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Exchanges

Exchanges are the military's version of department stores. Soldiers call it a PX, for post exchange. Airmen say BX, for base exchange. Sailors call it a ship's store when afloat and NEX when in port; Marines say MCX; to the Coast Guardsmen, it's CGX.

Exchanges sell brand-name goods from civilian companies, as well as their own private-label items. There is no sales tax, and prices usually are lower than commercial retail prices.

There are four exchange systems. Army and Air Force stores are run by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, based in Dallas. AAFES is the largest of the exchange systems, with more than 12,000 facilities, including 160 main stores, in more than 35 countries. AAFES and the Marine Corps Exchanges also support military personnel deployed to the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones and elsewhere, with mobile or tactical field exchanges.

Some 100 Navy exchanges around the world are operated by the Navy Exchange Service Command, based in Virginia Beach, Va. The 17 Marine Corps exchanges report to the Corps' Personal and Family Readiness Division at Quantico, Va.

Coast Guard stores are run by the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters' Exchange and Morale Division in Washington. In addition to land-based stores, the Navy and Coast Guard run floating ship's stores, stocked largely with toiletries and snack foods, uniforms, CDs and CD players.

Exchanges support themselves almost completely through their sales income.

Academic rewards. Exchanges offer rewards such as savings bonds and coupons for student achievement. See your local exchange for details.

BXMarts. Some installations have combined commissary and exchange stores called BXMarts, NEXMarts or CXMarts. Food is priced as commissary items — at cost plus a 5 percent surcharge added at the checkout. Other items carry exchange prices, with variable markups.

Eligible shoppers. Eligible shoppers include active-duty, retired, National Guard and reserve members and their families, some disabled veterans and their families, surviving spouses and former spouses. Limits or restrictions may apply. Check with local exchanges. Those eligible can shop at any exchange, regardless of service affiliation.

Employees. Exchange employees are paid from exchange revenue, not with taxpayer dollars.

Gift cards. The exchanges sell gift cards in their stores and through their online catalogs. AAFES offers a program, "Gifts from the Homefront," under which patrons can buy gift cards for donation to deployed troops, who can then use the cards to shop at exchanges in the theater of operation.

Mail order. Exchange items can be purchased through the Exchange Catalog, available to all service members. Catalogs are $5, but include a coupon for $10 off your first order. Individual exchanges also offer specialty catalogs for uniform items, furniture and other needs.

Contact: Exchange Catalog Sales, P.O. Box 660211, Dallas, TX 75266-0211; (800) 527-2345; fax: (800) 446-0163; www.aafes.com; www.navy-nex.com; or www.usmc-mccs.org.

Malls. Many bases have shopping malls near their exchanges and commissaries. Services include uniform shops, barber shops, beauty parlors, dry cleaners, bookstores, florists and food courts.

Morale and welfare. After covering operating expenses, part of exchange earnings support on-base morale programs such as recreation areas, swimming pools and arts-and-crafts centers.

Other services. AAFES operates a dental clinic for family members at Fort Hood, Texas, and the Marine Corps offers the same at Camp Pendleton, Calif., to help relieve a shortage of dental staff there. Fees are comparable to those under the Tricare Dental Program.

The exchange systems also run optometry and audiology clinics at several bases. Clinics are run by private contractors overseen by local military medical officials. Navy clinics are run by private contractors, with no military medical oversight.

Online shopping. The exchange services offer online shopping. The secure Web sites will verify your exchange privileges against the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) database. Eligible shoppers can create log-on names and passwords. Items ranging from curtains to children's clothes to uniforms are available.

Other exchange facilities include gas stations, laundries and auto service centers. Some exchanges offer services such as one-hour photo shops, video-rental stores and more. The services operate their package, or liquor, stores as exchange operations.

Contact: www.aafes.com; www.usmc-mccs.org; and www.navy-nex.com.

Overseas. Overseas stores offer many U.S. products that may be difficult to find otherwise. Commands often impose shopping restrictions to limit the sale of U.S. goods on the illegal market. Items bought through an exchange or commissary cannot be resold, even at cost.

Shopper restrictions are tighter overseas. Military police patrol larger exchange shopping areas for illegal marketers. There also are restrictions on gifts bought in overseas exchanges. For example, cigarettes or alcohol bought in exchanges cannot be given to foreign nationals.

Payment. Stateside and overseas exchanges accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover credit cards. Exchanges also offer their own credit plan through the joint-exchange Military Star Card. Exchanges also cash personal checks at no charge with a valid military ID.

Pre-paid phone cards. Exchanges carry phone cards with rates for specific geographic areas, including war zones. The AAFES Help Our Troops Call Home program lets anyone send Military Exchange Global Prepaid phone cards to service members through charitable organizations.

Price matching. Exchanges will match lower prices on identical items.

Sales restrictions. Congress restricts what can be sold. Stateside exchanges cannot sell cars or fur coats, for example. The Armed Service Exchange Regulations also limit the size of diamonds and type of furniture sold in stateside stores. Exchanges can sell finished furniture, although any one piece cannot cost more than $900.

Savings. Customer savings average 17 percent to 20 percent on exchange purchases compared to off-base retailers. That is over and above savings derived from exclusion of sales taxes. There is no surcharge on exchange purchases.

Store brands. Along with brand-name items, the exchanges carry private-label merchandise with the same quality as national brands, found exclusively in military exchanges, at significant savings.

Web sites. AAFES' Web address is www.aafes.com, with store locations, movie schedules, policies and other information. Customers also can order items online from the exchange and uniform clothing catalogs.

The NEXCOM Web site, at www.navy-nex.com, also allows exchange shopping, as well as information on Navy exchange locations and services, Navy Lodge locations and amenities, ship's stores and Navy uniforms. Customers can order Navy uniforms, and can make Navy lodge reservations.

See www.usmc-mccs.org for online shopping and information about Marine Corps exchanges, including links to information about locations, specials and sales at individual stores.