Exchange Credit Program Turns 40!
Senior Vice President Jami Richardson, right, and Vice President Kathleen Bronkalla told the timeline tracing the Exchange Credit Program’s history. To view the timeline, click on the link at the end of the article.
How time flies! The Exchange Credit Program is celebrating its 40th anniversary this week.
“It’s an honor to reach this milestone of serving service members and their families,” said Exchange Senior Vice President of Credit Operations Jami Richardson, who has led ECP since 2013. “The fact that the program has thrived for 40 years is a testament to its value to the military community.”
In 2018, the MILITARY STAR program generated $471 million in value for cardholders through savings, discounts, financing offers and cardholder-friendly terms and conditions.
During an anniversary celebration at HQ, EVP/Chief Financial Officer Jim Jordan shows the annual benefits of the MILITARY STAR card.
ECP hosted an anniversary celebration at headquarters on Nov. 21 that brought together current and former associates.
More than 225 associates at headquarters are dedicated to making the credit program run smoothly, including Customer Contact Center agents who help resolve any issues that MILITARY STAR shoppers might encounter.
“Customers are my number one priority. They’re like family,” said Veda Brown, a Contact Center technician who has been with the Exchange for 34 years. “I talk with a lot of different personalities, and it’s important to just listen to them and help them get the outcome they want.”
In 1979, Congress approved the Deferred Payment Plan credit program for service members overseas to protect them from predatory lenders who would set up outside the gates. Over the next four decades, the program expanded to CONUS and evolved into the MILITARY STAR® card and rewards program.
Click to view the timeline of ECP’s 40 years of service.
ECP by the Numbers:
- Cardholders: Approximately 1.7 million
- Military branches served: 5 (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard)
- Rewards earned by cardholders since 2007: $119 million
- Merchant fees saved with MILITARY STAR in the last 10 years: More than $275 million
- Number of transactions in the last 5 years: 148 million
