Selling alcohol online in the UK requires age verification at the point of delivery. Failure to verify can result in fines, licence revocation, and reputational damage. Without an automated flag, alcohol orders can be dispatched via standard delivery without age-check instructions to the carrier.
OrderBadger can flag all UK-bound orders containing alcohol so your team ensures age verification is in place before dispatch.
UK-based online wine merchants, craft beer shops, distilleries, supermarkets, and any WooCommerce store that sells alcoholic beverages for delivery within Great Britain.
How it works
Checks two conditions: at least one product must be in the Wine, Beer, Spirits, or Alcohol category, AND the shipping country must be GB. When both are true, a critical badge with Verified/Unverified buttons and a 1-hour SLA is applied. The order appears in the inbox immediately.
Before dispatching, confirm that the carrier service includes age verification at delivery. Mark the order as Verified once you have confirmed the age-check process, or Unverified if there is a problem with the verification setup. Do not dispatch Unverified orders.
Rule template
Write this (or something similar) in the OrderBadger rule builder. The AI compiler turns it into executable logic automatically.
Make it yours
- Broaden the country match by changing 'shipping country is GB' to 'shipping country is GB or IE or DE' to cover additional jurisdictions where you sell alcohol and age verification applies.
- Add 'or at least one product is in the Liqueur or Cider category' if your store has alcohol in categories beyond Wine, Beer, Spirits, and Alcohol. …eer, Spirits, or Alcohol category and shipping country is GB or at least one product is in the Liqueur or Cider category
- Add 'and order total is over £50' to only flag larger alcohol orders for manual verification, letting small single-bottle purchases pass through standard checks. …eer, Spirits, or Alcohol category and shipping country is GB and order total is over £50
Badge preview
This badge appears in the WooCommerce order view with action buttons. Your team can respond directly from the badge pill.
When this rule matches
When this rule does not match
Workflow
This rule includes workflow features that help your team act on flagged orders.
Good to know
- This rule covers Great Britain (GB) only. Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, and other jurisdictions may have different requirements.
- Category matching depends on products being correctly categorised. If your store uses a single 'Alcohol' category, ensure the rule text includes that category name.
- The rule does not verify the customer's age itself - it flags orders that require age verification at delivery.
Frequently asked questions
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What happens if I don't act within the 1-hour SLA?The SLA shows as breached but the order is not automatically held. The short SLA ensures alcohol orders receive immediate attention to avoid dispatch without age verification.
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Does this apply to alcohol-free beer or wine?Only if those products are categorised under Wine, Beer, Spirits, or Alcohol in WooCommerce. If your alcohol-free products use a separate category, they will not trigger the badge.
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Can I extend this to cover other countries with age verification laws?Yes. Edit the rule text to add additional country codes (e.g. 'shipping country is GB or US or DE'). You may want separate rules for each jurisdiction since requirements differ.
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What if a mixed order has both alcohol and non-alcohol items?The badge fires as long as at least one item is in a qualifying alcohol category. The entire order is flagged because the delivery still requires age verification.
Related rules
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