Merchant documentation

HONESTGATE VERSION 1 · UPDATED AUGUST 29, 2026

HonestGate gives Shopify merchants a storefront age prompt and a separate, post-checkout ID-image workflow. The prompt is an age acknowledgement. Authorized store staff make the first approval or rejection decision; eligible later orders can reuse that saved human result.

How the workflow operates

  1. A theme-aware prompt asks the visitor to confirm the store's minimum age.
  2. The customer shops and completes checkout entirely through Shopify.
  3. After payment, HonestGate checks for a current approval linked to the same Shopify customer account.
  4. If none qualifies, the Thank You or Order Status page requests an ID image.
  5. Staff open the Reviews queue in Shopify admin and approve, reject, or request a replacement.
  6. The order records the decision source, and an optional fulfillment hold can protect the review window.

Installation and activation

  • Install HonestGate and approve the annual Shopify subscription.
  • Enable the HonestGate app embed in the active Theme Editor.
  • Add the ID-upload block to the Shopify Thank You page.
  • Add the verification-status block to signed-in Order Status pages.
  • Choose the minimum age, raw-image retention, saved-approval lifetime, reuse setting, and optional hold.
  • Place a test order with a synthetic image before enabling the workflow for customers.

Storefront controls

Merchants can edit the prompt title, supporting copy, button labels, button colors, minimum age, and remember duration. The prompt is designed to inherit the storefront's visual language while keeping the merchant in control of the customer-facing words and colors.

Review decisions

A submission appears in the embedded review queue for the installing store. Staff can inspect the image, approve it, reject it, or request a replacement. HonestGate does not use OCR, facial matching, biometric scoring, or automatic document approval. A later eligible order may reuse the prior human result without inspecting a new ID.

Saved approvals and repeat orders

At launch, repeat-order matching uses the exact Shopify customer account within the same store. A current approval is reused only if it meets the store's current minimum age and has not expired, been revoked, or entered privacy deletion. The merchant can disable reuse or choose a 30–3,650 day lifetime; the default is 365 days.

Checkout-email matching is disabled for launch. It will not be enabled unless Shopify grants protected Email access and the merchant and buyer disclosures are updated. Guest orders without a qualifying Shopify customer-account approval require a new review.

Private image access and deletion

Raw ID images are stored in private app-managed object storage, not in a theme or public Shopify Files. Access requires an authenticated Shopify admin session for the same store and uses a short-lived image link. Merchants choose a raw-image retention period from 1 to 30 days, after which the image is scheduled for deletion. The saved approval is a separate result with its own expiry and revocation controls; deleting an image does not revoke that result.

Billing

HonestGate includes a 7-day free trial. Unless the merchant cancels through Shopify before the trial ends, Shopify charges $30 USD per installed store for one year. The subscription renews annually until cancelled. HonestGate does not add a fee for each submitted ID image.

Current product limits

  • When enabled, version one evaluates every newly paid order.
  • Only a current approval from the same Shopify customer account can skip a new upload at launch.
  • The storefront prompt alone is not proof of age or identity.
  • The first approval remains a human decision made by the merchant's staff.
  • Merchants remain responsible for their own laws, policies, and fulfillment decisions.

Get help

Installed merchants can create and track a ticket inside HonestGate. You can also use the support and setup page or email team@agegateapp.com. Never send an ID image, Shopify access token, payment-card data, or password in a support ticket or email.