You could qualify for Amazon Prime at 50% off without even knowing – here’s the details


amazon-prime

Amazon/ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.


Amazon Prime Day returns in just a week, but you may not have to wait to snag an early deal. You may be eligible for an Amazon Prime membership at a discount without even realizing. 

Also: Amazon Prime Day is June 23-26

Amazon Prime typically costs $139 per year or $15 per month. Paying for a year-long subscription brings the monthly cost to around $11. But there are better ways to save far more, if you’re eligible. 

Here are two ways you might be able to snag savings on Prime, and the qualifications for each. 

1. Prime for Young Adults 

Amazon’s Prime for Young Adults plan gets college students and other young people aged 18-24 a big break on the membership. This revamped program was unveiled in 2025 and replaces the previous Prime Student plan. 

With the Prime For Young Adults plan, a Prime Membership costs $7.49 per month or $69 per year — saving you 50% off the regular price. Perhaps most enticingly, the membership starts with a free 6-month trial (5 months longer than Amazon’s standard 1-month trial). After the 6-month trial, the monthly price is charged, and you can always cancel beforehand if you’d like. 

Prime for Young Adults is valid for four years or until age 25, after which it converts to a standard Prime membership unless canceled. 

Also: Get Amazon Prime for 6 months totally free if you’re age 18-24 – here’s how

To qualify, you must either be 18-24 years old or currently enrolled in a higher education institution. There are a few other key details to know, including a verification process, but ZDNET has a helpful guide on how to secure these savings.

Amazon Prime Day 2025 box

Amazon/ZDNET

2. Prime Access (Qualified Government Assistance) 

Amazon does not offer a traditional senior discount on Amazon Prime. However, some older adults may qualify for a discounted Prime rate if they are eligible for the Prime Access plan. Via the Prime Access plan, qualifying government assistance recipients and income-verified customers can get Amazon Prime for $7 per month. There’s no reduction in services either — eligible customers receive full Prime benefits at half the cost. 

AlsoI jailbroke my old Kindle, but I found a safer way to add books – for free

To sign up, visit the Prime Access page. This site will prompt you to verify your income or upload a document confirming your eligibility to a selected government assistance program. Once you enter your payment and billing information, you’re all set to start enjoying Prime benefits, with a free 30-day trial. Existing Prime members can also upgrade to Prime Access by visiting the Prime Access page and uploading their eligibility verification. Revivification is required annually. 

Several government programs are eligible to participate in the Prime Access program, so long as you provide proof of eligibility. They are: 

  • SNAP EBT
  • Medicaid
  • Woman, Infants, and Children Program (WIC)
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  • Direct Express Debit Card (DE)
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  • National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
  • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
  • Tribal Assistance Eligibility Letter (TTANF)
  • Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP)

For more, check out what to know about Apple’s education discounts, and how I’ve saved nearly $700 by using Rakuten.

No, currently there is no discount through an exclusive plan for military members. However, military members who might qualify for Prime for Young Adults or Prime Access may be eligible to save on Prime.  


Show more

No, there are no exclusive plan savings for teachers or first-responders. However, teachers or first-responders eligible for Prime for Young Adults or Prime Access may qualify for savings. 


Show more

This year, Amazon Prime Day runs from Tuesday, June 23, to Friday, June 26. 


Show more

Typically, Amazon’s Prime membership costs $139 per year or $15 per month. Paying an annual flat fee as opposed to monthly saves about $41. 


Show more

ZDNET’s experts are searching through early Prime Day sales to find the best discounts by category. These are the best deals so far:

And the best deals from competing retailers:


Show more





Source link

Leave a Reply

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get our latest articles delivered straight to your inbox. No spam, we promise.

Recent Reviews


Soundcore, which you may have heard does both audio and video now, has launched another pair of headphones in the Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max.

Another pair of true wireless earbuds, you might think what’s interesting about that? Well, in a first for Soundcore, this true wireless pair are the first two products to features Anker’s co-developed Thus AI chip, which it claims can offer “Whisper Clear” calls.

How so? By utilising a 10-sensor matrix that can separated the speaker’s voice from background noise, combined with eight microphones to capture ambient noise and two bone conduction sensors that can detect skull vibrations, the Thus AI chip is said to ensure “clear voice pickup even in noisy environments.” Interesting.


Of course there have been improvements in other areas for both the Liberty 5 Pro and Max efforts, with ANC improved up to two times over previous generations, while the Liberty 5 Pro Max also features AI Note-Taker for recording meetings without having to reach for your phone.

Anker Thus AI chip
Image Credit (Anker)

Advertisement

As you can see, Anker/Soundcore is delving deeply into AI for its latest products, with it involved in seemingly every aspect of the two earbuds that have just been announced.

Another area where AI is used is with voice interaction, with 20 built-in commands that allow users to adjust volume, answer or hang up phone calls, skip tracks and change ANC modes.

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max product
Image Credit (Anker Soundcore)

Speaking of ANC, there’s a transparency mode for paying attention to your surroundings, and what Soundcore is dubbing its Easy Chat feature, where audio is paused when the headphones sense you’re speaking.

Both earbuds offer up to 6.5 hours of playback with noise cancelling on, and 28 hours in total with the charging case. Bluetooth 6.1 is supported, as is Google Fast Pair, Apple’s Find My (in case you lose the earbuds somewhere), and Bluetooth multipoint for connecting to not just two devices but three. What’s the main difference between the two? The Liberty 5 Pro Max’s charging case has a touch screen.

Advertisement

The Liberty 5 Pro is available now, priced at $169.99 / £149.99 / €179.99, putting within the midrange area of the market. Colours include blue, white, black and pink.

The flagship Liberty 5 Pro Max is the more expensive at $229.99 / £199.99 / €249.99. Colours are a choice of Titanium-Gold and black.

Look out for our review of both headphones in the coming weeks.



Source link