The Defense Commissary Agency operates 240 commissaries, both in the United States and overseas, that provide groceries and other household items to active duty service members, retirees, and their families. The average commissary may carry 12,000 different items, with larger stores providing more products. This large selection allows commissaries to compete with the products offered at regular grocery stores, with the added benefit of offering these items at cost. Commissary customers can save thousands of dollars annually compared to buying similar products at commercial retailers, and can receive additional savings through coupons and special sales. Discounted prices at commissaries include a five percent surcharge that covers maintenance costs for existing commissaries, and revenue to build new ones.
Due to the many benefits that commissaries provide, they are a significant factor in recruiting and maintaining highly qualified service members. In 1998, the Defense Commissary Agency received a President’s Quality Achievement Award to recognize the commitment to improving customer service and saving tax dollars. The agency continues to work towards providing improved customer service, sustaining the savings commissaries provide to customers, and integrating technology and infrastructure to improve the efficiency of commissaries around the world.
What is MyCommissary?
MyCommissary allows military families to manage their shopping online. The site includes a dashboard with access to a Rewards Card, the most updated commissary sales flyer, and access to CLICK2GO service (at participating stores).
MyCommissary includes several features to make shopping easier:
- Rewards Card – The Rewards Card can be picked up at any commissary in the world, and can be registered at the MyCommissary portal. Customers can link their card to coupons that can be used at the commissary.
- CLICK2GO – This service allows families to shop online and pick up their items curbside. The site can be accessed via mobile phone, tablet, or desktop computer. Rewards Cards and regular coupons can also be used with CLICK2GO. Currently, CLICK2GO is only available at Fort Belvoir, Fort Eustis, Oceana NAS, Quantico, and McGuire.
Most of the items sold in the commissary are also available through CLICK2GO. These include most health and beauty items, produce, dairy, frozen items, meat, and bakery items. For items that are sold in stores but are not easily found in the CLICK2GO list, customers can request the item in the comment/instructions box and a commissary employee will add the item to the order if it is available.
Who Can Access the Commissary?
The following groups are eligible to use the commissary and related services:
- Those on active duty
- Members of the National Guard and Reserve
- Military retirees
- Medal of Honor recipients
- Veterans with a service-connected disability rating
- 100 percent disabled veterans and their authorized family members
While authorized customers are allowed to bring a guest to the commissary, guests are not allowed to make purchases, and authorized customers are not allowed to make purchases for guests. Some areas do not allow guest access; it is recommended that customers who want to bring a guest contact the commissary’s management before their visit.
How to use the MyCommissary Portal
In order to use MyCommissary, customers must register for an account. When registering, the following information is required:
- Name and date of birth
- 11-digit number from Commissary Loyalty Card
- Users must also create a username and password
To use the Rewards Card:
- Register to access the MyCommissary portal. All customers must register for the new portal, even if they were previously registered on the Commissary Rewards Card website. That website was solely for the Commissary Rewards Card, but the MyCommissary portal is a different website that provides additional features and benefits.
- Pick up a Rewards Card from the nearest commissary location.
- Link a Commissary Rewards Card. When registering for the MyCommissary portal, provide the first 11 digits of the Commissary Rewards Card number to link the card to the MyCommissary portal.
To use coupons:
- On the MyCommissary site, click on “My Coupons” to see which coupons are available.
- Use the “Click to Clip” prompt to save coupons to your Rewards Card wallet.
- Check the “My Wallet” tab to see which coupons you have saved.
- Coupons can either be redeemed digitally, or customers can bring a printed copy with them to the commissary.
- When using the Rewards Card, coupons will be applied when the card is scanned at the register.
- The MyCommissary portal can also be accessed through a mobile browser, to clip virtual coupons from anywhere that there is an internet connection.
Additionally, coupons can be found on the Commissary website. Sources for available coupons include:
- Military Shoppers Flyer – this site provides coupons as well as a newsletter that provides updated information on current commissary sales
- My Military Savings – provides digital coupons and monthly flyers
- SmartSource – provides coupons that can be printed and brought to the commissary
While both paper and digital coupons can be used during the same transaction, it is not possible to use both a digital and a paper coupon for the same item. Commissaries can only accept one coupon per item.
Additional Resources
There are several resources offered by the commissary in addition to the MyCommissary portal. These include:
- Information on health and food safety
- Nutrition assistance information
- Recipes
There is also in-store guidance from nutritionists to help families identify healthy foods. The Nutrition Guide Program highlights foods with high nutrition quality, and uses shelf tags with a “thumbs up” icon to help shoppers make healthy choices. Shelf tags are color-coded to identify foods with low fat, low sodium, whole grains, no added sugar, and high fiber.
The Commissary is a great resource that allows military families to get the food and supplies they need, while helping them to save money. The MyCommissary portal aims to make shopping at the commissary even more convenient. For support related specifically to the Commissary Rewards card, call 855-829-6219, or email [email protected]. For other support issues related to the MyCommissary portal, access the Customer Comment Form here.
Heather Maxey works at a non-profit that addresses military ineligibility. She is an Army spouse, and met her husband while working as a Health Educator at Fort Bragg.
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