DISCOUNTS FOR Veterans and active duty

I came across an article which detailed discounts for Active duty and veterans.
You will have to read them to be sure you qualify. Some are active duty, Some are active and retiree and some are active, retiree and veteran

I did not know of some of the discounts
https://www.dealnews.com/features/Oorah-Ka-Ching-Guide-to-Military-Discounts/1114657.html

I heard about a tax free BX/PX shopping thing from a friend so I looked it up and found this....

https://dod.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1371458/honorably-discharged-vets-now-have-online-exchange-shopping-privileges/


Is this an actual Vet benefit... or is this just a bunch of corporate marketing  ? 

sightseers said:

I heard about a tax free BX/PX shopping thing from a friend so I looked it up and found this....

https://dod.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1371458/honorably-discharged-vets-now-have-online-exchange-shopping-privileges/


Is this an actual Vet benefit... or is this just a bunch of corporate marketing  ?

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AAFES has been losing money for years so this a way for them to gain more sales.

okay....  but since most all online shopping is still tax free,  are the prices even as low as shopping on Amazon ? 

$50 free shipping is the same everywhere.

sightseers said:

okay....  but since most all online shopping is still tax free,  are the prices even as low as shopping on Amazon ? 

$50 free shipping is the same everywhere.

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I haven?t done a price comparison so I can?t answer that question. We live in Delaware which is sales tax free. We never go to the BX at Dover AFB. We normally shop online at Amazon or Overstock. It?s tax free and there?s no shipping cost. My son went to Lowe?s yesterday looking for a torx bit. All they had was a kit for $30. He came home and looked it up on Amazon and the same kit, same brand was $10. S&B stores need to get on the stick and start competing.

S&B stores need to get on the stick and start competing.

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That wont happen. Amazon has the ability to lower prices even to the point where they lose money in order to outsell any S&B store. Theyve actually done so.

Tax free shipping may soon become a thing of the past. Minnesota has a budget surplus of over a billion dollars. While the republicans say its because of their tax cuts, the reality is that the surplus is from taxing online sales. Alot of states will soon follow.

cadee2c said:

That wont happen. Amazon has the ability to lower prices even to the point where they lose money in order to outsell any S&B store. Theyve actually done so.

Tax free shipping may soon become a thing of the past. Minnesota has a budget surplus of over a billion dollars. While the republicans say its because of their tax cuts, the reality is that the surplus is from taxing online sales. Alot of states will soon follow.

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I don?t think Delaware will. If the government makes all online shopping taxable we will most likely stop shopping online. Same with shipping. We go to Costco in Christianna which is about 20 minutes from the PA state line and only a little further from NJ. Half the parking lot are cars from out of state. They like tax free shopping. Don?t get me wrong. I don?t mind paying our fair share of taxes and I think we do but when you get used to something you don?t want it to change.

sightseers said:

I heard about a tax free BX/PX shopping thing from a friend so I looked it up and found this....

https://dod.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1371458/honorably-discharged-vets-now-have-online-exchange-shopping-privileges/


Is this an actual Vet benefit... or is this just a bunch of corporate marketing  ?

Click to expand...

When I was still active duty (long before Amazon and on-line shopping), the Navy Exchange was generally less expensive than off-base shopping. However, the selection was less. If they had what you wanted, in the brand and model you wanted, you could save quite a bit, but you could often find less expensive "similar" products off base if you knew where to shop. The same held true with groceries. But often, the Exchange and Commissary were the only shopping available within several miles of the base, which made shopping there even less expensive than local, IF there even was local shopping. Today, with on-line shopping, not so much.


The more the Exchanges have to compete with civilian merchants, the less savings are likely as the off-base pricing can better compete. Also, local merchants often pressure the Exchanges with "unfair" competition complaints, especially in more remote areas, limiting savings.


Taxes are a separate matter. Yes, local sales taxes are usually avoided, but where the big saving comes into play is for purchases made outside the US where Federal taxes as well as State and local sales taxes are omitted. For example, years ago, a carton of Lucky Strike cigarettes cost roughly $3 at the Exchange (the ship's store, as well), but when we went outside the 12 mile limit, it dropped to $1.

The Los Angeles city/state combined sales tax is 9.5% ......  (  ) who wants to run out buy a new motorhome in L.A.  !!  ) ) ;D )

so now all we have is a bunch of 99 cent stores ...and abandoned malls.

  )  They're still trying to tax the way to prosperity here in CA too.   

Nice link, thanks.

When traveling, always ask, wont hurt to start the talk, sometimes you can talk them right into a 10% discount.


I have two ID cards. Retired military and service connected VA. One of them nearly always works.


Many years ago My wife was a buyer for the Navy Exchange. Parodically she and others in her office would do comparative shopping. Even then the NEX could not compete with the big box stores on like brand name items. With huge on-line sales soring I doubt that has changed at all and probably got much more in favor of the eBays & Amazons of the world.

I signed up for the Exchange when it first came about.  So far I have not seen anything that I cannot buy cheaper on the outside.  It used to be a good deal, but now it's just another online outfit trying to compete.

I went into a restaurant in Tucson last summer.  At the cashier, I asked for a senior discount(hey, I'm 67).  The waitress who'd been cashing me out stopped what she was doing and went and got the manager .
The manager started to give me some guff about they don't give discounts to seniors(or military either...I asked)because it'll offend the younger/civilian customer who has to pay full price.
I shrugged and said, "So?"  "How many seniors in this town do you think you offend by not giving the discount?".

A good friend of ours dropped the senior discount at her restaurant when she realized about 75% of her customers were both regulars and seniors. Instead, she now has a punch card deal where 9 punches is worth a free breakfast or lunch.

Several years ago my wife and I visited Honeymoon Island in Dunedin, FL. When it got to be my turn to pay I asked if there was a seniors discount. She said to me "honey you're in Florida, we're all seniors here!". 

I get a few of the veteran discounts such as Lowe?s, Home Depot, Auto Zone and senior discounts at some restaurants and for coffee at McDonalds. You can online and print out a list of all discounts given to vets and seniors. It?s a bit difficult to keep up with.

DW and I stayed at a hotel last week. The Veterans discount was better than the senior/AARP rate.

kdbgoat said:

DW and I stayed at a hotel last week. The Veterans discount was better than the senior/AARP rate.

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We?ve learned to check all three. We also check the military rate. They never ask if I am on official business and when they ask for ID they don?t know the difference between a AD card and retired ID.

Don't forget that Verizon currently offers a 15% discount on their cell service. Been receiving this discount for almost 7 years now. DD214 required when I obtained mine.

Verizon's old folks discount is better than the Veterans discount.

kdbgoat said:

DW and I stayed at a hotel last week. The Veterans discount was better than the senior/AARP rate.

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They send you that AARP info once you hit 55.  We were getting ready to take a vacation, so I decided to buy a year's membership in hopes of getting some kind discounts on rooms and such.  Not one place I asked in 2 1/2 weeks gave an AARP discount.  I did manage to cover the cost of the card by using my VA medical card for military discounts, so at least I broke even on the purchase.