Here Are A Couple Of Ways You Can Get A Discounted Amazon Prime Membership
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If you said the word "Amazon" to someone on the street right now, it's likely they would not picture a tropical rainforest but rather a massive e-commerce giant that has woven itself into the fabric of modern society. The dominance of the online retailer is most visible in the popularity of Amazon Prime, a membership that gives users access to unlimited free shipping on orders for $14.99 a month or $139 per year.
Amazon Prime is already a good deal, given that it offers not only free expedited shipping but also access to Amazon Prime Video, Prime Photos, discounts at Whole Foods locations, and a lot more. Soon, customers may even get their Amazon deliveries by drone – although this long-promised service has seen a slow rollout.
Still, why buy in at full price if you can save money? For certain groups, most notably those receiving government assistance, low-income households, and university students, it's easy to get a steep discount on Prime. For everyone else, it can pay off to be on the lookout for a good deal when Amazon is offering promotional deals.
Snap, Medicaid, and other assistance recipients can save on Prime
If you're looking to save money on Amazon Prime, there's a good chance you're already feeling some economic pressure. If you're among the many Americans who qualify for government assistance like SNAP EBT or Medicaid, Amazon has a discounted Prime plan just for you. The program is called Prime Access, and it offers full access to the service for $6.99 per month.
Prime Access allows you to pay with your SNAP EBT card, and Amazon even has a section of its grocery storefront that will show products eligible for SNAP payment. Those who are unbanked can pay for their purchases with cash or gift cards. Additionally, Prime Access touts the ability to shop in Spanish — though, of course, anyone can do so regardless of which Prime plan they're on.
To qualify for Prime Access, customers must receive government assistance or be part of a household within 130% of the Federal Poverty Guideline and will need to submit documentation proving that status. You can learn more on the Amazon Prime Access information page.
Students can enjoy Prime discounts
The other two groups of people who can get a steep discount on an Amazon Prime subscription are university students and young people. Amazon offers the Prime Student plan for those enrolled in higher education, and it comes with all the goodies enjoyed by full-paying members like Prime Video, Prime Gaming, and, of course, free shipping.
What many people don't know is that Prime Student is not limited to just students. Anyone between 18 and 24 years old can also take advantage of the discount, which includes six months of free Prime and then $7.49 per month after that. If you're a student, you'll need to submit your student ID or some other proof of enrollment. If you're in the 18 to 24 age group, you must verify your age by submitting a government ID or passport.
According to the Prime Student sign-up page, students get other offers with their membership, including free homework help and tutoring and exclusive deals, making it the most appealing Prime option for those who qualify.
Does Amazon Prime ever go on sale?
If you don't qualify for Amazon Prime programs like Amazon Access for low-income households or Prime Student for young people and higher education students, you'll probably need to be on the lookout for other deals on an Amazon membership. While those aforementioned programs are available at all times, the e-commerce giant doles out other Prime deals more sporadically.
Most often, Amazon will offer free trials of Prime. While you'll still pay full price once the free trial expires, it's still cheaper on the whole since you're saving money during the duration of the trial. The company usually offers a free month upfront to new Prime members, so for a real discount, you'll need to be on the lookout for longer trial periods. We were not able to find more generous offers at the time of writing.
However, while these deals used to be frequent, Amazon is no longer in a position where it needs to entice people to Prime. If you really want to score a discount on the service, you'll need to check frequently for promotional deals.