Using credit cards at exchange could cost base Published March 12, 2009 Army Air Force Exchange Service SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Credit card use at Army Air Force Exchange Service facilities here could potentially lower the exchanges contribution to base Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs. Processing fees for the cards, down almost 4 percent from 2007, totaled about $200,000 last year. Using cash or the Military Star Card minimizes these fees and makes an impact on the amount of money donated by AAFES to Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs on base, said Paula Henderson, general manager of AAFES here. "Because banks charge an average of 1.49 percent of the transaction total when the credit or debit card is swiped, every purchase made with one of these cards impacts the exchange's ability to maximize the investment military families are making in their community," she said. Unlike bank cards, profits generated from military star card purchases are shared with military communities through contributions to MWR efforts. These funds reduce the tax burden of all U.S. citizens and are used to fund the Three Eagles Golf Course, the Ten Pin Bowling Center and the Consolidated Club. "Reducing unnecessary expenses such as bank fees not only go a long way in strengthening the overall exchange benefit, but also the dividend operations annually generate for the military community," Henderson said. The Military Star Card is accepted at all AAFES, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Exchange activities, the Exchange Catalog and the Exchange Online store.