The Pokémon Company has turned to facial recognition technology at its official Japanese stores, marking an escalation in efforts to combat the rampant scalping and theft plaguing the trading card market. The system will scan all adult customers and children in elementary school or older, with the stated goal of creating "a safe and secure shopping environment for all customers" and preventing crime.
The measure introduces a one-visit-per-day limit at official stores, with facial recognition used to prevent repeat entries. Staff will intervene if customers attempt multiple visits, though the company's guidance on consequences remains vague, describing only that workers "may speak to you individually."
Young children below elementary school age can still enter stores without facial scanning, but the company has closed a potential loophole: preschoolers cannot shop alone and must be accompanied by a guardian at all times.
The announcement comes weeks after Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa pledged the company would "take measures" to address shortages and scalping, without specifying what those steps would be. The facial recognition system appears to be that response, though its effectiveness against the multi-billion dollar resale market for rare cards remains uncertain.
Pokémon cards have become a flashpoint for theft and illegal reselling over recent years. Last year alone, the company printed 10 billion cards, yet new releases continue to sell out almost instantly. The shortage has fueled a crime wave across multiple continents. In the U.S., armed robberies of card shops have become frequent, with one New York store targeted by gunmen in broad daylight. A Florida man was arrested last May for allegedly stealing $12,000 worth of Pokémon cards while carrying a battery-powered chainsaw. Another incident in Pasadena, California, saw a fan arrested for hiding inside a Best Buy overnight ahead of a card release event.
In Japan, the problem has sparked confrontations at convenience stores and fast food chains over limited stock releases, forcing retailers to implement their own restrictions.
The scale of the issue appears to have finally pushed The Pokémon Company toward an aggressive solution. Whether facial recognition actually reduces theft or simply creates friction for legitimate collectors is another question entirely. For now, Japanese Pokémon shoppers will need to prepare for the scan.
Author Emily Chen: "Facial recognition at a card shop feels like overkill until you remember someone genuinely tried to chainsaw their way to rare cards, so maybe the Pokémon Company is just meeting the market where it is."
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