If you hold an ACCESS card, you likely know its main perks — whether that means healthcare coverage, food assistance, or support for foster families.
What you might not realize is that an ACCESS card can open the door to a wide range of other discounts. We’re talking lower-cost Amazon Prime subscriptions, complimentary groceries, and deeply discounted museum admission — to name only a few.
Below, we’ll outline seven programs you should sign up for right away. Together they could shave hundreds, or even more than $1,500, off your yearly expenses.
What Is an ACCESS Card?
If you’re asking what an ACCESS card is, chances are you don’t have one.
States typically issue ACCESS cards when you qualify for a state-administered benefit like Medicaid or SNAP. This card is separate from the EBT card you’d receive for SNAP or cash aid, and also separate from the insurance card you get through Medicaid.
Not every state provides an extra ACCESS card, and those that do might call it something else. Still, “ACCESS card” is the label used by a large number of states.
So as we discuss ACCESS cards here, keep in mind the term can be used more broadly to mean having access to various state benefits.
7 Ways to Save With an ACCESS Card
Once your ACCESS card is in hand, it can unlock extra discounts and savings in your neighborhood. Below are seven programs worth checking out.
1. Discounted Amazon Prime Membership
Your ACCESS card signifies enrollment in one of several state benefit programs. With it, you can qualify for a reduced-rate Prime membership. The savings are significant.
A standard Prime plan is $14.99 per month. But if you’re enrolled in any of the following programs, you’ll pay just $6.99 monthly:
- Medicaid
- SNAP (food stamps)
- SSI
- Direct Express Prepaid Debit Card
- TANF or TTANF (cash benefits)
- National School Lunch Program
- LIHEAP
- WIC
That’s about a 53% reduction, amounting to up to $96 saved each year. You’ll need to upload proof to claim the discount — it’s not automatic — but the short, five-minute process is worth it.
With the discounted Prime, you may also be eligible for free delivery via Amazon Fresh where available.
2. Free Access to National Parks
Depending on why you received an ACCESS card, you might be eligible for a free lifelong pass to national parks. If your ACCESS card is tied to a disability-related state insurance program, you may qualify. The disability must be permanent, but it doesn’t have to be total.
This no-cost pass is called the Access Pass. If you order online, you’ll need to cover shipping and handling, and you’ll have to submit one of the following:
- A physician’s statement of disability.
- A document from a government agency indicating your disability, such as the VA or Social Security Administration.
- A document from a state agency.
It’s generally easier and free to apply for the Access Pass in person at a national park. While the documentation requirements are technically the same as for online orders, park staff often accept your state ACCESS card as evidence when paired with verbal confirmation of your disability.
Bring paperwork if you can, but applying in person often moves quickly and you can walk away with your Access Pass that same day.
3. Lowered Admission at Museums & Cultural Spots
I’ve yet to visit a major U.S. city that doesn’t offer some kind of museum or cultural attraction discount when you show an ACCESS card.
Sometimes admission is free. Often it’s reduced to roughly $1–$4 per person. Many venues limit how many people can receive the benefit per card, so if you have multiple ACCESS cards in your household, consider splitting your group at the entrance.
For instance, if your family of six encounters a four-person limit, you could use one ACCESS card for three people and another card for the remaining three.
This benefit exists nationwide, but a local Google search can reveal the exact participating spots near you. The Museums for All site is another helpful resource, though it’s not exhaustive.
If a museum doesn’t advertise an ACCESS card discount, ask at the ticket counter or call ahead; most institutions offer some form of reduced admission.
4. Waived Medical Marijuana Certification Charges
Marijuana laws vary by state, with recreational use legal in many places but medical programs still common. Those medical programs often require annual renewal fees for a state-issued medical marijuana card.
In some states, you can have that renewal fee waived if you’re enrolled in a program that earned you an ACCESS card.
For example, Pennsylvania charges a $50 annual filing fee for medical marijuana patients. But if you’re enrolled in any of these programs, the fee can be eliminated:
- SNAP
- CHIP
- Medicaid
- PACE or PACENET
- WIC
In that state, the MMAP program may eventually provide monthly allotments to help pay for medical marijuana, but for now the main benefit is the fee waiver.
When renewing your medical marijuana registration, ask whether your state offers a similar waiver — it could save you money.
5. Automatic Eligibility for $30–$75 Off Internet
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) can reduce your internet bill by $30 per month, or $75 if you live on tribal lands. While there are income-based qualifications, you can automatically qualify if you’re enrolled in any of the following programs:
- Medicaid
- Free or Reduced-Price School Lunch
- Pell grants
- SNAP
- Lifeline
- WIC
- SSI
- Federal Public Housing Assistance
- Veterans Pension and Survivor Benefits
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
- Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
This matters because you might be enrolled in some of these programs even if your household income exceeds 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. For example, a disabled child could receive Medicaid with a waiver, or you might be granted Pell funds while your family income seems middle-class.
If you qualify via one of these programs, the ACP application can take less than five minutes. After you submit the required paperwork to your internet provider, the discount can show up on your bill in as few as two days.
6. Half-Price Fruits and Vegetables
If you qualify for an ACCESS card because you’re on SNAP, you can join the Double Up Food Bucks program in 29 states to get produce for half price.
Here’s the mechanic: When you buy eligible fruits and vegetables with your EBT card, Double Up matches your purchase. So if you spend $2 on bananas, you receive $2 in Double Up Bucks to spend on more produce — effectively doubling your produce for the same outlay or giving you a 50% discount.
Double Up currently operates in these states:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana (select locations only)
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey (select locations only)
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Wyoming
Sign up and find details for your state’s program here.
7. Transit Fare Discounts
Many cities provide transit fare reductions for ACCESS cardholders. In Los Angeles, for instance, you may qualify for reduced or even free fares through Metro if you participate in certain state benefits — and you’re automatically eligible if you already receive qualifying assistance.
Income limits for this program can reach up to $69,100 depending on household size, so it’s worth checking even without an ACCESS card.
These discounts often extend beyond buses and trains. Look into bike-share and other local transit programs — for example, New York’s Citi Bike offers a reduced membership of $5/month for SNAP recipients or those assisted by the NYC Housing Authority.
Pittsburgh-based reporter Anna Mercer is the founder of the Femme Frugality blog and the author of “The Feminist Financial Handbook.” She contributes regularly to Savinly.
