News story

Armed Forces discount card launched in time for Christmas

A brand new discount card, exclusively for members of the Armed Forces, their families and veterans, will be rolled out next week.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
David Cameron and Mark Francois with Service personnel

The Prime Minister and Mark Francois with Service personnel at No 10

Over 50 high street companies and businesses have pledged generous discounts to show their support for the Armed Forces Community through the Defence Discount Service.

The new Defence Privilege Card, which will be available to sign up for online next week, will ensure our Armed Forces Community get exclusive discounts from participating stores across the country. This new card will provide money off items ranging from children’s toys and winter knitwear to mobile phones and even food shopping.

Over 24,000 members of the Armed Forces community have joined the scheme to date. Examples of the discounts they will now be able to access include:

An example of the Defence Privilege Card

An example of the Defence Privilege Card [Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

  • 10% off all groceries at Iceland

  • 20% off phone contracts at Vodafone

  • 20% off tickets at Vue Cinemas

  • an introductory 20% followed by 15% off everything in store at Austin Reed

  • 10% off everything at KFC

  • 3 to 10% off gift cards ordered from the Defence Discount Service website for most major supermarkets, Boots, Toys R Us, Topman, Currys, Debenhams, House of Fraser, B&Q, Homebase and H Samuel.

The roll-out of the new Defence Privilege Card coincides with the publication of the first annual report on the Armed Forces Covenant. This sets out key disadvantages the Government has tackled over the last year to improve life for our Armed Forces community and ensures personnel and their families are not unfairly affected by their service to their country.

David Cameron welcomes Service personnel to No 10

Prime Minister David Cameron welcomes Service personnel to No 10 Downing Street [Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

Handing out the first Defence Privilege Cards at No 10 Downing Street yesterday, the Prime Minister, David Cameron, said:

I am delighted that we have managed to get so many companies to sign up to this - and just in time for Christmas. As well as allowing people to save money, these discounts are a token of the immense appreciation that we all have for our Armed Forces.

It is fitting that the cards are launched in the year that the military have done so much for our country, not just abroad but here in the UK, showing the very best of British during the Olympics and the Jubilee.

Minister of State for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans Mark Francois added:

The men and women of our Armed Forces, their families and our veterans reflect what is best in our society. That is why we are committed to rebuilding the Armed Forces Covenant and it is with great pride that I am publishing the first ever Armed Forces Covenant report today.

Published 7 December 2012
Last updated 14 February 2014 + show all updates
  1. Link added to the Defence Discount Service

  2. This news article was converted to a news story