How to Apply for or Replace a CSD Canteen Smart Card

Independent guidance: The official smart-card and AFD portals were checked on 30 August 2026. This is a plain-language summary, not an official application instruction.

Overview

Use the physical application route through a canteen if you are applying for your first CSD smart card or fall within a category the official portal sends offline. Existing cardholders may use the official online portal to request replacement grocery, liquor or dependent cards. The AFD shopping portal has a separate registration and approval process.

Who this applies to

This guide separates a first application, replacement of an existing card and registration for the AFD shopping portal. It does not establish eligibility, cover every physically routed case or promise approval, processing time, delivery time or acceptance of an uploaded document.

First application or online replacement?

The official smart-card eligibility page makes the split clear:

• New or first-time applicant: submit a physical application form through a canteen.
• Existing cardholder replacing a grocery, liquor or dependent card: the online replacement portal may be used, subject to the portal's eligibility conditions.
• Special categories listed by the portal: use the physical route even if the person is otherwise a beneficiary.

Those physically routed categories include applicants without a PAN card, ex-servicemen with less than five years of service, marital-discord cases, several named organisations or defence-civilian categories, widows or next of kin, Veer Nari or next of kin of fatal battle casualties, and differently abled dependent children. Read the official page for the exact list. CSD smart-card eligibility

What you may need

What an online replacement applicant must have

The official instruction page lists these details for all online applicants:

• The applicant's PAN number.
• The applicant's operational mobile number and email address.
• The ID and serial number of the applicant's previous grocery or liquor card.
• Applicable single, joint-with-spouse and dependent photographs, each no larger than 150 KB.
• Signature images for the applicant and dependants, where applicable, each no larger than 20 KB.
• Photographs in civil dress.
• The applicant's pay level as recorded in the current pay slip or PPO.

CSD smart-card important instructions

Category-specific evidence on the portal

The same instruction page lists:

• Appendix A for promoted serving Armed Forces personnel.
• PPO for a pensioned ex-serviceman, with the pay level matching the category applied for.
• Appendix B for an ex-serviceman without pension.
• A current pay slip showing payment from Defence Estimates for a serving defence civilian.
• A current PPO showing payment from Defence Estimates for a retired defence civilian, with the pay level matching the category.
• Appendix D or an authorised document for an exempt-payment category such as a Chakra awardee.

The page sets a 200 KB limit for each of those uploaded documents. CSD smart-card important instructions

Rates and dates

The portal's terms state a charge of Rs. 165 per smart card plus a Rs. 60 convenience charge per application for direct courier delivery. They also say the applicant can track status through the portal. Fees are described as non-refundable after payment except for failed online transactions or a duplicate payment for the same application. In certain rejected cases, a reapply option may be enabled and must be used within 90 days of the original application date. CSD smart-card terms and conditions

These amounts and terms must be checked again before payment.

Registering separately for AFD purchases

A CSD smart card and an AFD portal account are related but not identical. The official AFD FAQ lists a valid grocery card, beneficiary mobile number and valid PAN card as mandatory for AFD registration. It also says the account remains invalid until administrator approval, after which notice is sent to the registered email address and mobile number. Official AFD FAQ

After approval, use only the official AFD portal reached through the CSD website. CSD warns beneficiaries about fake sites and middlemen. CSD official website

Payment rules for an approved AFD demand

The official payment page says payment must come from the beneficiary's own account. It directs beneficiaries to use the payment gateways on the portal and says direct bank transfer is not accepted except for loan cases. For a loan case, it provides a separate process for the lending bank's transfer and the beneficiary's balance payment. Official AFD payment guidance

Always use the instructions and payment details generated by the live portal. This article deliberately does not reproduce bank-account numbers.

Related guidance

• Who is eligible for CSD canteen facilities?
• When can CSD beneficiaries buy AFD items?
• What are CSD, URC and AFD?

Authorities and source references

• Canteen Services Directorate, QMG Branch, IHQ of MoD (Army).
• The applicant's canteen or URC for physically routed applications.
• Canteen Stores Department AFD portal for AFD registration and payment.

About this guidance

This is a plain-language summary for general information. It is not an official order and does not establish an individual's entitlement. Confirm the applicable rule and your eligibility with the Canteen Services Directorate or your authorised Unit Run Canteen before acting.