Which ID do I show?
Most military discounts ask you to prove that you serve, served, or belong to a military family. What counts as proof depends on the business. Here is what each card and online check is, who can get it, and which deals on this site use it.
The short answer
- In a store, restaurant or attraction: show your CF One card, the plastic card or the digital one in the CF One app. Most Canadian programs are built around it, and it covers serving members, veterans and families.
- Veterans: your CF One card (V) or your Veteran's Service Card. Deals for veterans
- Family members: your own CF One card (CF-F or V-F). Some deals also need the member with you, so check the deal. Deals for families
- Online: the store sends you to a verification service such as ID.me, SheerID or Outdoor ProLink. Each one is explained below.
- Keep your NDI 20 for official use. Show it only where a deal asks for it, and don't upload a photo of it.
- Ask before you pay. It's easier than getting a discount added afterwards.
CF One card
The CF One card is the membership card of Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS). It's free for military members, veterans and their families (RCMP members pay $5), and it's how CFMWS partners and many other businesses recognize the military community. It is not government ID.
Who can get one: Regular and Reserve Force members (including the Canadian Rangers and COATS), honourably released veterans, their families (spouse or partner, children, dependent adults, and parents of serving members and of veterans), cadets aged 12 to 18, DND public servants and the RCMP.
The letters on the card show which group you're in: CF (serving), CF-F (family of a serving member), V (veteran), V-F (veteran's family, or family of the deceased) and D (the extended Defence Team, such as DND public servants and the RCMP). Some offers only take certain letters: Parks Canada, for example, accepts CF, CF-F, V and V-F.
How to get it: register at cfmws.ca with proof of your status or relationship. The CF One app (iOS and Android) then gives you a digital card on your phone.
See the 104 deals that mention it →Veteran's Service Card (NDI 75)
A free card for former members who completed basic training and were honourably released from the Regular Force, the Primary Reserve, COATS or the Canadian Rangers. It doesn't expire.
How to get it: Regular Force members don't need to apply: the release centre applies for you, and you normally receive the card at your final release interview. For reservists, the unit's administration section handles it. If you've already released, apply through DND's online portal or by mail with form DND 9036 (not by email). Details are on canada.ca.
DND notes that it isn't official identification and that any discount is up to the business, but many accept it, and so do several online checks.
See the 22 deals that mention it →Military ID card (NDI 20)
Your National Defence ID card (NDI 20, or the temporary NDI 10) is official identification. Some programs list it, such as VIA Rail, Marine Atlantic, several transit systems and ski resorts.
DND's personnel security guidance says to carry it only on duty or on defence facilities, and some programs ask you not to photograph or upload it (SoftMoc's terms say photographing it is restricted). So when a business accepts your CF One card or Veteran's Service Card, use that instead, and don't upload a picture of your NDI 20 to a website.
See the 78 deals that mention it →Online verification
Online stores can't see your card, so they use a verification service. You verify once with the service, and it confirms your status to the store or gives you a code. Start from the store's own link, so the discount is tied to your account there.
ID.me
Create a free ID.me account and verify your military status. For Canadians, ID.me accepts a CF One card, an NDI 10, NDI 20, NDI 60 or NDI 75 card, or a discharge certificate, even an expired one, as long as it shows your name and military status. Choose your CF One card or Veteran's Service Card when you can.
Deals on this site that use it: Adidas, Bose, Duer Canada, Merrell, Sea-to-Summit, Sony, Sunglasses Hut Canada, Tesla, Under Armour, Wyndham Hotels, Yeti, Zenni Optical Canada
Outdoor ProLink
Pro pricing from outdoor brands for groups they approve. Verification runs through ID.me. For now it's open to serving members only: veterans and family members can't be approved yet. Pursuit ProLink works the same way.
See the 26 deals that mention it →SheerID
The brand's page opens a SheerID form. You enter your details as they appear on your documents, and you may be asked to upload a document that shows your name and status. SheerID says it doesn't keep the documents you upload.
Deals on this site that use it: Dell Canada, Epic Military Pass - Whistler & 42 Resorts, Ikon Pass, Samsung Canada
ExpertVoice
A pro-pricing site: you join the groups you qualify for, and each brand decides which groups get its prices.
Deals on this site that use it: Danner, Garmin, Kuhl, Merrell
Other programs
Gocertify checks your phone number and a military ID or enrolment papers (FARFETCH). Amer Sports Pro Club and Cascade Designs Pro are applications the brand approves by hand. GovX is built mainly for the U.S. military, so check that it accepts Canadians before you count on it.
Deals on this site that use it: Armada, Atomic, FARFETCH, Garmin, MSR, Peak Performance, Salomon, Thermarest
Tips
- Carry government photo ID as well. Some programs ask for it next to your military card.
- Family members: check whether the member has to be with you. Ski resorts and some attractions require it.
- A few one-day offers, like free transit on Remembrance Day, accept a uniform or medals instead of a card.
- Codes from online checks are often single-use and personal. Keep the email.
- This site never asks for your ID and doesn't verify anyone. Only give your documents to the business or to the official verification service it links to.
Programs change without notice. Always confirm with the business before you rely on a deal.