16 Discounts For Veterans and Active Duty Service Members

Military Veterans, Service Men, and Service Women are heroes in this country and deserve more than a salute for their bravery — wouldn't you agree? Several companies in the United States show how thankful they are for Veterans and Active Duty service members in the form of discounts and rebates. There are even federal programs available just for you that many Veterans don't know about.

There are a wide variety of companies, such as restaurants, retail stores, etc., who offer special discounts to Veterans and Active Duty Military Members year round. We've compiled a list of 16 discounts you should be taking advantage of if you're not already.

More than 21 million Veterans and Service Members live in the United States today. Sadly, only about 6% of them have purchased a home using a VA loan in the past five years, and even fewer have refinanced. Those percentages should be WAY higher. A lot of Veterans don't use the VA home loan and instead get more expensive traditional loans. For most, that’s a very costly mistake. Still unknown to many, this brilliant government program could save millions of Veterans like you and help you save $42,000.

For other Veteran homeowners, the VA refinance allows you to get rid of mortgage insurance, drop your rate, or even turn home equity into cash. The official VA Survey tells you in under two minutes if you qualify. These programs are completely free to see if you're eligible. See if you qualify here.

To cook or not to cook, is that really a question? With these discounts on popular restaurants, you’ll always have a great meal, ready to eat at a lower price. Here’s a list of restaurants that salute our vets (valid Military ID may be required):

Cafe Rio - Nationwide - Offers 25% off Tuesday - Sunday (Virginia & Maryland Only - Get 50% off for “Military Mondays”)

Dairy Queen - Get up to 50% off your order. Varies by location.

Texas de Brazil - If you love steak, bring your appetite and your military ID to this Brazilian steakhouse and get 20% of regular or salad only lunch or dinner. Valid for up to 4 guests as well. They also offer this discount to teachers, EMS workers and Police/Firefighters.

Lonestar Steakhouse and Saloon - Active duty and veterans get 20% on Mondays, and 10% off on every other day.

Hard Rock Cafe - Get 15% off all food and non-alcoholic beverages

Furr’s, Hometown, Old Country, Ryan’s - 15% off every day with military ID (active duty and veterans), and on Military Monday you can bring up to 3 family members.

Outback Steakhouse - 10% off all day, every day or our service men and women

Chick-Fil-A - Get 10% off with a military ID

For more restaurants that offer a discount for military personnel, click here.

Whether you need new eye glasses, sporting goods or new jewelry, there are ways to save if you’ve served our country. Here’s a list of some of the best retail discounts available:

Callaway Golf - Play a round of 18 with new gear when you use their generous 15% off discount. Must present military ID or proof of former military service.

Smith & Wesson and Thompson/Center Arms - the American classic firearm maker is offering up to $100 in rebates on a new firearm. Active duty U.S. Military, Retired Military with retired Military Status, active National Guard Reservists and Disabled Veterans of all U.S. Military branches including U.S. Coast Guard may all qualified for these rebates upon fulfillment of other documentation requirements.

Yeti - Receive 20% off Yeti products upon verifying your service.

Eyewear - Up to 25% off of these products: AC Lens, Armed Forces Eyewear, Ray Ban, Oakley, SOS Eyewear and Sunglass Hut all participate. See specific vendor for details. Most require Military ID or use ID.me

Click Here To See The Full List for 2019

This peace-of-mind idea is for the Veteran homeowners, so if you’re a renter you can skip this one!

Did you know that your house is 3 times more likely to be a target for intruders if you have no security system installed? A recent statistics report found that 60% of convicted burglars admitted that the presence of a security system deterred them from targeting those homes and that they often sought out homes that ignored these measures!

That’s not all! Installing a home alarm system can reduce your homeowner’s insurance up to 20%! This website is currently offering special discount rates for the Military personnels and their family members.

The next time you need auto parts, need to visit a mechanic, or even need to purchase a new car, make sure you calculate in a military discount when you are shopping prices. Here is a list of automotive discounts:

Advance Auto Parts - 10% off regularly priced items for in-store purchases for active duty and Veterans

Ford- $500 bonus cash offer toward the purchase of a lease or purchase of an eligible vehicle (active duty, spouses, and Veterans separated within last 180 days)

GM - save hundreds to thousands when purchasing eligible Chevrolet, Buick, or GMC vehicles through the GM Military Discount Program (Veterans included)

Harley Davidson - special stateside military financing including no down payment,

reduced rates, and flexible term options

Hyundai - Active duty, veteran or retired members of the US military may get a $500 price slash on any new Hyundai vehicle. Ask your local dealership for more info.

Jiffy Lube - most locations offer up to 15% off for military members

Lincoln - Active Military Personnel & Reservists Serving on Active Duty, Veterans separated within the last 180 days, Retirees, Spouse/Surviving spouse, or other household members are eligible for a $750.00 Bonus Cash Offer good toward the purchase or lease of an eligible new recent model year Lincoln vehicle.

Pep Boys - Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday active-duty and retired military customers can receive a 10% discount at local stores

Take 5 - Military active duty, reservists, and veterans are eligible to receive 25% off on any oil change at all Take 5 locations

Toyota - Receive a $500 rebate on any new Toyota vehicle. Available to U.S. active duty and reserves, household members of eligible military personnel (including Gold Star families), retirees (within 1 year of retirement) and military veterans (within 1 year of discharge)

Click here for a complete list.

Forget loyalty to your insurer. Leverage your military history to shop quotes and you could qualify for a huge discount on your car insurance. Also, if you are over the age of 55, you may even qualify for larger discounts. “Senior drivers have a wealth of driving experience, which actually gives them an advantage,” says John Erickson, vice-president of auto product management at Esurance. If you feel that you are overpaying for your car’s insurance, there is definitely a chance that you actually are. Check here to see competing quotes.

Current U.S. Military Members and dependents get a free annual pass to national parks across the country. These can be obtained at a federal recreation site - to see a list of these click here.

Ages 62+ get a discount for a lifetime pass to national parks across the country. The pass is $80 and covers entrance fees at over 60 national parks and national wildlife refuges, such as Rocky Mountain (pictured above) National Park, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Yosemite. You can purchase your annual pass here. If you visit Rocky Mountain National Park during ski season, be sure to check out this list of Colorado ski resorts that offer highly discounted lift tickets for both Veterans and Active Duty Military members.

As our age increases, so do premiums for life insurance. The premium amount increases 8-10% with every year of age. We all know and understand the importance of life insurance, which is why it is best to compare rates for Veterans and Active Duty Military with multiple providers. This can be difficult and lead to hours of research.

Thankfully, National Family Assurance is going to feasibly compare rates for you at requested coverage amounts up to $1,000,000. Even if you already have a life insurance policy, it never hurts to see if you can improve yours. An accredited business by the BBB, National Family Assurance finds the best policy for Veterans. They partner with top name brands such as Transamerica and FidelityLife to find you the cheapest rates for the coverage you need. See if you could improve your life insurance here.

Whether you like to travel often or only travel to visit family for the holidays, you should consider these companies that offer discounts for you:

Allegiant Air - Military personnel and their spouses or dependents who provide valid I.D. are eligible for free services including: Free 3 pieces of checked baggage, free oversized checked baggage, 1 free carry-on bag, free boarding pass printing, free seat assignments, 1 free pet in cabin, an free priority boarding.

American Airlines - Ship your pets for 50% less than the regular published rates. Active members of the US military forces as well as their dependents may avail of this discount, which applies to animal shipping for personal use only.

Amtrak - active duty Military and their families save 10%

Beaches By Sandals - Military members and their families save an extra 10% at Beaches resorts

Carnival Cruise Lines - active and retired U.S. Military receive reduced rates

Choice Hotels - Active, Retired Military, and their dependents receive a discount on leisure travel

Disney - Discounted rates on rooms and admission tickets in Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort

Embassy Suites - State, federal and United States military employees can select the Government/Military rates box when searching room availability to see your rate.

Hilton - 10% off leisure stays for active & retired military and their families

JetBlue - Vets who are enrolled in Veterans Advantage receive a 5% discount on travel, and there’s also a special military fare class (MIL) for active duty military personnel who are not traveling on orders.

Southwest Airlines - Southwest Airlines does offer a military fare, but you will need to provide them with valid I.D. and give them a call at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA.

United Airlines - Active duty and retired service members and their families can get 5% off of airline tickets through the Veteran’s Advantage Program.

Click here to see a full list.

In need of a new smartphone or a tablet? How about a new phone plan that is affordable? These big tech retailer companies offer discounts to Military personnel, National Guard and Reserve, and their families:

Apple - You can get a military discount on iPhones, iPads, iPods and Macs through Apple’s Military/Government Purchase Program.

Samsung - Samsung provides discounts to active military personnel in all branches of the service. Register with your .mil email today to save on computers, tablets, mobile phones, appliances and more. Samsung’s Military Discount Program.

Dell - Dell offers an 10% off discount to the current active military members and their family members. Email MilitaryDiscount@dell.com to speak with a U.S. Based Sales agent!

AT&T - Active Duty, Reserves, National Guard, Spouses and Veterans get 25% off on mobile phone services, $15 off on cable, and $15 off on AT&T Internet! Just present identification or proof veteran status to any AT&T store.

Verizon - Active-Duty military and all Federal Government employees can get 15% off on wireless plans and 25% off Select accessories.

This amazing money-saving idea is also for the Veteran homeowners. You’ve probably heard a lot lately about solar panels, but did you know having them installed can slash your monthly electric bill in half? . It’s actually not as difficult as it may seem to have installed and some states are even providing tax breaks to homeowners who have these installed.

The government program called Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit is giving senior homeowners in certain zip codes rebates for having solar panels. The rebates may actually cover most of the costs for setting up the panels, meaning solar panels could save Veteran homeowners thousands. These rebates incentivize homeowners to use clean energy by providing panel installations for free.

How do you find out if your home is eligible? Free-solarenergyquotes.com is letting homeowners find out instantly if their home qualifies. Just click here to take the free, no obligation survey.

Veterans Day 2019 will be on Monday, November 11th, 2019! These companies will be offering special discounts & free meals for the military personnels and their family members:

Starbucks - On Veterans Day, active duty service members, reservists, veterans and military spouses are invited to enjoy a free Tall Brewed Coffee.

Tap House Grill - On Veteran's Day, all active, inactive and retired military personnel can get a complimentary meal (dine in only) plus discounts on beer and cocktails.

IHOP - All active duty and Veterans are invited to come in and enjoy Free Red, White, & Blue Pancakes from 7 am to 7 pm on Veteran’s Day.

Golden Corral - from 5 PM to 9 PM, Golden Corral offers a free sit-in “thank you” dinner for Military veterans, retirees, and active duty members.

Denny’s - Denny’s All You Can Eat Pancakes All veterans, active, and retired military personnel at all participating Denny’s restaurants nationwide will receive a free Build Your Own Grand Slam

Banks have been keeping a SECRET -- Veterans may be eligible $100,000 in cash and it's easy to see if you qualify. Many Veteran homeowners use this cash to make home improvements or pay off debt, but you can use the cash for anything - you could take a vacation or even buy a new car.

Deadlines for this program have not been announced yet, but it's best to take action before the program expires. This cash payment program makes it easy to update your kitchen or bathroom - could you imagine transforming your kitchen like the above photo? The Official $100k Survey Website makes it easy to see just how much you qualify for. These programs are completely free to see if you're eligible - click here to take the survey.

Most Veterans are unaware of the government program that can reduce their mortgage payments every month. Several senior homeowners have saved thousands on their mortgage in 2018 with the HARP Program. HARP expired in 2018, but there are new programs available that could actually save you EVEN more than $4,264 per year.

Sound too good to be true? That's because the banks don't want you to know about this program. They do their best to keep programs like this under wraps because they work in Senior Homeowners' favor. The Homeowner Savings Quiz tells you how much you could save with this program at absolutely no cost to you. It takes about 1 minute to complete and benefits millions of Veterans like you.

THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT AND NOT AN ACTUAL NEWS ARTICLE, BLOG OR CONSUMER PROTECTION UPDATE. The authors of this website are dedicated to bringing readers valuable information which can help them accomplish their financial goals. This site does receive compensation for product reviews and referrals or purchases made through our links. This page is an advertisement/advertorial. Any story that may appear on this site is for demonstration purposes only and everyone's results may vary. We hope you find our online resource informative and helpful.

16 Discounts Veterans Didn't Know They Could Get (No. 3 Is Shocking)