How to Sign Up for Amazon's Medicaid Prime Discount

Say what you will about Amazon now offering a Prime discount for Medicaid recipients, but the facts are clear: Low-income individuals and families can now save $7 on monthly memberships to Amazon’s two-day shipping service—and all the other goodies that come with it.

If you have an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card because you receive aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program—to name two—or if you’re on Medicaid, signing up for Amazon’s Prime discount is easy:

- Pull up Amazon’s Prime membership page for shoppers on government assistance programs

- Either log into an existing Amazon account (which can include one with an active membership to regular-priced Prime) or create a new Amazon account

- If you’re on Medicaid, Amazon will ask you to upload an image of your (current and valid) Medicaid card. You’ll also have to pick the issuing state.

If you have an EBT card, you’ll have to enter your EBT number, select the issuing state, and also upload an image of your EBT card.
Amazon’s discounted Prime plan comes out to $72 annually, or $17 less than Amazon’s regular $99 annual plan. That’s still not as good of a deal as the company’s $49 annual Prime membership for students, but we can’t fault poor, financially struggling Amazon for needing to do what it can to survive—or anyone else in that position.

Amazon is limiting the duration of this Prime discount to just 48 months. You’ll also have to reverify your EBT card or Medicaid status every 12 months to keep the discount going. And, no, you won’t be able to share this cheaper Prime account with anyone else in your household, nor will you receive any kind of discount for Amazon’s supplemental food delivery services like AmazonFresh or Prime Pantry.