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Amazon Is Offering a Discount on Prime For People On Government Assistance (theverge.com)

Posted by msmash on from the good-moves dept.

Amazon announced on Tuesday that it is offering a discount on Prime membership for US customers participating in a number of government assistance programs. From a report: Anyone with a valid Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, which disburses funds for programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps), is eligible for Prime's discounted monthly price of $5.99. Prime's normal price is a $99 a year, or a monthly fee of $10.99. From a report:

16 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. Great... by Nidi62 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, I'm sure this thread will be completely full of reasoned and polite discussions, free of any strawman arguments, ad hominem attacks, trolling, or general asshattery.

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    The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    1. Re:Great... by c · · Score: 2

      So... you're new around here, aren't you?

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    2. Re:Great... by MiniMike · · Score: 2

      Might actually be a bit quieter than usual, most of the trolls and asshats will be off enjoying their new discount.

    3. Re:Great... by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

      Not it's not. It's feeling better. It's going for a walk. It feels happy, HAPPY!

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  2. Half the summary is missing... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 5, Informative

    The linked article doesn't mention that Amazon is going after EBT dollars that typically gets spent at Walmart.

    http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-lowers-prime-cost-for-shoppers-on-food-stamps-2017-6

    1. Re:Half the summary is missing... by pr0fessor · · Score: 2

      third paragraph of tfa...

      This announcement is the latest in several recent moves Amazon has made to appeal to lower-income households and become a direct competitor to Walmart. Last year, it introduced the $10.99 monthly payment option, and earlier this year it announced the decision to start accepting food stamps for online grocery orders beginning this summer.

    2. Re: Half the summary is missing... by RCourtney · · Score: 2

      Except that Amazon does not accept EBT cards for payment.

      EBT cards are a special type of debit card that requires a different system than normal credit cards due to the fact that they are used for both SNAP (food stamps) as well as Cash Aid distribution of funds.

      As far as I am aware, you cannot use them online anywhere, only at physical locations where the retailer has tied into the EBT system.

      p.s. "Food stamps" for an individual in California are currently around $186 a month, so when people talk about people living the highlife on welfare's dime, try to keep that number in mind as what some people survive on. Cash Aid is another $198 per month per individual, which bring the total for ALL monthly expenses to just under $400 for a single person. Could you survive on $400 per month and be happy?

  3. Re:"good business" but still slimy by MightyYar · · Score: 2

    It's also good business from Econ 101, where you adjust your price based on the ability to pay. Do a find on "price discrimination".

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    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  4. Re:"good business" but still slimy by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

    I suspect that won't stop the usual suspects going off on a rant about how the undeserving are getting something for nothing.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  5. Re:Pressing problem? by queazocotal · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Transport can be really difficult, to the point that doing 'more expensive' things like online ordering can work out cheaper.

  6. Re:"good business" but still slimy by hey! · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Well, this is just a corollary of Amazon's all-things-to-all-people strategy. If anybody buys anything, Amazon wants it to be through them.

    Even people on welfare have to buy stuff. And most people who are on welfare are off welfare in under three years and back in the workforce. So in a sense this is like the prime membership they gave my college student daughter, who is poor as a church mouse and has to live like a monk. But when she graduates she'll have a lot more money to spend, and she'll have been trained to find Amazon the most convenient way to buy things.

    Even I find myself buying things through Amazon for convenience. I should buy electronics shit through Digikey but sometimes if I'm ordering something else on prime I'll throw in something I need for my current project.

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  7. Re:Pressing problem? by enjar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A lot of EBT recipients live in "food deserts" where there's no easy access to a supermarket. So an Amazon Prime membership could allow grocery items to be bought and delivered rather than relying upon convenience stores for food. So it could save time and money for grocery items. Sure, it's not the same as getting fresh vegetables but food options at gas stations are pretty horrible. http://americannutritionassoci...

  8. Re:Pressing problem? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Amazon sells a full grocery selection including fresh vegetables in many major cities. If you watch prices you can get stuff the same or cheaper than in stores and get it delivered for free!

  9. Re:"good business" but still slimy by MightyYar · · Score: 2

    To be successful, the classic requirements are:

    1. Must be a downward-sloping demand curve for the firms output.
    2. Firm must be able to identify consumers willing to pay more
    3. Firm must be able to prevent low-price customers from reselling to high-price customers

    I think it's safe to say that if they dropped the price of Prime, more people would join - so they meet the first criteria. They definitely have the means to identify consumers willing to pay more. And prime would be hard for low-price customers to resell.

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    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  10. Re:Transport?? by MightyYar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Oh stop with the left/right garbage. Democrats are just as responsible for ghettos as Republicans. Ghettos are deliberate policy, not an intractable problem that no one can figure out how to solve.

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    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  11. Re:Pressing problem? by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 2

    If you're thinking of buying a house in an area, go into a McDonald's and see if the bathrooms are locked. If they are, you're in a diverse part of town and should get the fuck out as soon as possible.

    That can't be right, the McDonald's near me has a locked bathroom. Oh, crap!

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