CSD — the canteen rules after service, explained simply

The Canteen Stores Department (CSD) entitlement does not end with service — ex-servicemen and their families keep it for life. But the rules on cards, limits and big-ticket items (the famous "AFD" category) change from time to time, and half the queue at any canteen is people who came with the wrong assumption. Here is the system in plain words.

Check your entitlement in one step →

Who is entitled

• Ex-servicemen — with the CSD smart card made against the discharge book / PPO.
• Widows and family pensioners — entitled in their own right, with their own card.
• Dependents — added on the primary card holder's card as per rules.

The smart card

• The card is chip-based; purchases run against it, and monthly limits apply — grocery limits differ from liquor limits, and the current figures are set by CSD from time to time (check the latest at the depot or the official site — we do not print limits we have not verified).
• Keep the card safe like an ATM card; a lost card is blocked at the depot and reissued against the discharge book.
• Making or replacing the card: first-time applicants go through their canteen (URC) with a physical form; replacements for existing holders run online. The full picture — documents, fees, rejection rules — is in our smart card guide.

AFD items — cars, bikes, refrigerators

1. What AFD means: "Against Firm Demand" — the high-value category: four-wheelers, two-wheelers, and large appliances.
2. It runs online now: AFD purchases are made through the official AFD portal — registration with your card details, then the item is booked against a depot.
3. Eligibility differs by item and pay level, and four-wheeler entitlement has repeat-purchase gaps (an eight-year gap between cars, with lifetime counts for Levels 3–9). The current matrix is on the portal and in our entitlement checker — read it before setting your heart on a model.
4. The saving is real — CSD prices carry a GST concession — but the process needs your service documents in order, so check the portal's document list first.

⚠ Watch out for middlemen No one can "arrange" a CSD car for a non-entitled buyer, and lending your card or documents for someone else's purchase is a quick way to lose the entitlement entirely. The AFD portal works directly — no agent is needed, and no agent fee exists.

Frequently asked questions

Can a widow hold her own canteen card?

Yes — widows and family pensioners are entitled in their own right, with their own smart card made against the PPO and related papers.

How often can I buy a car through CSD?

Since 1 February 2024 the entitlement goes by pay level, with price caps excluding taxes, an eight-year gap between cars and lifetime counts for Levels 3–9. The full table is in our entitlement checker; the AFD portal's live matrix prevails.

An agent says he can get me a CSD car for a fee — genuine?

Walk away. The AFD portal works directly against your own card and documents. There is no agent fee, and lending your card for someone else's purchase can cost you the entitlement itself.

What are the monthly purchase limits?

They are set by CSD and revised from time to time — grocery and liquor limits differ. We do not print figures we have not verified; the depot and the official site carry the current ones.