Skip to content

Dollar General Employee Discounts

Very few associates realize that Dollar General’s employee discount is 20% off, putting it ahead of Walmart (10%), Kroger (10% on store brand), Target (10%), Lowe’s (10%), and TJX (10%). It’s quietly one of the highest standard discounts in the retail industry, beaten only by CVS Health on name-brand items and Whole Foods when stacking is included.

If you’re newly hired or you’ve been at Dollar General for a while without fully using the Dollar General employee discount, here’s the action list to get everything working and keep it working.

Master Checklist

Work through these in order during your first two weeks. If you’re already past that window, start with whichever box isn’t checked.

  • Confirm your hire date is locked in with your district manager
  • Receive your initial DGME login credentials from HR
  • Log into DGME at webapps.dolgen.net/dgme2/ or dgme.workvivo.us
  • Change your default password on first login
  • Complete your personal profile setup, including address and emergency contacts
  • Verify your payroll information in DGME
  • Download the DGME Mobile App for on-the-go access
  • Confirm your employee discount status shows active in DGME
  • Shop your first transaction in-store and verify the 20% applied on the receipt
  • Save a screenshot of your first successful discount receipt for reference
  • Set up Doculivery for pay stubs and W-2s
  • Note the Speak Up Line number (1-888-835-5792) in case you need to report issues

Action Item 1: Log Into DGME for the First Time

  • Go to webapps.dolgen.net/dgme2/ (desktop) or dgme.workvivo.us (newer Workvivo version)
  • Enter your employee ID provided by your manager or district HR
  • Enter the default password (varies by district)
  • Change the password immediately to something you’ll remember
  • Set up security questions for future password resets

If the login doesn’t work on the first try, don’t loop through retries. Dollar General has a phishing epidemic with dozens of fake DGME login sites, and repeated failed logins can trigger a security hold. Verify you’re on the correct URL before entering your credentials again.

Action Item 2: Verify You’re on the Real DGME

Because fake DGME sites are a real problem, take a moment to confirm you’re on the legit one:

  • The URL starts with webapps.dolgen.net or dgme.workvivo.us
  • The site has HTTPS (look for the padlock icon in your browser)
  • The login page matches the branding you saw in orientation
  • You’re not clicking through a link from a random email or text

If anything looks off, close the tab. Open a new browser and type the URL directly. Don’t click links sent to you by anyone other than official Dollar General HR through verified channels.

Action Item 3: Confirm Your Discount Is Active

  • Log into DGME
  • Navigate to your employee profile
  • Find the “Discount” or “Benefits” section
  • Check that your discount status shows as active
  • Screenshot this page for your records

If your discount shows as inactive when it shouldn’t, that’s usually a sign your HR record hasn’t fully synced. Ask your store manager to open a case with district HR. The fix typically takes 3 to 5 business days.

Action Item 4: Use the Discount for Your First Purchase

The 20% discount applies to most items in-store and online. First transaction checklist:

  • Shop for a small test purchase (under $20 ideally)
  • At checkout, tell the cashier you’re an associate using the discount
  • Provide your employee ID number or the identifier your store uses
  • The cashier enters the discount code in the register
  • Verify the receipt shows the discount line item
  • Confirm the total matches what you expected with 20% off

If it didn’t apply, don’t leave the store. Ask customer service (or the manager on duty) to reverse and re-ring the transaction with the discount.

Action Item 5: Handle the Online Discount

Dollar General’s discount applies to dollargeneral.com purchases as well. The setup:

  • Create a Dollar General account online using the same email linked to your DGME profile
  • Link your employee profile if prompted during signup
  • When shopping, log in before adding items to cart
  • Check the line item pricing at checkout to confirm the discount applied

Not every online order flows as smoothly as in-store. Some associates find the online system slower to recognize employee status. If the discount isn’t applying on the site, complete the purchase in-store instead and save time.

What’s Excluded From the 20%

Before you assume everything qualifies, here’s what doesn’t:

  • Alcohol (where sold)
  • Tobacco products
  • Gift cards and money orders
  • Prescription medications (not sold at most DG stores)
  • Third-party financial services (bill pay, Western Union)
  • Lottery tickets
  • Phone cards
  • Postage stamps

For most everyday shopping (snacks, cleaning supplies, toys, seasonal items, groceries, household basics), the 20% does apply.

Action Item 6: Avoid the Classification Trap

A real pain point at Dollar General: part-time associates who work full-time hours but are still classified as part-time in the system. This affects benefits eligibility, including whether you qualify for some of the broader perks.

  • Check your classification in DGME (part-time vs full-time)
  • Track your actual hours worked over a 4-week period
  • If you’re averaging 35+ hours per week but classified as part-time, bring it up with your store manager
  • If the classification issue isn’t resolved, escalate to district HR
  • Keep documentation of your hours in case you need to reference later

The 20% discount doesn’t depend on full-time status, but other benefits do. The Dollar General employee benefits guide covers what’s tied to classification.

Action Item 7: Family Access

Dollar General’s 20% discount is tied to the employee, not a family card system. In practice, this means:

  • You use your employee ID at checkout
  • Immediate family members can use the discount when shopping with you
  • Online orders through your account cover household use
  • A spouse or partner shopping separately typically does not get the discount without you present

This is less flexible than Walmart (where spouses get their own card) or Target (where spouse cards are issued through Workday). At Dollar General, the practical workaround is to share your online account for e-commerce purchases and shop together in-store when possible.

Action Item 8: Benefits Enrollment Window

Dollar General’s open enrollment runs October 15 through November 30 each year, with elections effective January 1. This is when you’d adjust other benefits (health, dental, 401(k) contributions) but it doesn’t affect the discount itself, which is always on.

  • Mark October 15 and November 30 on your calendar each year
  • Review your benefit selections during this window
  • Confirm your discount eligibility hasn’t changed post-enrollment

Action Item 9: Former Employee Discount Access

Your discount deactivates when you separate from Dollar General. There’s no retiree discount or continuation program.

  • Use the discount while you’re active, including on your last day
  • Don’t try to use the discount after separation; it’s a terms violation
  • Access your final W-2 through Doculivery (check the Dollar General W2 forms guide)
  • Review the Dollar General quitting process guide for the full separation timeline

Action Item 10: Troubleshooting Common Discount Problems

When the 20% fails to apply at checkout, run this checklist:

  • Did the cashier enter your employee ID?
  • Is your DGME profile still active?
  • Was the item actually eligible?
  • Is your store POS system current (sometimes updates lag)?
  • Did you log in before shopping online?

If you’ve hit the same issue multiple times, call the Speak Up Line at 1-888-835-5792. This is Dollar General’s ethics and issues hotline, and it covers discount eligibility problems that aren’t getting resolved at the store level.

Worth Knowing

The 20% discount is the headline perk, but it’s not the only thing. Dollar General also offers:

  • Paid vacation accruing by tenure
  • Paid holidays (varies by FT/PT status)
  • Paid sick leave
  • 401(k) with eligibility requirements
  • Open enrollment benefits October 15 to November 30

Solo-staffed stores and safety concerns are well-documented pain points at Dollar General. The discount doesn’t compensate for staffing issues, but it’s genuinely one of the more generous programs in the retail sector. The Dollar General HR contact guides page has the numbers to call when store-level issues need escalation, and the Dollar General employee hub ties the full benefit picture together.

Get the discount active, shop smart, and don’t fall for phishing sites that mimic DGME. That’s the short version of making this perk work.