Back in 1995, no national unified program existed to help retailers responsibly sell tobacco products. Government studies around that time showed a 40% violation rate, which meant four out of 10 underage buyers were successful in buying tobacco. “We Card set out to correct that by educating the retailer and consumer,” said Doug Anderson, president of We Card.

That year, the Coalition for Responsible Tobacco Retailing—made up of tobacco retailers and wholesalers, manufacturers and other industry groups—established the We Card Program to train and support retailers in responsibly selling tobacco products. “Now, the latest government study in 2018 found that only one out of 10 underage buyers were successful in buying tobacco—that’s evidence of the positive impact We Card has had,” Anderson said.

In 2018 only one out of 10 underage buyers were successful in buying tobacco—that’s evidence of the positive impact We Card has had.

For the past quarter century, We Card has provided retailers with a comprehensive program to help them succeed in selling age-restricted products. The iconic red and yellow logo adorns stickers at checkout counters, posters on break-room walls, tip sheets for managers and training materials for associates. “Every day, convenience stores check more IDs than the Transportation Security Administration, and We Card set the foundation for our industry to be an in-person, age-checking industry,” said Lyle Beckwith, senior vice president of government relations for NACS.

“We Card has been a key partner to ensure retailers comply with age-verification requirements to keep all tobacco products, including vapor, out of the hands of those underage,” added JUUL Labs Chief Regulatory Officer Joe Murillo.

Education, Education, Education

The backbone of We Card is its training initiatives for retailers. Beckwith was one of the first We Card classroom trainers. “We knew we needed to train our members on how to comply with verification for age-restricted products, and We Card provided excellent training that moved from classroom to VHS to DVD to interactive online modules throughout its history,” he said. “That shows how We Card is constantly evolving to keep up and ahead of technology.”

Retailers say We Card’s training makes compliance easier. For example, We Card provides a “very good, simple, effective way to ensure all of our associates have quick, easy tools and training in order to maintain compliance,” said Toni Doran, organization and operations training manager for Casa de Montecristo Inc., a 20-unit chain. “The dashboard tools allow us to see who has completed training, which helps us make sure we’re doing everything we can to prevent underage sales of tobacco products.”

We Card helped retailers across the United States comply with the federal Tobacco 21 law, which took effect December 20, 2019.

David Gaudet, president of The Bars Program, which conducts compliance shops at retail locations, sees the positive results in We Card’s training on a daily basis. “We Card has given retailers a platform from which to legally sell tobacco products,” he said. “Their refresher course offers retailers a convenient way to retrain staff to ensure consistent compliance.”

A Nimble Organization

During its 25 years, We Card has always been quick to respond to industry needs. Whether it’s developing interactive online training or investigating automated age-verification technology, We Card has embraced change. “We’ve never been one to rest on what we’ve done in the past, and retailers lead us to the best hands-on solutions,” Anderson said.

One example of how We Card pivoted fast was helping retailers across the United States comply with the federal Tobacco 21 law, which took effect December 20, 2019. “Usually, we’d get a lead time of months to prepare for such a sweeping law change, but once the legislation was signed, it became effective immediately,” Anderson said. “While some states already had Tobacco 21 laws on the books, many others weren’t prepared.”

We Card moved fast, sending out email blasts alerting its retailers and the broader stakeholder community about the change and posting downloadable signage and decals, as well as training materials while it worked to restock its Tobacco 21 inventory. “Many retailers had ordered the 18-year version of our kits and tools, and we had to replace all of those as soon as possible,” Anderson said.

“We Card anticipates the changes in the regulatory landscape, and they’re always ready with the tools retailers need in order to make the transition and ensure compliance,” said Jim Calvin, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores.

“We Card has been exceptionally good at monitoring state and local laws, and keeping retailers informed and updated,” Beckwith added.

The Next 25 Years

We Card continues to innovate by adding more online training and working with the industry and retailers on solutions to social sourcing of tobacco products. “Minors are getting adults to purchase tobacco and vaping products for them, and as retail compliance continues to improve, social sourcing will continue to increase,” Anderson said. “Part of We Card’s future will be about how to raise awareness of social sourcing and how to find approaches to bring those numbers down.”

For Beckwith, We Card’s decision to support ID checking and minimum purchase ages on vapor products before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shows the organization has what it takes to succeed well into the future. “We Card got ahead of vaping, putting in a training module before the FDA said e-cigarettes fall under the same rules as tobacco,” he said. “If We Card hadn’t done that, there would have been more confusion at the store level.”

Part of We Card’s future will be about how to raise awareness of social sourcing and find approaches to bring those numbers down.

As an organization, We Card works hard to stay ahead of any age-verification issues. “JUUL Labs hopes to continue its support of We Card for the next 25 years and beyond, particularly as we explore new technological solutions for age verification to restrict underage access to tobacco and nicotine products,” said Murillo.

Wawa has been a happy We Card customer for years. “We find We Card’s resources extremely helpful in making sure we are getting the full picture of our compliance needs,” said Jason Homola, Wawa director of category management. “It’s great having a trusted partner that is only a phone call away.”

These industry groups and manufacturers all agree the secret to We Card’s longevity and positive impact has been its willingness to engage in constant communication with retailers, manufacturers, trade associations and others on the issues surrounding age-restricted products. “We Card has its ear to the ground and keeps the changing needs of retailers in mind,” agreed Kimberlee Pepple, senior director of corporate responsibility for Altria. “They’ve stayed relevant—and will continue to be relevant—by developing tools and training in response to what they’re hearing from retailers.”