Authorized Patrons Part II

by: Leah Miller

It occurred to me yesterday that maybe we should revisit the topic of Authorized Patrons, specifically privileges of dependents. While the majority of dependents realize that they are able to shop AAFES, I still feel like there is a breakdown about the exact terms of the permissions. (Visit DODI 1330.21 Armed Services Exchange Regulations and Definitions for more exact terms.) Just to clarify, in most cases Military dependents have the same Exchange benefits as their sponsor.  For example, did you know that Military spouses and dependents are allowed to create their own accounts on aafes.com? It’s true. Just as they are allowed to shop in store without the sponsor, there’s no need to use the sponsor’s SSN and personal information to log in. (Get help in the First Time Users Assistance area.) In addition to online shopping, there are other instances where this same principle applies.