Military Commissaries: Savings & Nutrition | Military OneSource (2024)

FAQs

Why does the commissary charge a 5% fee? ›

Surcharge is applied to the total value of each commissary purchase because the Congress has mandated collection of surcharge (currently 5 percent) to pay for commissary construction, equipment and maintenance.

The commissary sells food and household items at prices that are often below other grocery stores. On average, you can cut nearly a third off your grocery bill compared to in-town prices.

Luckily for active-duty service members, DOD civilians, and their dependents, your privilege to shop in military stores is almost always covered under the agreement too. But there are some restrictions. Learn more about how SOFA can affect your military commissary and exchange privileges.

Veterans with any service-connected disability. Purple Heart recipients. Former Prisoners of war, and. Individuals approved and designated as the primary family caregivers of eligible Veterans under the Department of Veterans Affairs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.

Baggers are not government or commissary employees, and are paid solely by the tips that commissary patrons offer in exchange for bagging/carryout services. Baggers are self-employed, and work under a license agreement with an installation commander.

Our goal is to have our customers save $25 for every $100 you spend at your commissary. Hundreds of items including milk, eggs, fresh meats, bananas, cleaning products and much more are available for great savings. Just look for the bright orange YES!

Talking to some commissary regular customers it appears that, in general, people tip between $2 and $5, depending on the number of bags and the quality of service. The key thing to remember when deciding what to tip is that the commissary does not pay the baggers.

In the US Army, it denotes “Post Exchange”, as in an Army retail shop. A commissary sells food like a supermarket. The PX is like a department store like Walmart.

The modern surcharge began in 1952 when Congress decided commissaries should be more self-supporting. Congress and the Defense Department directed the military services to have commissaries add a 2 percent surcharge to cover costs of purchasing and maintaining equipment and supplies.

Retired Army Reserve Soldiers with proper ID and immediate Family members with authorized Family member IDs are eligible for unlimited commissary use. annually on their grocery purchases compared to commercial prices when shopping regularly at these stores.

What does military px stand for? ›

Exact terminology varies by armed service; some examples include base exchange (BX), and post exchange (PX), and there are more specific terms for subtypes of exchange.

Living in base housing isn't just for active-duty military personnel. Retirees, civilians, and other eligible individuals can also take advantage of the benefits that come with moving onto a military base.

Veterans who are eligible to obtain a Veteran Health Identification Card must use this credential for base access and to use these privileges. The card must display the veteran's eligibility status, whether that be service-connected disabled, former POW or Purple Heart recipient.

Am I eligible to shop in the commissary? Authorized commissary patrons as defined by Department of Defense Instruction 1330.17, Dod Commissary Program , include active duty, Guard and Reserve members, military retirees, Medal of Honor recipients, 100 percent disabled veterans, and their authorized family members.

All disabled Veterans can use their hard-earned Exchange benefit in person at PXs and BXs. “I'm always looking to save a penny here, a penny there,” said Air Force Veteran David Carr, who served for three years, including 1 ½ years in Vietnam. “Every penny adds up.”

The first surcharge appeared in 1879 to pay for spoilage and transportation costs. Set at 10 percent, it was levied on all commissary goods except tobacco, and was repealed five years later.

User Fee Exemptions

The fees will be assessed at 1.9% of the total transaction cost to these new patrons who use credit cards and signature debit cards, which are accepted and processed as credit transactions. The assessed fee will be 0.5% for personal identification number (PIN) debit card transactions.

Talking to some commissary regular customers it appears that, in general, people tip between $2 and $5, depending on the number of bags and the quality of service. The key thing to remember when deciding what to tip is that the commissary does not pay the baggers.

Authorized patrons purchase items that are variably priced plus a 5 percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones.