Amazon Prime For Seniors 

Contributing Expert: Mike Smith Medicare Consultant
Fact-Checked
Updated: April 14, 2024

How Much is Amazon Prime for Seniors?

What is Amazon?

Amazon is currently ranked as the largest online retailer offering not only products but services, different technologies, and subscriptions. It was started by founder and owner Jeff Bezos, who is currently one of the richest men in the world boasting a net worth of over 200 billion. The ecommerce site was started as a simple way for consumers to buy and sell books but has since rapidly morphed into a wildly successful ecommerce business and cloud service provider offering digital streaming, computing services, AI technology services, and more. 

Currently, you can log onto Amazon and find virtually any product you need and it can be delivered to your door in a matter of days. From clothing, food products, home essentials, plants, computers, phones, toys, and almost anything else you can imagine, Amazon hosts sellers providing these products to consumers. This is what Amazon was primarily built for but has since developed into a major technology sector in the online industry. Now, millions of households now use Amazon for their digital streaming services in entertainment and use Amazon’s technology for their households such as the Amazon Alexa. The Amazon Alexa AI smart service allows you to purchase in most basic terms a virtual assistant that lives in “the cloud” and can answer questions for you, make calls, schedule meetings, set timers, check who’s at your doorstep and so much more.

These endending advanced features and services of Amazon are what make it a unique and unbeatable ecommerce business. Amazon has many subsidiary company contracts and even boasts its very own brand Amazon Essentials that sells products like clothing and home decor and much more, at a lower cost than many brand name offerings. Amazon is a company that has so much to offer to consumers, business owners, and really anyone looking for a particular service, that it’s only growing bigger and accruing more members into their Prime program.

Amazon’s Start

The humble beginnings of Amazon’s start is truly remarkable as it was created by Jeff Bezos as a book selling company in his company headquarters, his own garage. Bezos wanted to lure customers with the unusual and unique name to get customers attracted to his business and give them the sense that his company was going to grow very large, somewhat comparing Amazon to the Amazon River, the world’s largest river. 

As previously mentioned, Amazon has since quickly transformed into a giant of a company that is staying on trend with technology and paving the way for AI. 

Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime is the use of Amazon for members who pay a monthly or yearly fee and get more benefits out of their Amazon account, one of the biggest being free two-day shipping on most products and even same day Amazon Prime delivery on select products. There are also countless other benefits such as Prime Try Before You Buy, which allows customers to try on apparel at home before being charged for a purchase. Membership costs $14.99 per month, or $139 a year. There are also other charges that you can incur with Amazon Prime membership depending on the platforms you subscribe to such as Prime Video which is set at $8.99 per month and digital music streaming services also cost extra fees. There is an Amazon Prime Student membership that only costs $69 a year or $7.49 a month.

Consumers using EBT, Medicaid, or receiving other government assistance can file to enjoy membership at a lower cost of $6.99 per month. You must verify your eligibility to do so. 

Signing up for Amazon Prime is a quick process and they offer a free trial to get you started. Once the free trial is over you will automatically begin getting charged monthly for your Prime Membership if you do not cancel. If you are a Prime Member you will automatically get charged monthly for membership, unless you choose to pay yearly then your yearly subscription is charged automatically. 

Prime Day

One of the most awaited days of the year on the Amazon shopping site is Amazon Prime day. On this day, Amazon slashes the cost of many products offering them at lower than usual prices. Many customers are able to snag deals on cooking appliances, home appliances, computers, outdoor products, and much more. 

Amazon Technology

Amazon is a cloud service that provides endless technology products and subscription services. Here are some examples:

  • Amazon Kindle- an E-reader and online bookstore through Kindle 
  • Amazon Fire Tablet- a tablet similar to an ipad, offering different services for kids and parents
  • Amazon Fire Tv- a video content service streaming shows and movies

There are many more examples and can be viewed on the Amazon website. Amazon Alexa, Echo, Echo Dot, and more are some of the most popular Amazon virtual assistant technologies being used worldwide.

Amazon for Seniors

Amazon does not offer Seniors an automatic discount based on age, but there are ways for Seniors to enjoy the Amazon Prime membership depending on their eligibility status. To qualify for the discount you must be on some form of government assistance or be receiving Medicaid, Snap, or SSI. 

Amazon offers an Amazon Prime Access Discount which Seniors can apply for which only costs $6.99 per month, cutting the price in half. With the Prime Access Discount, you receive the same benefits as a regular Amazon Prime Member. In order to enroll in the Amazon Prime Access membership circle, you must provide the proper documentation and submit it to Amazon for review. Taking advantage of these discounts can prove to be a great help for Seniors and can help you get groceries and other necessities delivered to your doorstep, even medications. 

Amazon Prime is useful for all members regardless of age and offers benefits that beat other ecommerce websites in numerous ways. There are always deals to look out for on Amazon and flash deals that can help ease the financial burden of paying full price for a product. Amazon is the go to for most of the world when it comes to online shopping and Amazon Prime Membership is the fast track to enjoying all the benefits they offer. 

Mike Smith

Medicare Consultant

Mike Smith operates as an independent health insurance agent with a focus on Medicare-related private insurance offerings, such as Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans. Having entered the Medicare sector in 2020, his career began in New York.

Mike obtained his bachelor’s degree in Bachelor of Science in Health Services from Baruch College. He has assisted hundreds of individuals eligible for Medicare in finding the most suitable plans for their health requirements, ensuring they do not overspend on unnecessary coverage and saving them significant amounts on their health insurance expenses annually.

Dedicated to serving his clients as a staunch advocate, Mike educates Medicare beneficiaries about their choices and provides answers to their inquiries. He actively contributes to discussions on Medicare and insurance on platforms like LinkedIn and Quora, sharing his knowledge and expertise.