The Home Depot Military Discount: Time to Cut Through the Confusion
Until recently, the Home Depot did not have an official military discount printed anywhere on their website. This has created a lot of confusion as vets and active military try to figure out what, if any, military discount exists. So I thought I’d take this opportunity to investigate these new changes and see what I could find out. What I discovered was really enlightening. Hopefully you can take advantage of this information at the Home Depot and save some money. Let’s get into it…
What Exactly is the Home Depot Military Discount?
I went straight to the top and called the Home Depot corporate office and spoke personally with a big-whig who basically read me their internal “military discount” policy.
Essentially the discount breaks down into 2 main categories:
1. The Everyday Discount:
The “Everyday” discount at the Home Depot is a flat 10% off and it’s available 365 days a year. It’s good for the following service men/women.
– Active members and Veterans from the following:
- Army
- Navy
- Air Force
- Marine Corps
- Coast Guard
- Space Force
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHS)
- National Guard
– Reserve personnel
– Retired veterans who served for at least 20 years.
– Those with a Service-Connected disability.
2. The Holiday Discount:
The “Holiday” discount is also 10% and is good for all other veterans who don’t fit into the four “everyday discount” categories above.
But…it’s only available on these 3 holidays: Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Veteran’s Day.
See Also: Lowe’s Military Discount: If You Served, It’s a No-Brainer Way to Save
You’ll Need to Show Proper I.D.
You’ll need to show one of these eight ID’s when registering for the discount (more on how to do this later):
- Active Duty Military ID card w/ picture (Green Background)
- Retired Military ID card w/ picture (Blue Background)
- VA Card with word “Service” on it.
- DD-214 form.
- Valid driver’s license with the U.S. flag -OR- “Veteran” designation.
- A service-connected VA Medical Center card.
- Common Access Card (CAC).
- Active Military and Retired Military ID card for spouse or dependents. (Yellow/Beige Background)
I’m not sure what evidence is required to get the “Holiday” discount.
Please let me know in the comments if you have the answer to that question.
See Also: Veteran & Military Discounts: 90+ Places Where Heroes Get a Deal
The Discount Can Be Used Online
As of October 2023, you can use your discount online and in-store.
Because of this, you need to create a Home Depot account and then GO HERE to get your military status in their system.
You can also scroll down this page until you see “SERVING MEANS SAVINGS” and click on Learn More. See screenshot above.
You’ll then be guided through the process of registering for the military discount.
The good news is you only need to register ONCE and then you can use the discount online and in-store forever.
The 10% discount will be tied directly to your online account, so when you shop the Home Depot website, the discount will automatically be applied to your purchase.
Use the Home Depot App When Checking Out In-Store
First of all, you still need to register online or via the Home Depot app for the in-store discount just like you do for the online discount.
NOTE: Keep in mind that when using the Home Depot app you need an iPhone with iOS 13 or newer -OR- Android 10 OS or newer for an Android smartphone.
Follow the same exact directions that are posted above in the “Can the Discount Be Used Online?” section.
Then when you’re shopping in-store, you’ll have to present a Virtual ID (see picture above, looks similar to a QR code) on your smartphone for the cashier to scan in order to get your 10% discount.
The best way to make this happen is to download the Home Depot app and login to your account via the smartphone app.
That way it will be really easy to pull up the Virtual ID for them to scan.
Here’s EXACTLY how to find the barcode within the Home Depot app: (thanks Gail!)
- Go to Menu, then My Account.
- Then tap Account, to access the drop-down menu.
- Next tap Military Discount Benefit.
- Then the Barcode will pop up.
Below is an iPhone screenshot to show you exactly where you’ll find it.
Unfortunately, if you DON’T have a smartphone you can no longer get the discount which is a TERRIBLE move by the Home Depot.
Spouses Are Eligible But NOT Dependents
Spouses absolutely are eligible to also get the military discount, including Gold Star spouses.
Unfortunately, dependents cannot score the savings.
Some Items are Excluded from the Discount
Unfortunately, there are a few military discount exclusions.
Here are the most notable:
– Installation Services: Think carpet, blinds, tile, HVAC, closet shelving, and windows.
– Major Appliances: While you cannot use your military discount on major appliances at Home Depot, they have partnered with Military Exchange which gives you tax free and military exclusive pricing on appliances.
– Special Purchase Appliances: If you have to buy the appliance at the special services desk then you probably won’t get the 10% discount.
– Some Commodity Products: Includes some lumber, wire, and building materials.
– Value Priced Merchandise
– Tool Rental Fees
– Delivery and Freight Fees
– Gift Cards
There’s an Annual Maximum Discount
While you can use the discount as often as you want, you’re restricted to a $400 maximum annual discount.
So essentially the discount will be good on the first $4,000 you spend every year.
Cannot Be Combined with Other Discounts
This means you cannot combine the military discount with coupons or other discounts of any kind, including their “10% moving soon” discount.
So What’s the Big Controversy?
Because the Home Depot does not post an official military discount policy online, or in their stores, it’s often misinterpreted by managers and cashiers.
This leads to a lot of confusion and frustration among veterans and active military members.
I’ve read of some HD managers refusing the discount altogether and some cashiers being completely unaware of its existence.
I think if the Home Depot corporate office came out with an official policy, and made it easy to register (like Lowe’s), all of this confusion would go away.
UPDATE: Home Depot now lets you verify your military status online and then you can use your discount BOTH online and in-store.
Visit THIS PAGE and Scroll down the page until you see “SERVING MEANS SAVINGS” and click on Learn More.
Keep in mind that you MUST create a Home Depot account first.
Why Shouldn’t I Just Shop at Lowe’s?
Many vets don’t want to jump through the hoops mentioned above and DON’T want to create a Home Depot account.
Some also don’t have a smartphone, making it impossible to get the discount in-store.
Thus many are opting to shop exclusively at Lowe’s where their military discount is much easier to use.
There’s no doubt the Home Depot is losing a lot of business because of this.
Your military information at Lowe’s is put into their system JUST ONCE and you get your 10% discount every time you shop, no questions asked, and no need for a smartphone.
Come on Home Depot, it’s time to copy your competitor and do the same!
I’d also like to see them open up their “Everyday” discount to ALL vets. After all, isn’t a vet a vet? They are in my book.
Ask the Reader: Have you ever asked for a military discount at the Home Depot? Was it an easy process or not worth the hassle?
Final Note: If you have some further information that I don’t have in this article please leave a comment and I’ll be sure to investigate, thanks.
By Kyle James
I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)
The home depot in Blaine MN gives the everyday discount to vets and it’s very easy. You just need to show your dd214
Thank you for checking this out for Veterans. I’m a retired Navy Veteran and have an official VIC card from the Veteran’s Administration that I went to the trouble of applying for, just to avoid any complications with the 10% discount at various places. I’m also a licensed and registered contractor in PA. Home Depot is the only store that seems to juggle around their veteran’s discount policy at their discretion. Tonight I was asked if my purchases were business or personal, (drain cleaner and 3, 1×2’s and
4,1x 4’s and a monster beverage. Seemed odd to me since my items were so small, I don’t know what brought the question up. But who cares anyway, when they have a maximum discount of $50.00? I have spent tens of thousands of dollars at Home Depot and equal amounts at Lowe’s. If they don’t want to offer the discount to Veterans and their families than don’t, and we’ll know where we are appreciated. If you could check out their personal or business policy and where that is listed, I’d appreciate it. I’m a member of several Veterans organizations, so I’ll pass the outcome along and we’ll shop accordingly. Thanks for looking out for Veterans and showing us our Service and Sacrifice counts to others everyday, even if it doesn’t add up to an annual discount of 10% at a monster sized store like Home Depot.
Lowes is the place to shop everyday discount. home depot only 3 days a year..
If you own a business and use a business credit card such as Spark, HD will not give you the discount. That is in La Crosse, Wi and there are no Lowes anywhere near here.
We just left Home Depot, our subtotal was $132.43 total was 145.50. If given the 10% discount we should have had 13.24 (approx) discounted but instead the discounted 96.37 and we got 10% of that. Seems odd to me.
I bought a Ariens riding lawnmower a few years ago at HD, had to call store to make sure a new one was in stock. It took several calls before finding a particular store having it in stock. I gave the service desk my CC info and they told me to give them 2 days to get it out of the crate, assemble and test it, then I could pull my trailer to that HD store and pick it up..When they called me a couple of days later and told me it was ready, I went to the store’s service desk, showed them my retiree military ID card and immediately received the full 10% off the entire purchase. I paid for it with my debit card and they loaded it on my trailer using my ramps, help me strap it down and I took it home, very happy getting several hundred dollars of discount.
This month that mower is starting to show some age, shopping at HD was fruitless because they did not have anything but junk available on zero turn mowers, so I shopped Lowes. After a little research I found Lowes still had my discount information in their system and I ordered a new Ariens 42″ zero turn mower with the Kawasaki engine and recieved the full 10% discount on my online order and they will deliver the mower in a couple of weeks, rather than me having to rent a trailer to go pick it up. Sorry HD, you just lost another Veteran customer to Lowes, forever.
I bought a chest type freezer today and they told me their was no military discount. I have never had this problem at Lowes. Is this true that there was no discount?
Yes, I asked for the military discount when checking out and was told I had to register online to get it by the cashier. As this article points out, there is no way to actually do that. It isn’t worth the hassle. I only go to Home Depot for things I can’t get a Lowes (right across the street).
BTW, Lowes recently changed their policy and no longer offer the military discount in combination with sales. I found this out when I went to get their 2 cu ft bags of mulch. Lowes will start verifying your ID and the address must match starting Jun 2020 (to prevent fraud from people memorizing your phone number). However, I still love the Lowe’s discount. When we bought all the supplies for a major home improvement project last year, they honored the military discount on the full $12K!
My father is 94yoa and WW2 vet..
He has a va card that I can use at Lowes but not at Home Depot. Would prefer to shop at HD for him. I buy HD stock.
Please send my request to HD. Thanks
A veteran is a veteran. Anyone that served and was Honorably Discharged should receive the same discount Lowe’s offers! Shame on you Home Depot.
Semper Fi
Made it through Nam by the grace of God, but many did not.
After 4 years of duty with 2 combat tours I guess that is not enough for HD. Why is a retired vet different from a combat vet.
Entitled Much? I like Home Depot because of their corporate structure and values. Lowes is in the enemy camp. I prefer discounts too, and there may be times that I will choose to shop at Lowes from necessity. But spewing crap and downing a company because they cant or havent given me a handout, due to the fact that I decided to serve my country.I am disabled from combat, but I would never flash a card in a store to gain from “their appreciation.” I would rather kick the bucket than be that guy. How about they just not mark up products that extra 10% and we can all save?
You have true American values and honor… it’s sad that people get angry and vindictive when they are treated equally with regular hard working/struggling Americans.
Home Depot gives no discount on lumber/building materials no matter what. Another reason we shop at Lowes exclusively.
Just purchased a microwave oven for 180.00 (regular price) at HD. The register would not apply the 10% discount. The cashier just said it must be excluded. The store was a bit chaotic so I just paid and left.
Lowes still requires me to show my retired ID card even though I went thru all the BS to register so I wouldn’t have to show it every time. They claim it is to make sure someone else is not using my phone # to get the discount. They should have just left it to show the ID card, since it is still required. They were just gathering additional information – probably to sell to make money.
You don’t have to show your Veteran’s ID. Once signed up for the discount, you give your phone number and you can use any ID, like a driver’s license. And if you shop there enough, they stop asking because they recognize you. 😂
Like you I’ve searched through Home Depot’s website and couldn’t find their military discount policy anywhere. Just bought a large tool storage box and was told I could only get a discount of 10% up to $50.
Was refused military drivers id at Home Depot in St Augustine Florida today
Yesterday I was told by the cashier that my NC state driver’s license with the “Veteran” designation was not an acceptable ID for the discount. I asked her why not since I had to show my DD-214 to get it added to my license. She asked her manager if she could give me the discount & he approved it. I am registered with Lowe’s & will continue to primarily shop there. I hope that HD joins the club & not only publishes an official veteran’s discount program, but offers a registration similar to Lowe’s.