Post date: Feb 17, 2018 2:3:38 PM

AAFES and Military Exchanges to Allow Veterans to Shop Online – Registration Now Open

Update: Veterans can now verify their online shopping eligibility at VetVerify.org. The Exchanges are also accepting some veterans as beta testers before opening the doors to all veterans. See updates below for more information.

Would you like to be able to shop on the online military exchanges and enjoy tax free shopping, military discount pricing, and other benefits? Then read on. Your wish is about to come true!

Like all retailers, the Army and Air Force Exchange (AAFES) and the Navy Exchange (NEX) are looking for ways to improve their business model. But unlike many other retailers, better business for AAFES and NEX means better quality of life for military members, as some of the profits are distributed back to the military community—to the tune of around $300 million annually.

Due to the changing environment and force reductions, the Defense Department’s Executive Resale Board voted to allow online access to honorably-discharged military veterans. This is scheduled to go live on Veterans Day2017 and could return upwards of an additional $100 million to the military communities.

Currently, only active duty servicemembers, members of the Guard and Reserves, military retirees, 100-percent disabled veterans, Medal of Honor recipients, and the families of these groups are eligible to shop at AAFES locations, either online or on-base.

Note that this new benefit only includes allowing veterans to shop online, not at the physical stores located on bases. There is no current proposal to allow veterans to shop at on-base locations.

Impact of Allowing Veterans to Shop at AAFES Online Stores

AAFES officials estimate there are approximately 13 million veterans with an Honorable Discharge who would be allowed to shop at AAFES online stores under this new rule. Allowing these veterans to shop at AAFES online stores would give these veterans access to savings on a variety of products and could provide an additional $100 million for base Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) programs and other quality of life programs. Increased sales could also allow AAFES to negotiate discounts on larger, bulk orders of goods.

This new benefit could an important part of supporting the military community. AAFES distributes dividends to the MWR programs and other military activities. Over the last few years, AAFES sales have decreased substantially as military members and their families shop at other locations, and as the size of the military continues to decrease. The continued drawdown will have a dramatic impact on AAFES sales and how much money they can give back to the military community. AAFES officials estimate their sales could drop to one third of their current levels within the next few years. Extending the privilege of online shopping to qualified veterans would be a good way to thank veterans for their service, increase sales for AAFES, and increase distributions to base programs.

Exchange Online Shopping for Veterans FAQ’s

Who will have access to the online shopping portal?

Online shopping access will be available to all honorably discharged veterans of the United States Armed Forces (honorable or general under honorable conditions).

This includes veterans of the the United States Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard as well as the Air Force Reserve, Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve and National Guard.

The VetVerify.org website provides this resource for additional information on discharge types.

How do I get started?

Veterans can now verify online shopping eligibility at VetVerify.org. This website has been set up to verify veterans eligibility by matching the veteran’s service records with the DoD’s Defense Manpower Data Center’s records. More on this below.

The Exchanges are also giving some eligible veterans early access to the online Exchange shopping privileges so they can act as beta testers.

How will AAFES check IDs or proof of service?

The Exchange services developed a verification process with the VA and the DoD personnel centers to verify military service and eligibility by matching the veteran’s service records with the DoD’s Defense Manpower Data Center’s records.

Veterans will be required to provide personal information in order to match their records with the Defense Manpower database. This information includes their last four digits of their social security number, date of birth, and last name.

Most records have been digitized, so the verification process should be quick and easy. However, there may be delays if the veteran’s records have not yet been transferred to a digital format. In the event a veterans records are not matched right away, the veteran may need to supply discharge paperwork, such as a DD Form 214, DD Form 256, or other military records. Here is more info about replacing a lost DD Form 214.

The VA is also currently developing a Veterans ID Card. It’s possible there will be a unique Veteran Identification Number on these cards, once issued (pure speculation on my part, but current service members have a unique DoD Identification Number on their CAC Cards).

When should I apply for online shopping privileges?

It’s recommended to start the verification process now, as not all veterans will be automatically verified. It could take some additional time to verify some veterans. And some veterans may be required to submit additional documents or other information.

And the best part—you may get early access. The Exchanges need shoppers to help them test the platform. Thousands of veterans have already been granted access to the online shopping platform.

How will the Exchange profits be shared to local MWR units?