Age verification explained
Why TelosGym asks members and trainers to verify their age before using chat, what the four statuses mean, and what to do when someone is declined.
Before anyone can use PT messaging, TelosGym asks them to confirm they're 18 or over through an independent provider called Didit.
It catches people out, so it's worth understanding properly.
What it applies to
Only PT messaging. Nothing else in TelosGym is affected.
A member who hasn't verified can still book classes, pay, check in, see their programme, buy packages and read announcements. Verification is the gate on chat, and only chat.
Who has to do it
Both sides of every conversation, independently.
- The client must be verified.
- The trainer must be verified.
A verified trainer still can't message an unverified client, and a verified client still can't message an unverified trainer.
💡 The trainer half is the one people forget. A PT who has never used chat will hit their own verification step the first time they try, even with a fully verified client in front of them.
There's a third requirement on the client side that isn't about age at all: they must have completed their studio induction. TelosGym uses that as evidence you've met them in person. See Recording gym inductions.
Nobody is asked until they need it
Verification is deliberately lazy. It isn't part of signing up, and it isn't part of being added as a client.
The prompt only appears when someone actually opens Messages and tries to use it. Most members will never see it.
The four statuses
- Not started: Never attempted. They'll see a Verify your age prompt.
- Pending: Submitted, waiting on a result. The app shows "Checking your verification…" and keeps looking for about two minutes, then offers Check again.
- Approved: Done. Messages works normally from here on.
- Declined: The check didn't pass. See below.
What the member actually does
- Opens Messages and taps Verify your age.
- Gets taken to Didit's own hosted check — TelosGym hands them over rather than collecting anything itself.
- Comes back to a "Checking your verification…" screen.
- Once approved, Messages opens as normal.
It's a one-off. Once approved, they're never asked again.
When someone is declined
The app tells them to contact the studio — but there is no override at your end. You can't approve someone from the staff dashboard, and neither can TelosGym support.
A declined check has to be resolved with Didit, not with us. If a member insists they're over 18 and has been declined, that's a matter for the verification provider.
Why this exists at all
UK age-assurance rules for messaging services are actively changing. Rather than wait for the position to settle, TelosGym applies a deliberately cautious floor: verified adults on both sides, and a client the studio has physically met.
This is a conservative stance rather than a settled legal interpretation, so expect it to change as the rules firm up.
What to tell a member
Something like:
"Chat with your trainer needs a one-off age check — it's an 18+ requirement and it's handled by an outside provider, not by us. It takes a minute, you'll only do it once, and it doesn't affect booking or anything else in the app."