Budgeting How Old Do You Have To Be To Join AARP? By Charles Munyi Charles Munyi Charles Munyi has over eight years of experience as a personal finance writer. He wrote about insurance, banking, budgeting, products, services, and more for The Balance and Investopedia. Charles completed the Good with Words: Writing and Editing Course through the University of Michigan. He also holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Multimedia University of Kenya. learn about our editorial policies Updated on November 17, 2021 Reviewed by Margaret James Reviewed by Margaret James Twitter Peggy James is an expert in accounting, corporate finance, and personal finance. She is a certified public accountant who owns her own accounting firm, where she serves small businesses, nonprofits, solopreneurs, freelancers, and individuals. learn about our financial review board Sponsored by What's this? & In This Article View All In This Article When Can You Join AARP? Benefits for AARP Members of All Ages How Much Is AARP Membership? Alternatives to AARP Membership Frequently Asked Questions When did AARP drop the age requirement? What does AARP stand for? How do you join AARP? Photo: David Sacks / Getty Images The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is a membership organization championing social change and delivering value to the 50-plus population through information, service, and advocacy. It helps people traverse ageless realities like health, financial well-being, contributing to local communities and society, and how to fully enjoy life. While AARP is dedicated to empowering people over 50 years, there’s actually no minimum age to join. Americans of all ages can enroll in an AARP membership for $12 for their first year if they sign up for automatic renewal (charged $16 when membership renews). Looking to be a card-carrying AARP member? Read on to learn when you can join, the cost of membership, and the benefits of being a member of the club. When Can You Join AARP? There’s no age requirement to join AARP. Anyone aged 50 and over qualifies for full membership with AARP; people under 50 years old can also join AARP and access membership perks that aren’t subject to vendor restrictions, such as age-restricted insurance products. Note AARP also provides a secondary member slot for you to add a spouse or someone in your household for free. They will receive their membership card once you add them to your account. Benefits for AARP Members of All Ages AARP membership gives you access to a range of programs, discounts, and services: Travel An AARP membership gives you access to exclusive discounts on travel, plus vacation ideas with the AARP travel website, powered by Expedia. You’ll enjoy 10% discounts on specific hotels, up to 30% off the standard rates on car rentals, and up to $300 in additional onboard credits on specific cruises. You’ll also pay no booking fees on flights, get $10 off activity bookings exceeding $100, and get a 5% cash rebate (up to $350) on eligible group hotel bookings of nine or more rooms. Health and Wellness A range of programs and policies for health and wellness are available through AARP: Long-term care insurance: Members of any age can access AARP’s custom long-term care options from New York Life.AARP dental insurance: Administered by Delta Dental, PPO plans and a dental HMO are available in most states for family or individual coverage. The AARP Hearing Care Program: Provided by HearUSA, members get 20% off hearing aid retail prices and receive other benefits, including a free hearing checkup, a free ear cleaning, a check of current hearing aids, a free demonstration of the latest hearing aid technology, one year of extended follow-up care at no extra cost, and a three-year manufacturer warranty.AARP MyVision Care: Available through EyeMed, members can access three vision plans starting at $4.38 per month. Comprehensive eye exams with a $10 copay and diabetic and loss-of-sight benefits are included in all plans. Free prescription discount card: AARP members receive discounts on medications, home delivery, and coverage for dependents at over 66,000 pharmacies nationwide. Life, Car, and Pet Insurance AARP endorses discounted products from various insurance carriers to its members. Members can apply for up to $100,000 in term life insurance coverage through New York Life. Members who buy pet insurance via Pet Plan will get up to 10% off premiums when they sign up online and they’ll also receive a $35 Prepaid Visa card. Car owners can get up to a 10% discount on their premium through the AARP auto insurance program from The Hartford. Finances AARP members have access to a few financial perks, which may or may not be better than what’s available to non-members: Banking products from Marcus by Goldman Sachs: An eight-month, no-penalty certificate of deposit (CD), high-yield savings account, and digital banking services are available to AARP members. Both the savings account and CD offer special rates for AARP members. AARP’s Barclays Mastercards: AARP members can apply for either the Essential Rewards or Travel Rewards Mastercards from Barclays. Cardmembers can earn a $100 cash back bonus for making purchases worth $500 within the first 90 days, plus up to 3% cash back on eligible purchases. AARP fraud watch network: Sign up for free watchdog alerts and to search for scams in your area. AARP Money Map: This free tool can help you manage your finances and debt. Work and Jobs AARP manages a job board on which members can look for and be matched with employers who are committed to an age-diverse workforce. Webinars, online career expos, interactive videos, and virtual seminars are also available to help the 50-plus population. Members can also get résumé help with the AARP résumé advisor, powered by Top Resume, which provides feedback on your résumé’s layout, design, and the use of proper keywords to get noticed by employers. Gas and Auto Services The AARP auto buying program is a way for AARP members to shop online for new and used cars at a guaranteed upfront price. You can also get up to 20% off the annual membership fee for Allstate roadside plans. If you link your AARP membership to your ExxonMobil Rewards account, you can earn points for fuel, car washes, and convenience store purchases, plus double the points when you fill up on AARP member days. You can also get a 15% discount on drive-through Valvoline instant oil changes and preventative maintenance services. Technology and Wireless AARP members are eligible for a number of tech and wireless services, including: AT&T plans and accessories: AARP members can save up to $45 in waived activation and upgrade fees, get discounts on AT&T wireless plans and 15% off select accessories. Norton LifeLock: AARP identity theft protection by Norton LifeLock gives members 20% off the monthly rate for plans offering identity theft protection and restoration. Norton 360 protection: Plans are priced up to a 25% discount off the regular monthly rate. Consumer Cellular: Members can get 5% off monthly service and usage charges and 30% of select accessories.UPS Store: Members receive a 5% discount on international and domestic shipping plus 20% off online printing. Shopping, Groceries, and Entertainment AARP members who produce their membership cards at any Tanger Shopper outlets get a free coupon book with up to $1,000 in savings. As an incentive to try Schwan’s home delivery, if you spend $50 or more on your first order, you get $20 off as well as double Schwan Rewards points on all online orders thereafter. If you’d like to try a different delivery service, you can get free shipping and 25% off your first Silver Cuisine by BistroMD home delivery order worth $99 or more plus 10% off and free shipping on all subsequent orders worth at least $99. There are also numerous discounts on flowers and gifts bought from affiliated retailers. Note AARP members can save $30 off an annual Audible membership and can join Ancestry with an exclusive 30% discount on a World Explorer or All Access membership for the first year. Family Caregiving AARP members who are new to CareLinx, a nationwide online network that connects families with caregivers, receive a 3% discount on in-home caregiving services. You can also get $60 off per year on Lively Mobile medical alert plans when you buy either a Lively Wearable2 or Lively Mobile Plus medical alert device. The Philips Lifeline medical alert service comes at a monthly 15% discount, plus free shipping and activation for AARP members. Home Services AARP members who use a Realogy brand, such as Century 21 and Coldwell Banker, to buy or sell their home can receive up to $5,500 in benefits based on the sale or purchase price. Homeowners can also save 15% off new security systems from SimpliSafe and 5% on small jobs with a Porch handyman. How Much Is AARP Membership? The AARP membership starts at $16 per year, but you can get a 25% discount on your first year if you choose to automatically renew your membership. Multiyear membership plans are also available. You can cancel your membership at any time. Your membership lets you add a partner or spouse for free, so you’ll both receive membership cards and enjoy AARP benefits. Alternatives to AARP Membership Although it’s restricted to American citizens 50 years and older, the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) was designed to be an alternative to AARP and, likewise, offers a range of benefits, such as life insurance products, travel discounts, personalized assistance for Medicare recipients and new enrollees, exclusive restaurant offers, discount hotel bookings, discount vision care, and more. Frequently Asked Questions When did AARP drop the age requirement? In 1984, AARP dropped the membership age requirement from 55 to 50. But now, it allows anyone of any age to join whether retired or not. What does AARP stand for? AARP is an acronym for the American Association of Retired Persons. How do you join AARP? You can join AARP by registering on their signup page and choosing a membership term. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. AARP. "What Is AARP's Membership Age?" AARP. "AARP Membership FAQs." AARP. "Member Benefits Guide." Amac. "Benefits."