Car hire and licences - wtf!

[SouthWestmom]

So just read this after googling something mentioned on the radio. What? Logging on to get a code for car hire?
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/paperless-driving-licence-dvla-changes-5591979

I was reading about that in the Guardian on Saturday - seems to be a very convoluted thing to have to do. Since I'm unlikely to be renting a car overseas in the next few months I've just put my head back in the sand in the hope they get things sorted. Couldn't DVLA just allow the rental companies access to a website that checks whether there are any current offences on a driver's record? And what do other countries do?

I don't think Ive ever been asked for the paper bit, in years of hiring cars in Europe/UK/Australia. I don't think many countries even realise it exists!

I needed my paper licence in Italy over Easter.

I only have a paper bit - never updated to the photocard, and have always been able to hire in the EU. The BBC said the code only last for 72 hours so if you decide to hire a car half way through your holiday you have to get the code whilst you're away

We have a property in Spain and visit 3 or 4 times a year, hiring a car each time.
We have never been asked for the paper part of the license but next time we go I will be taking this code with me just in case - I would rather hVe it and not need it that be trying to get it using my phone at the airport.

I am going to book a hire car for this summer, but I guess I need the code in the summer and not when I book. Totally weird. No idea where my paper licence is!

I'm hiring from Alamo in June and they have confirmed that no code will be needed, only the photo part. That's from Sanford airport.