ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is encouraging all convenience store retailers that sell tobacco to make sure that they have the codes they need to comply with the track and trace regulations.
The regulations came into force on 20th May 2019 and require retailers to have an Economic Operator Identifier Code (registered to their business) and a Facility Identifier Code (for each of their stores) in order to purchase compliant cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco products.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “We have received hundreds of calls from retailers, who we’ve been happy to help, who have been confused and frustrated with the experience of trying to get their codes to comply with the track and trace regulations. Our guidance about what the regulations are and what retailers need to do to comply with them has been downloaded over 1,700 times.
“A month on from the regulations coming into force, we are still hearing from retailers who are having issues with applying for and receiving the codes that they need to be able to purchase tobacco. The key challenges that we’ve been hearing from retailers are: issues with the login process, confusion about details needed to apply, and what to do if they still haven’t received the code they’ve applied for. If retailers are having issues with receiving their codes we will of course be more than happy to advise and help them through the process.”
ACS’ guidance on track and trace, which includes information about the application process, is available to download here: http://bit.ly/trackandtraceguide
ACS’ FAQ guide is available here: https://www.acs.org.uk/track-and-trace
Retailers who have applied for their codes through their wholesaler but are still yet to receive them, should contact [email protected]
Listen to the ACS team discuss this below:
