State Recognizes Bucks Discount Veterans Card Program

Pennsylvania State Representatives Gene DiGirolamo and Frank Farry presented proclamations from the state assembly to Bucks County Commissioner Charles Martin and Recorder of Deeds Joseph Szafran Friday afternoon at Team Toyota in Langhorne.
 
The proclamations honored the county's veteran discount card program that has more than 1,000 local business providing major discounts to Bucks County servicemen and women.

"Bucks is the first in the state to start a program like this," said DiGirolamo, who is a veteran who carries a discount card. "Not only are veterans receiving great discounts, but by signing up they get their discharge papers recorded with the county."

Jim Cartledge, a Levittown resident and World War II vet, was an early adopter of the card and uses it frequently with his wife at Boscov's, Lowe's and Chick-Fil-A.

"I went up to the courthouse to sign up," said Cartledge. "It was before they started going out into the community for registrations. They ask for the DD-214 form, but my discharge papers are a little different. They worked it out for me, though."

Szafran and Director of Veterans Affairs Dan Fraley started the veteran discount card program in 2011 at the behest of Martin, who saw a similar card used in Ocean County, N.J. The partnered businesses that offered 5 to 20 percent discounts with the card started at just a little more than 100 when the card was first offered to veterans.

Through the legwork of part-time employees like Dave Fiedler, that number has grown to approximately 1,100.

"That shows how much the commissioners believe the program, that they would budget money for people to get out on the road and recruit businesses," said Fiedler, a Vietnam veteran. "It's an easy sell, to offer the discounts and receive all that free P.R., but you still need to make that face-to-face connection with business owners."

Unlike popular Internet couponing sites like Groupon and Living Social that charge companies a fee to post discount rates, the Bucks County discount card has no hidden fees other than the savings they provide to the veterans. Participating companies also get listed in the county website, noted on the Facebook page and receive a decal to stick to the front window.

The most popular businesses in the program are restaurants and hardware stores, says Fiedler, but feedback from cardmembers has given him a new market from which to recruit.

"I've been hearing a lot from female veterans and how much they use the cards," said Fiedler, who covers the territory below 611. "I used to drive past the nail salons and hairdressers without giving them much of a thought, but now I'm going back to those businesses."

Interested veterans can bring their original DD-214 form to the Recorder of Deeds office at the Bucks County Courthouse (55 East Court Street, 2nd Floor, Doylestown) Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to receive a card.  Information about the program is available by calling 215-348-6209. 

To register a business to participate in the Veterans ID Discount Card Program, please call the county Recorder of Deeds office at 215-348-6017 or visit www.BucksCounty.org to fill out a form stating intent to take part.