The commissary's grocery pickup program now has a dedicated shopping app aimed at making it easier for users to place orders on mobile devices.
The curbside program, known as Click2Go, is available in all 235 commissary locations worldwide and currently doesn't carry an additional cost for use after that $5 fee was eliminated in 2021.
In the past, online ordering has been available only via the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) website. But when used on mobile phones, that shopping system was difficult to navigate, slow to load and periodically crashed, leading to user frustration. The app, rolled out early this month, aims to improve that user experience.
Users can download the free app via their specific device's app store and sign-in using their current commissaries.com login information. New accounts can also be created through the app. Account registration requires a user's DoD ID number, which can be found on military IDs or the DS Logon system.
Allowing the app to access mobile location information will make it pinpoint the user's nearest military commissary. From there, shoppers can browse groceries, add coupons to their account and walk through pickup scheduling and checkout. The store's typical 5% order surcharge required by law applies to online orders and is reflected in the total at checkout.
The commissary's mobile shopping system has a few notable differences from shopping in person or using a pickup service at an off-base civilian store.
For example, in-person commissary shoppers can use paper coupons, while mobile customers can only use the digital selection offered via the app or commissary rewards card. And because Click2Go orders are fulfilled by commissary employees who are federal workers, cash tips are not expected or even permitted.That's in contrast to commissary baggers inside the store who are not federal employees and work for tips only.
Unlike many off-base stores, mobile order product substitutions at the commissary come with the price tag of the new item, even if it's more expensive than the one originally ordered. Some civilian stores instead charge whichever price is lower if the product selected by the shopper is unavailable. Commissary shoppers can elect to allow or block substitutions while placing their order, and ultimately reject substitutions at time of pickup if desired.
Meanwhile, the commissary also updated a portion of its payment system to allow shoppers to use the Military Star Card, which earns rewards in the form of Exchange gift cards, to pay for some online orders. That line of credit, managed through the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) has been accepted at both exchanges and for in-person shopping at commissary stores since late 2017, but not for online orders. Now, the card can be used for orders via the website only -- not via the app. A commissary spokesman said they do not have an estimated date for when it will expand to the app.
