Commissary shoppers who have used the Commissary rewards coupon card since its launch in August, 2012 have saved over $5 million on their groceries, commissary officials announced Aug. 14.
The card, which you can pick-up at the checkout or customer service desk in your nearest commissary, allows you to load coupons online or via the commissary coupon app. The checker then scans your card or enters the phone number associated with it and, ta-da!, the savings from any coupons you have matching products you bought are deducted from order.
Officials said users have downloaded over 34 million coupons since the launch two years ago. But they said 500,000 users have started the registration and never completed it.
Unlike electronic coupons at many civilian retailers, the commissary does not allow you to use both an electronic coupon and a paper coupon on the same product, a practice known as "stacking." In fact, their system automatically flags any products for which you have tried to use both coupons, and blocks the register from allowing the electronic one if a paper one for the same product has already been scanned.
For me, the hardest thing about using electronic coupons is remembering what I have. That's why the commissary's coupon app, which you can read more about here, is so darn handy. Instead of having to remember to load coupons at home, I often do it for a few minutes in the car while sitting in the commissary parking lot (and trying to ignore my kids' pleas to get out and score the lone car cart in their view before someone else does).
The app also allows me to scroll the coupons I've already downloaded to see which ones might be applicable. That means if I'm standing in the cereal aisle trying very hard to ignore my son shouting "THE LUCKY ONE!!!!" while pointing at a box of magically delicious Lucky Charms, I can just slip into the app to see if I have a coupon ready for that brand.
Have you used the commissary coupon rewards card or app? Do you love it? Hate it? Tells us in the comments.
UPDATE: Everyone makes mistakes, and we are no exception. The original version of this article misreported the amount DeCA officials say commissary shoppers have saved by using the card. The correct amount is $5 million.
