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Commissaries are grocery stores on military bases, run by DECA or the Defense Commissary Agency. Sometimes, the credit card companies like American Express or Chase mis-categorizes these stores in the spending bonus category.
Some CONUS and OCONUS Commissaries code as US supermarkets and are eligible for 4x points on US supermarkets on American Express® Gold Card and 6% cash back on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1% on Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.
Most military base Commissaries code as “Groceries” for Chase cards.
I am collecting data points on this page to serve as a resource to the military community. Please leave a comment if your Amex card coded the DECA Commissary as a “US Supermarket” and specify what base you were on. Or, leave a comment if the commissary coded as “Groceries” on a Chase card. Thanks!
shopmyexchange.com also sometimes codes as a “global restaurant” and triggers 4x points on Amex Gold Card.
In this post:
Commissary That Code as Groceries for Chase
- Andersen AFB Guam codes as Groceries
- Hickam Air Force Base Hawaii Commissary codes as “Groceries” for Chase
- Kunsan AB South Korea Commissary codes as groceries
- Ramstein Air Base Germany Commissary is “Groceries” for Chase
- Spangdahlem Air Base Germany
- RAF Lakenheath United Kingdom
- Aviano Air Base Italy
- Fort Belvoir, Virginia Commissary
- Commissary at Naval Base San Diego
- Hill AFB, Utah
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Commissary That Code as a U.S. Supermarket Category for Amex
These are commissaries that earn 4x points on the Amex Gold Card.
- Grafenwoehr Commissary in Germany is a US supermarket
- Joint Base San Antonio – Randolph Commissary
- Misawa Air Base Japan Commissary codes as a U.S. supermarket
- Andersen AFB Commissary Guam codes a US supermarket
- Kaneohe Bay Commissary on Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) is a US supermarket
- Hickam Air Force Base (Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii) Commissary codes as a U.S. supermarket.
- Pearl Harbor Commissary Hawaii is a US Supermarket
- Osan Air Base Commissary South Korea is a US supermarket for Amex
- Kunsan Air Base South Korea Commissary is a US supermarket
- Ramstein Air Base Commissary codes a US supermarket for Amex Gold and Blue Cash Preferred
- Rota Commissary on Rota Naval Air Station, Spain is a US supermarket
- NEX Pearl Harbor is a US supermarket
- Anchorage Area Commissary Elemendorf AFB Alaska is a US supermarket
- Fort Gordon, Georgia commissary is a US supermarket
- Camp Pendleton Commissary is a US supermarket
- Iwankuni MCAS Japan Commissary and BX code as U.S. supermarkets
- MCRD Parris Island Commissary coded as 4x on AMEX Gold
- USAG Humphreys (Camp Humphreys) in Korea is a US Supermarket per Amex
- Yokota Air Base Commissary Japan codes codes as a US supermarket
- Kadena Air Base Commissary on Okinawa Japan is a US supermarket according to Amex
- NSA Naples codes as a US supermarket on the Amex Gold Card
- NAS Patuxent River
- Little Rock AFB
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- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year- includes OCONUS Commissaries
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Commissaries That DO NOT Categorize as U.S. Supermarkets for Amex
- Incirlik Air Base Turkey Commissary is NOT a US supermarket for Amex
- Aviano Air Base Italy does not come up as US supermarket
- US Naval Support Activities (NSA) Naples, Italy Commissary does not work as a US supermarket
Any other data points out there? I am looking for military Commissaries that get 4x points on US supermarkets like in the above Misawa example.
Commissary Credit Cards FAQ
If your commissary codes as a US supermarket than the best card to use is the Amex Gold card or the Amex Blue Cash Preferred. The Amex Gold card gives you 4x points on US supermarkets and the Blue Cash Preferred is 6% cash back on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1% on US supermarkets. The Chase Freedom Unlimited is also good with 1.5% cash back or the Citi Double Cash card with 2% cash back.
It depends if you are shopping at the BX, NEX, PX, MCX, AAFES, or at the DECA Commissary. Usually a supermarket or grocies card at the Commissary and any card at the PX, BX, MCX, or NEX, since they usually doesn't earn bonus points categories.
Yes, the military Commissary system accepts Visa, Discover, Mastercard, and American Express. You can earn 4 Amex points per dollar spent at the Commissary with the Amex Gold card. Or 6% cash back with the Amex Blue Cash Preferred.
Yes, but there are much better credit cards for military servicemembers out there. You can earn 2 points per dollar spent at Commissaries with the Military Star Card. But you'll probably be better off with an Amex Gold card.
Usually the Commissary codes as a grocery store or groceries category on Chase and American Express cards. However, sometimes it is mis-categorized. Check my crowd-sourced list here for the latest data points from military families around the world.
As of 27 July 2024, the Yokota Air Base commissary codes as “Other – Government Services” for AMEX. It codes as “Grocery Stores and Supermarkets” for Chase.
Was that on an Amex Gold card?
Altus AFB Commissay does NOT code as a supermarket at this time.
Amex or Chase? What did it code as?
Both NASNI and 32nd Street Commissaries in San Diego have given me the grocery code on my AMEX Blue Cash Preferred.
Thanks!
Shopmyexchange did not give me 4x points for Amex gold.
Eielson AFB commissary says “Merchandise & Supplies – General Supplies” but I got 4x points for US Supermarkets on Amex Gold!
I just got the AMEX Gold and the Ramstein Commissary coded as Other-Government Services.
Is that still the case? Heading out there and thinking about getting the Gold
Nah Jacksonville commissary codes as “general retail” for Amex, Chase codes as Groceries.
NAS, not NAH
Does “general retail” count for the 4x at the commissary?
Shopped at McGuire AFB Commissary the other day with my AMEX Gold and it coded it as a U.S. Supermarket.
Fort Rucker, AL
Showing as “Merchandise and Supplies – General Retail” for Amex Gold
Does it give you 4x as “General Retail”? I wasn’t able to find any other answer
You can add Ft. Belvoir Commissary to the list for AMEX. Got 10x points with AMEX Platinum.
Aviano Commissary codes as a U.S. supermarket for AMEX. 10x groceries with Platinum card promo applying.
Chievres, Belgium Commissary codes as grocery on MasterCard. The PX, as well as the rationed item store and grocery store on SHAPE, do not (general merch).
Adding: Chievres Commissary also codes as grocery on Visa and Amex. However, the self-checkout lanes code as “government services” on Amex and don’t earn grocery bonus.
Annoying about the self check out lanes.
Anyone know if Luke AFB commissary is classified as grocery for either card?
You can add Hill AFB Commissary for CSR.
Holloman codes as supermarkets for Amex. I’ll check Chase sometime soon.
Commissary at Naval Base San Diego codes as 5x groceries for CSR.
MCRD Parris Island Commissary coded as 4x on AMEX Gold.
USAG Humphreys in Korea as well! This is such a great way to rack up points while we wait to travel again.
Folks have seen the AMEX Hilton and Bonvoy cards are allowing their annual $250 and $300 resort credits towards groceries and restaurants too, right?!
Thanks for the data point! Yes, Amex COVID benefits streaming and restaurant credits are covered here.
Iwakuni, Japan: AMEX Blue Cash preferred codes as “U.S. Supermarkets” at both the commissary and exchange.
Here in Aviano, Chase pre loads the commissary as “Groceries” whereas Amex lables it “Merchendise & Supplies – General Retail”
Great data point, thanks!