Best AAA Membership Discounts to Help Get Your Yearly Fee Back

AAA is great for roadside help, but I personally rarely use it. So why pay for it? I use the AAA membership discounts to help get my yearly fee back (anywhere from $50 – 110 a year). Free is a small price to pay for peace of mind on the road, right?

Long story short, if you travel a lot, AAA is worth the fee, because roadside insurance makes for a less stressful trip and you can heavily use the discount on hotels, etc. But if you don’t travel, here’s information to decide for yourself if the AAA Membership fee is worth it. The AAA Website claims to offer members up to $360 a year, including one roadside assistance call per year valued at $130.

Take note: AAA memberships vary widely based on region, meaning all AAA discounts and deals aren’t available in every state, and pricing for membership is different in all regions. So, use this list as a guide, check out the membership rates at the bottom, and then use the AAA office locator to find out which region you’re in, so you can nail down your specific AAA car rental discounts, hotel discounts, and more.

Check out all of KCL’s travel tips so you can save money while you’re on the road!

 

Best AAA Discounts and Deals

If you’re looking for ways to save on vacations or travel, your AAA membership will be your BFF. These are the categories where you’ll find the deepest savings — easily justifying the cost of your annual AAA membership. Hotel and theme park savings in particular really shine.

Other categories offer a few savings, but it bears repeating: These offers may not be identical to what you see on your local AAA chapter’s website, and they’re just examples of what’s offered across a few different regions.

 

1. Save up to 40% on Movie tickets with your AAA discount.

Look for 40% savings on movie tickets.

• Save up to 40% on AMC tickets
• Save 40% on select movie tickets through Ticket Monster
• Save up to 30% on Regal tickets
• Save 25% on Cinemark tickets

 

RELATED: Tuesday Movie Deals to Check Out at a Theater Near You

 

2. AAA Membership gets you at least 20% off at select stores.

Use your AAA discount three different ways when you’re shopping. If you’re shopping in store, show your AAA member’s card. If you’re shopping online, you’ll either need to initiate your purchase from your local AAA website or enter your AAA number at checkout.

Here are examples of AAA retail discounts you may find:

• Save up to 75% when you buy from Office Depot/Max’s Best Value List
• Save up to 35% on HP products
• Save 25% at Crocs in store and online
• Save up to 20% on Tanger Outlet stores like Banana Republic, Gap, Pottery Barn, Adidas and more
• Save up to 20% on Samsonite luggage
• Save 20% on 1-800-FLOWERS orders
• Save 20% on Harry & David orders
• Save 15% on Omaha Steaks orders of $59 or more
• Save 15% on Google Nest products
• Save 10% on Dell computers
• Save $20 on TurboTax software

 

3. Get up to 85% off prescriptions and Rx eyeglasses.

Buying glasses online has become so much cheaper than buying them from your optometrist. AAA discounts offering at least 50% off are worth it.

• Save up to 85% through GoodRX at local pharmacies
• Save 50% on lenses when you purchase a frame at LensCrafters
• Save up to 25% on lenses or 25% on lens upgrade at Glasses.com
• Get $10 off a complete pair of glasses — frames and lenses at Target Optical

 

4. Use AAA hotel discounts with AAA car rental discounts for 20% off travel.

If you love to stay in hotels, AAA hotel discounts are gonna be your jam.

Plus, on top of hotel savings through AAA, be sure to join your hotel’s free loyalty program if they have one, because some AAA hotel discounts offer initial savings on your booking but also extra loyalty points (like save 10% on your booking and get 50 extra rewards points through the hotel’s loyalty program).

• Save 25% when you book a hotel online through AAA
• Save 20% on Omni Hotel bookings
• Save up to 15% on Best Western bookings
• Save up to 10% on Hyatt Hotel bookings
• Save 10% on MGM Resort bookings
• Save 5% on Marriott bookings
• Discounted bookings at Hilton family of hotels (Hilton, DoubleTree, etc.). Discount varies — check with your hotel
• Save 20% on car rentals at Hertz
• Save 10% on car rentals at Dollar
• Save 8% at Thrifty on car rentals and 10% on GPS navigation systems
• Save 10% on RV rentals through Outdoorsy

 

 

5. Universal Studios AAA discounts are awesome (Disney AAA discounts are meh).

Depending on your area, AAA offers serious savings on theme park tickets. In fact, anything over 40% savings is amazing.

If you see measly savings (looking at you, Disneyland tickets), don’t settle. Here are some AAA discounts on theme parks and attractions:

• Save over 45% on Knott’s Berry Farm tickets
• Save up to 45% on LEGOLAND California tickets
• Save 40% on Six Flags tickets
• Save 36% at Nickelodeon Universe when you get the All Day Unlimited Ride Wristband
• Save 20% on Golden Gate Bay Cruises
• Save 15% when you shop Ticket Monster for concerts, theater, and sporting event tickets
• Save up to $105.45 on multi-day, multi-park Universal Studios Orlando tickets (savings also available for Universal Studios Hollywood. Log in to see discount)
• Save $70 on SeaWorld Florida tickets
• Save $34 on SeaWorld San Antonio tickets
• Save up to $25 on Busch Garden Tampa tickets
• Save up to $10 on Kennedy Space Center tickets
• Save $3 on multi-day Disneyland tickets

 

RELATED: Budget Disney Hacks That Will Save You Hundreds

 

6. Use AAA discounts on moving services, like unlimited mileage with Penske.

Moving, shipping, and storing savings are decent if you’re a AAA member!

Check out these savings:

• Save up to 30% at The UPS Store on print services and 5% on shipping
• Save 12% on Penske Truck Rentals, plus free unlimited one-way mileage
• Save up to $600 on state-to-state moves though Atlas Van Lines
• Free month’s rent, plus $20 Amazon gift card at SpareFoot Storage Finder
• $25 membership fee and $26 per month at L.A. Fitness. Just ask for the AAA Discount — be prepared to show your AAA card.

 

 

7. Save $0.05 per gallon with AAA and Shell Fuel Rewards.

Since AAA is an automotive club, it makes sense that we’d see hearty savings in this category. In addition to all of your roadside assistance benefits, you can also get access to discounts on car rentals and gas. Heck, you can even get a AAA discount at Napa Auto Parts.

Here are noteworthy savings:

• Up to 25% off CARFAX Vehicle History Report
• Save 10% at Napa Auto Parts when you buy parts and accessories
• Save up to $0.05 per gallon at Shell when you register for Shell’s fuel loyalty program
• Get $325 off a used vehicle purchase or rent-to-buy vehicle at Hertz
• Free Reservations at The Parking Spot, plus 10% savings on near-airport parking

 

8. AAA Discounts on restaurants are locally dependent.

If only AAA members could get more frequent savings at restaurants… but, maybe you’ll have better luck than I did at my local AAA Club? Even at national restaurant chains I don’t get the same AAA discounts that my friends in, say, California do.

Don’t worry — you can find a lot of other ways to save at restaurants like choosing kids eat free days, taking advantage of free food on your birthday, and more. Here’s what I found near me, alcohol not included:

• Save 10% at Hard Rock Cafe
• Save 10% at Landry’s Restaurants

 

RELATED: Your Ultimate Guide to Kids Eat Free Restaurants

 

Some General FAQs about AAA Memberships

How does AAA Membership work?

When you sign up for a AAA membership, you’ll get a card with a phone number to call if your car breaks down or you lock yourself out.

Generally all three AAA tiers offer towing; fuel delivery; jump starts; flat tire service; vehicle registration renewal; help if you’re stuck in mud, snow, or water; discounted car rental rates; and minor mechanical “first aid.”

Plus and Premier offer a few more benefits or an expansion of Classic benefits. Take a look:

Classic (starts at $50 per year)

• 5 – 7 miles towing or unlimited towing back to service provider
• $50 – 60 toward locksmith parts and labor
• One service vehicle and one driver provided to winch or extricate if you’re stuck
• Discounted rental car rates and in-territory tow

Plus (starts at $80 per year)

• Up to 100 miles towing
• Up to $100 toward locksmith parts and labor
• Up to two service vehicles and two drivers provided to winch or extricate if you’re stuck
• Discounted rental car rates plus free one-car class upgrade and in-territory tow
• $39 extra annually: Receive four per household RVs, motorcycles, and recreational trailers, plus tows up to 100 miles

Premier (starts at $110 per year)

• One tow per cardholder up to 200 miles, remaining tows up to 100 miles
• Up to $150 toward locksmith parts and labor
• Up to two service vehicles and two drivers provided to winch or extricate if you’re stuck
• One-day complimentary midsize rental car
• $39 extra annually: Receive four per household RVs, motorcycles, and recreational trailers, plus tows up to 100 miles

 

Where can I find AAA membership discounts on my yearly membership?

Some regions offer AAA military discounts for membership: 10% off any level of membership. This applies to just the active-duty or veteran in the first year and their family members in the following years.

All Sprint customers get access to free AAA membership and 25% off accessories.

Get $4.50 off your yearly membership if you sign up for auto-renewal.

Or find out if your region offers AAA Dollars — a rewards program where you earn rewards points when you make qualified purchases. You can earn between 3 – 10% of what you spend at retailers like CVS, BJ’s, JCPenney, Ace Hardware, Apple, Best Buy, Dollar General, The Home Depot, and more. These earnings come to you in the form of “AAA Dollars” that will be automatically added into your account and applied toward your annual AAA membership renewal fees.

Unfortunately, AAA Dollars aren’t available in very many regions. Here are participating regions:

• South, including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Puerto Rico
• Chicago
• Michigan
• Minnesota/Iowa
• Nebraska
• North Dakota
• Wisconsin

 

Don’t scroll up! Here are the articles mentioned:

Tuesday Movie Deals to Check Out at a Theater Near You

Budget Disney Hacks That Will Save You Hundreds

Your Ultimate Guide to Kids Eat Free Restaurants

 

 

UP NEXT: Are you overspending on travel? Get all of KCL’s budget travel tips.