What AARP membership costs and what comes with it

AARP membership costs $16 per year for the first year, then $24 per year after that. For that fee, you get a magazine (AARP Magazine), access to their website with health and money articles, discounts at certain retailers and restaurants, and the ability to join AARP-sponsored group health insurance plans. You also get a membership card that qualifies you for some hotel and rental car discounts.

The discounts vary widely. Some are genuinely useful—certain pharmacy chains offer AARP member pricing on generic medications, and some hotels do honor the card. Others are narrow: a discount at a specific restaurant chain in your area, or a small percentage off at a store you may not visit. The insurance plans AARP endorses are underwritten by real insurers, but you are buying the insurance from the insurer, not from AARP; AARP receives a commission.

AARP also offers some free services: a tax preparation program (AARP Tax-Aide) at no cost to members, and access to their caregiving resource center. The tax prep program is genuinely free and staffed by volunteers; it serves people with low to moderate income. The caregiving resources are educational materials, not personal consulting.

Key Takeaways

  • AARP membership costs $16 the first year and $24 annually after that, and the value depends entirely on which discounts you actually use.
  • Pharmacy discounts and some hotel discounts are real, but most retail discounts are small percentages at chains you may not frequent.
  • AARP Tax-Aide is a free volunteer tax preparation service available to members with low to moderate income, which can save you money if you would otherwise pay for tax prep.
  • You do not need AARP membership to access Medicare information or to turn 65; AARP is a membership organization, not a government agency.
  • The membership is month-to-month cancellable, so you can join for a specific reason (like using Tax-Aide) and stop if it is not worth it.

When the membership pays for itself

The membership breaks even quickly if you use one or two specific benefits. If you use AARP Tax-Aide instead of paying a tax preparer $150 to $300, the membership pays for itself in the first year. If you take a single hotel stay using the AARP discount and save $20 or more, you have covered the cost. If you buy medications regularly and the pharmacy discount saves you $2 to $5 per prescription, the math works within a few months.

The membership also makes sense if you are shopping for supplemental insurance (Medigap) or long-term care insurance. AARP endorses specific plans, and while you can find these plans elsewhere, AARP's website does lay out the options side by side. You are not locked into buying through AARP—you can take the information and shop with other brokers—but the comparison tool is useful.

For people who travel frequently or eat out often, the hotel and restaurant discounts can add up. But this requires actually checking whether your regular places honor the card, and many do not.

When it is probably not worth it

If you do not use prescription medications regularly, do not travel, and do not need tax preparation help, the membership is unlikely to save you money. The magazine and website content are available to non-members in part (AARP's website does not require membership to read most articles), and the retail discounts are typically 5 to 15 percent at stores where the discount is already small.

AARP also sends a lot of mail and email. If you join, expect regular offers for insurance products, credit cards, and other services. Some people find this useful; others find it intrusive. You can adjust your communication preferences online, but you cannot opt out entirely.

If you are considering AARP primarily because you think it is required to access Medicare or Social Security, it is not. Those are government programs. AARP is a private membership organization. You can turn 65 and enroll in Medicare without ever joining AARP.

How to test membership before committing

AARP offers a 30-day money-back may provide on the first year's membership. You can join, use the benefits you are interested in, and cancel within 30 days for a full refund. This is the best way to find out whether the discounts you think you will use actually work at the places you go.

Before you join, visit the AARP website and search for discounts in your area. Type in your zip code and see what restaurants, hotels, and retailers actually participate near you. If you see nothing you recognize, the membership is unlikely to be worth it. If you see a few places you visit regularly, or if you plan to use Tax-Aide, the 30-day trial makes sense.

You can also call AARP at 1-888-687-2277 and ask which pharmacies in your area offer member pricing. This takes five minutes and tells you whether the pharmacy benefit is real for you.

AARP membership and Medicare decisions

AARP publishes useful information about Medicare—how to enroll, what the different parts cover, how to compare plans. This information is free and does not require membership. You can read AARP's Medicare guides on their website without joining.

AARP also endorses certain Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans and receives a commission when members buy them. This does not mean the plans are bad, but it means AARP has a financial interest in which plans you choose. You can compare these plans on Medicare.gov (the government site) for free, or work with an independent insurance broker who does not receive commission.

If you are turning 65 and trying to understand your Medicare options, AARP's educational materials are worth reading. But you do not need to be a member to read them, and you do not need AARP to enroll in Medicare.

How to cancel if you change your mind

AARP membership renews automatically each year. You can cancel online through your AARP account, by phone at 1-888-687-2277, or by mail. If you cancel within 30 days of joining, you get a full refund. After 30 days, you keep the membership through the end of your membership year but are not charged for renewal.

Keep your membership number and the date you joined. If you cancel and then want to rejoin later, AARP will not charge you for the time between cancellation and rejoining—you straightforward restart at the current rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to join AARP to get Medicare?

No. Medicare is a federal program run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. You turn 65, you enroll in Medicare through Medicare.gov or your local Social Security office. AARP is a separate membership organization. You can have Medicare without AARP, and AARP without Medicare.

Can I use AARP discounts without the membership card?

Most discounts require you to show your membership card or provide your membership number at checkout. Some online discounts require you to log into your AARP account. A few retailers accept the discount with just your birth date or age, but this is rare. The card is the standard proof.

Does AARP membership affect my Medicare premiums or benefits?

No. Your Medicare premiums and benefits are determined by your age, income, and which Medicare plan you choose. AARP membership does not change any of that. AARP is a membership organization that endorses certain insurance products, but joining or not joining does not affect what Medicare costs you.

What if I join and the discounts do not work where I live?

You have 30 days to cancel for a full refund. After that, you can cancel anytime, but you will not get money back for the year you already paid. This is why testing the membership in the first 30 days—by checking which local businesses participate and actually using one or two discounts—is the best way to decide.

Is AARP a government program?

No. AARP is a private nonprofit membership organization. It is not run by the government, though it does work with government agencies on policy issues. You do not need to join AARP to access any government benefits or programs.