{"id":30563,"date":"2020-01-10T20:36:28","date_gmt":"2020-01-10T20:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/01\/10\/new-customers-encounter-some-glitches-with-military-shopping-benefits\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:07:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:07:51","slug":"new-customers-encounter-some-glitches-with-military-shopping-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2020\/01\/10\/new-customers-encounter-some-glitches-with-military-shopping-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"New customers encounter some glitches with military shopping benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

More than a week into a new benefit for about 4 million more people,<\/a> there are some increases in customers, but they\u2019re also facing some problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding to the challenge is that the new benefit, which started Jan. 1<\/a> for certain veterans and veteran caregivers, was launched at a time when military installations have implemented heightened security measures <\/a>at their gates because of ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran. That\u2019s meant more time-consuming security checks leading to delays and long lines of traffic at many bases. These newly eligible veterans and veteran caregivers must go to the visitor center for an on-the-spot background check the first time they come onto an installation, and they are in the mix of those trying to get into the installation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commissary officials said they\u2019re seeing a \u201cdefinite increase\u201d in new customers shopping at several locations. As of today, the top 10 in these transactions are Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; McClellan, Calif.; March Air Reserve Base, Calif.; MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.; Patrick AFB, Fla.; Pensacola Naval Air Station, Fla.; Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico; Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Orote, Guam and Travis AFB, Calif. Numbers of customers or amount of sales weren\u2019t available from commissary officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marine Corps bases are seeing light participation at exchanges and other resale programs, said Bryan Driver, spokesman for business and support services division, which operates exchanges and MWR activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The information provided by store officials was mostly anecdotal at this early stage. For example, more than 40 newly eligible veterans shopped at the Naval Base Guam store on Jan. 1, and the exchange at Naval Air Station Key West has seen about 25 customers with these expanded privileges, said Navy Exchange Service Command spokeswoman Kristine Sturkie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new benefits were authorized by law for all veterans with VA service-connected disability ratings; Purple Heart recipients; veterans who are former prisoners of war; and primary family caregivers of eligible veterans under the VA caregiver program. Previously those with a 100 percent service-connected disability rating, and Medal of Honor recipients were allowed the benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018, a section in the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, these populations are now entitled to access to commissaries, exchanges and certain morale, welfare and recreation facilities on the same basis as military retirees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

User fees double charged <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treasury Department officials are working to correct a system error that has resulted in double charging new customers the user fee when they used a PIN debit card. Commissary officials estimate the average overcharge is about 38 cents per transaction, said Gary Frankovich, spokesman for the Defense Commissary Agency. Officials were notified of the problem Jan. 9, he said, and a temporary solution is being put into place to stop the double charges until a permanent fix is in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The glitch didn\u2019t affect those using credit cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who was double-charged the user fee will automatically receive a refund from the Treasury Department for that amount. Officials ask that customers give officials a few days to refund the money to their cardholder accounts, Frankovich said. \u201cNeither cardholders nor their financial institutions need to do anything to initiate a refund.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New commissary customers with this benefit are charged a user fee to offset any increased expenses by the Treasury Department. These customers are charged 0.5 percent of transactions for PIN debit cards and 1.9 percent for credit cards. Commercial card companies charge transaction fees to retailers when customers use their cards. By law, the expansion of customers can\u2019t include extra costs associated with using debit or credit cards in commissaries; the cost must be passed on to the customer. The user fee is only charged at commissaries, not at exchanges or other retail MWR activities, and it doesn\u2019t apply to other previously authorized commissary customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\t