That is a possibility but it's a stupid verification method as not everyone has credit cards. It's just cheap for the vendor.

Unfucking looks like a "look what the UK government policy is causing" PR disaster and a rollback and consultation.

Edit: I suspect this might happen when MPs start getting upgraded...

Phones can read biometric information from passports and identity cards just fine. Why didn't you think of a personal ID document as the first step to prove ID?

If a passport isn't working then their age verification is broken, full stop.