their soaring popularity and the perceived value of rare cards. New card releases frequently sell out completely, and The Pokémon Company has appeared unable or unwilling to fully keep up with demand — despite a staggering 10 billion cards printed last year alone.
Japanese promotions have sparked arguments in fast food chains, while in the U.S., barely a month goes by without a report of a trading card store being robbed and the past year alone has seen countless instances where trading card stores have been broken into overnight. Will facial recognition help? It seems something of a surprising step, but at this point it’s unclear what else can be done to try and manage the situation.
One card shop in New York was recently targeted by armed thieves in broad daylight, leaving terrified staff and shoppers held at gunpoint. In May, reports emerged of a Florida man who was arrested on suspicion of stealing $12,000 of Pokémon cards while wielding a battery-powered chainsaw. And in April, another desperate Pokémon fan was arrested in Pasadena, California, after hiding inside a closed Best Buy ahead of a Pokémon card drop.
Image credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
