Posted on 06/07/2017 10:45:37 AM PDT by Captain Peter Blood
Amazon will now offer discount memberships to its Prime subscription service at a rate of $5.99 each month.
Prime is best known for getting subscribers unlimited free two-day shipping on most items, as well as allowing access to Prime Music, Prime Video, Prime Reading and Prime Photos. For now, the discount is available to people with a valid Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, but Amazon said it plans to expand the lower rate to people on other government assistance programs.
Amazon said a Prime membership helps customers “save time and money.”
“We designed this membership option for customers receiving government assistance to make our everyday selection and savings more accessible, including the many conveniences and entertainment benefits of Prime,” said Greg Greeley,Vice President of Amazon Prime, in a press release.
EBT cards are used to distribute funds from a number of government assistance programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Programs and distribution mechanisms can vary by state.
As of last month, there were over 21 million households comprising nearly 43 million people on SNAP. Each household’s average monthly benefit is $252.92.
To enroll, people have to provide an eligible EBT number. The service will cost $5.99 a month instead of the usual $10.99 and can be canceled at anytime, but customers can’t use their benefits to pay the monthly fee. They’ll then have access to all of Prime’s deals and services, including a 20 percent discount on diaper subscriptions.
The discounted Prime membership is Amazon’s latest effort to compete with Walmart for low-income shoppers. In January the online retailer announced that starting this summer, people can use food stamps to pay for its online grocery service. Amazon is participating with six other grocery retailers as part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture program aimed at eliminating neighborhoods where residents don’t have access to affordable, fresh food. As with the discounted Prime memberships, customers can’t use their government benefits to pay the program fees.
That program will be available in seven pilot states in both rural and urban areas, USDA said. The agency said the experiment will help test online ordering and payment using EBT.
Amazon is offering discounted Prime memberships to people on government assistance. Ted S. Warren AP
What I don’t like is that I am paying full boat for Amazon Prime and yet they are offering a discount to low income folks with a EBT card. Hey offer all of us a discount. Give me a discount for at least paying in advance.
Now last year I tried Ancestry.com and they charged about $45 a month. I found their site not especially user friendly for me and pricey. I dropped after one month.
Now last month I was looking to try the genealogy thing again and found another site about as good as Ancestry called The Genealogy Bank, either $19.95 a month or $69.00 for year. Much better deal and one I may go on and take.
Isn't that the truth. Go ahead and purchase that new bug-zapper you don't need, we need your money.
How wonderful. Amazon takes from those who earn, and gives to those who don’t.
Add up the value of all the benefits that the “poor” have, and you’ll see that they are no longer “poor”.
Mormons have great records. I found some there for my great grandmother I couldn’t find anywhere else. Have you tried them?
http://www.ancestorhunt.com/mormon_church_records.htm
Just like the government. Those who pay their full and fair share subsidize those who don’t. This has nothing to do with Amazon being generous, and everything to do with them finding some loophole in the current corporate tax structure.
You’re right - it’s a private company - - they can do what’s best for their shareholders or not. Potentially great idea if they can overcome theft by neighbors... maybe locked Amazon boxes?
That said, there will be nice unintended consequences for all of us... like a faster stream of home delivery groceries.
I was wondering why I was seeing postal trucks in the neighborhood on Sundays. It then dawned on me it was Amazon packages.
If someone can afford internet access, a phone, computer or smart TV to watch it on and Amazon prime then why are they receiving food stamps?
I bet many make more on welfare than many of us do legitimately. With that said, I want a discount, too!!! Being sarcastic.
Peak AMZN. When your big idea to grow revenue is EBT customers...not good.
“I was wondering why I was seeing postal trucks in the neighborhood on Sundays. It then dawned on me it was Amazon packages.”
**************************
Yeh...work em on Sundays too now...and they’ll be even further in the $-hole @ the end of each year...and guess who bails ‘em out—never mind!
This is the most STUPID thing Amazon could do, since when do government assisted people have credit cards to make purchases Amazon does this and publicized it to make themselves LOOK LIKE they really CARE about folks in need!!!! I HATE LIBERALS they are a bunch of hypocrites!!!! It’s ALWAYS about MAKING PEOPLE think they REALLY CARE!!!!
Bottom line is they need revenue and this is one way of trying to get it.
“If they can afford this account they wouldn’t need government assistance.”
Exactly what I was thinking. The company is just looking to pat itself on the back though.
Other businesses cater to EBT recipients too. Internet service is available cheap or free. Older yet capable computers are cheap. Small HDTVs are about $100, lasts for years. Streaming Amazon Video capable player about $30. From there, a person can enjoy cheap/free communication, vast media libraries, and 48-hour delivery of most product needs at competitive prices.
The great thing about all this is how it’s undermining the Leftist demands for more redistribution and more bureaucracy.
If not, then I say, “more power to them”. It’s their dime.
Sort of how the taxpayers subsidize the foodstamps.
Feel like canceling and probably will.
But disabled and pensioned veterans won’t get a discount?
I wondered about this too!
Amazon and their shareholders. Either this will make them a lot of money are cut into their profits. Not my concern.
My math is a bit rusty, but the reduced annual fee of $71.88 represents about a 27% discount, not 50%. I'm not an Amazon apologist, but as long as they don't pass along any cost to everyone else, that's fine.
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