The Pokémon Company has introduced a facial recognition system at Pokémon Card Stores in Japan to limit scalping of trading card game products and prevent unauthorized multiple entries in a single day.
The measure applies to customers aged elementary school and older. It scans faces at entry and when receiving numbered tickets to detect attempts to enter the same store more than once within 24 hours.
The announcement appeared on the official Pokémon Card Game website on July 24. Staff may speak individually with anyone flagged for multiple entry attempts, though the notice does not specify automatic denial of entry.
This system is separate from an earlier July 21 measure that requires Japan’s My Number government ID cards for purchase limits and lottery entries. Japanese social media users have largely welcomed the change, while reactions outside the country have been more mixed.
