Commissary introduces rewards cards Published Sept. 25, 2012 By Rob Sexton 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- The Defense Commissary Agency has launched a new electronic coupon system at commissaries around the world with the rollout expected to be completed at all 247 commissaries worldwide in the coming weeks, the agency announced. The Commissary Rewards Card allows customers to access and redeem digital coupons at all of its stores. Recognizing that some people still shop with a handful of paper coupons clipped from publications, traditional paper coupons will continue to be usable by customers, DeCA said. "We are very excited about this new initiative," said DeCA Director and CEO Joseph Jeu in a news release. "These cards will allow our customers to reduce the number of paper coupons they have to clip and carry," he added. "That saves our customers time, effort and money." Shaw's commissary is already handing out the cards. "We received 11,400 rewards cards on Sept. 12," said Randal Robinson, store director, "and we've already given away more than 2,400," he announced, for about 20 percent. "Card" isn't necessarily the only word that applies, as shoppers may use a one-inch by two-inch tag that is punched for a key ring or a credit-card-sized version. After picking up a card, customers must register it at DeCA's website, www.commissaries.com. During registration, users are required to select a 10-digit ID, such as a phone number. You then sort through digital coupons to load into your account. At the commissary, you scan the reward card at the register and the system automatically matches your discounts and purchases. The savings are automatically deducted, the agency said. Customers can log into their accounts periodically to load new coupons on the card. New offers will appear every two or three weeks, the agency said. The rewards card doesn't yet include a point system, but DeCa said they plan to load more features to the electronic coupon program in the near future. For example, if you favor a certain product, specific coupons and promotions of interest could be directed to you, Kevin Robinson, a DeCA spokesman, said. This reporter went to the Shaw commissary and picked up a new card. With card in hand, I went to www.commissaries.com on the Internet, and clicked on, "Register your card." One page later, I filled in 14 blanks, read the "Terms and Conditions," and then clicked, "Start Saving Today!" Next stop was the first of three pages of coupons I could load into my card. Even though I'm presently a single shopper, I was able to find two positively useful discounts and a couple more possibilities. More than $2 savings in a few seconds. If I was shopping for a family, I would really like this. Keep in mind that the Defense Commissary Agency claims that even with the 5 percent surcharge which covers the cost of building new stores or modernizing existing stores, shoppers save an average of more than 30 percent compared to the exact same purchase in commercial supermarkets. The cards are now available at more than 30 locations in Europe and will be available everywhere by early fall, according to DeCA's Kevin Robinson. Why do stores hand out these "loyalty" cards? What's the real story? Well according to plasticresources.com, an international supplier, the card programs are, ". . . becoming more and more popular now that merchants have seen consistant results. In addition to increased sales revenue, loyalty cards, coupled with (point-of-sale) software, have proved to be an invaluable marketing tool. Merchants can now identify who their customers are, what they purchase, how much they're spending, and if multiple locations exist, where they shop." As an introductory offer, commissary customers who pick up cards by Oct. 24 will receive preloaded digital coupons that they can use in the commissary immediately, DeCA said.