{"id":2853,"date":"2018-10-18T15:46:43","date_gmt":"2018-10-18T15:46:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/?p=2853"},"modified":"2018-10-18T15:47:26","modified_gmt":"2018-10-18T15:47:26","slug":"shoppers-earn-4-million-in-rewards-in-military-star-cards-first-year-at-the-commissary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2018\/10\/18\/shoppers-earn-4-million-in-rewards-in-military-star-cards-first-year-at-the-commissary\/","title":{"rendered":"Shoppers Earn $4 Million in Rewards in MILITARY STAR Card\u2019s First Year at the Commissary"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"DALLAS \u2013 <\/strong>In the year since service members and their families have been able to use the MILITARY STAR\u00ae<\/sub> card at Department of Defense commissaries, military shoppers have earned more than $4 million in rewards<\/a>, just from buying groceries.<\/p>\n

Commissaries began accepting MILITARY STAR as a form of payment in October 2017, with all 237 worldwide locations accepting the card by November 2017. Since acceptance at the commissary started, more than 335,000 shoppers have spent more than $204 million on groceries with the card. As with all MILITARY STAR purchases, they earned two points for every dollar as part of the card\u2019s rewards program, which automatically earns them a $20 rewards card with every 2,000 points. For commissary shoppers, that translated into more than $4 million in rewards earned in the first year alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cGroceries are everyday expenses that can now earn rewards for service members, thanks to MILITARY STAR,\u201d said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service\u2019s senior enlisted advisor. \u201cPlus, every MILITARY STAR purchase helps to support on-installation Quality-of-Life programs that are critical to keeping our Warfighters and their families ready and resilient.\u201d<\/p>\n

The card\u2019s acceptance at the commissary was many years in the making. The Exchange Credit Program, which is administered by the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, had long been in discussions with the Defense Commissary Agency to reach an agreement that would allow shoppers to use MILITARY STAR in commissary stores. The organizations worked together to overcome logistical obstacles\u2014such as updating and integrating register systems\u2014to make it easier for military shoppers to earn rewards.<\/p>\n

\u201cMILITARY STAR\u2019s goal is to make the card more convenient and rewarding for our service members, retirees and their families,\u201d said Kathy Bronkalla, Vice President of Exchange Credit Strategy. \u201cPartnering with the commissary was a huge step to evolving the card to fit the military community\u2019s lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ability to use MILITARY STAR at commissaries also means shoppers can enjoy the fair and flexible terms offered by the card, such as:<\/p>\n