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Black Friday on a Budget: EBT Discounts and Scam Tips

By CalculateBenefits Editorial Team · Mark Phaneuf, Publisher
AI-assisted source check: October 30, 2026. What these dates mean.

Before you shop Black Friday on Nov. 27 or Cyber Monday on Nov. 30, check the discounts you can ask for because you get SNAP (EBT), Medicaid or SSI. Amazon, Walmart, many museums and 4 big internet companies have lower prices for people in these programs. Lifeline, a government program, can also cut your phone or internet bill.

Most of these are company offers, not government benefits. Each company sets its own rules and decides who gets in. Offers can change, so check the company's page first. We checked these offers on Oct. 30, 2026.

What discounts can I get with EBT, SNAP or Medicaid?

Here is the short list. Each one has its own rules, so read the part below before you sign up.

• Amazon Prime Access: a company offer for Prime at a lower monthly price.
• Walmart+ Assist: a company offer for Walmart+ at half the regular price.
• Museums for All: low-cost museum entry when you show a SNAP EBT card.
• Low-cost home internet: company offers from Xfinity, Spectrum, AT&T and Verizon.
• Lifeline: a government program run by the FCC that takes money off a phone or internet bill.

None of these is a Black Friday sale. They are year-round offers. A lower monthly fee may help more than one big sale, so it is worth a look.

Can I get Amazon Prime cheaper with EBT?

You may be able to. Amazon calls it Prime Access. It is a company offer, not a government benefit. Amazon says people on SNAP and other help programs "can access all of Prime for $14.99 $6.99/month." The $14.99 price is crossed out on the page. That means the regular monthly price is $14.99 and Prime Access is $6.99 a month.

Who can get it: Amazon lists SSI, SNAP, Medicaid, the Direct Express card, TANF, the school lunch program, LIHEAP, WIC, tribal TANF, Puerto Rico's NAP, federal public housing, VA pension for veterans and survivors, and SSDI. You can also try to get in by income. Amazon says an outside company checks if your household income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty line.

Proof: You upload papers that show you are in one of the programs. Amazon says it deletes them after the check.

Cost and trial: Amazon offers a free 30-day trial if you are eligible for one. You need a card or other way to pay on file. After the trial, Amazon charges you each month unless you cancel. Amazon says you can "Cancel anytime."

Where to sign up: Go to amazon.com/qualify.

How does Walmart+ Assist work?

Walmart+ Assist is a company offer from Walmart. Walmart says both its monthly and yearly plans are "50% off the regular price." Its page says: "Get all the benefits for $6.47/mo. or $49/yr."

Who can get it: Walmart's page names SNAP, WIC and Medicaid "& more." Not every program counts, so check the list when you sign up.

Proof: An outside company called SheerID checks your status. Walmart says "There is no credit check & no impact to your existing government benefits." Walmart checks again each year.

Trial and perks: You can start with a free 30-day trial. Set a reminder for when it ends. Free delivery from your store needs a "$35 order minimum," and other limits apply.

Where to sign up: Go to walmart.com/plus/assist.

What is Museums for All?

Museums for All is not a company offer. It is a program of a federal agency, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, run by the Association of Children's Museums. It gives low-cost entry at museums that take part. Its page says: "Admission is $5 or less for up to four people per EBT card."

Who can get it: People with a SNAP EBT card. Many museums also take WIC, but they do not have to.

Proof: Show your SNAP EBT card and a photo ID. The card is only to show who you are. You pay the entry fee another way, like cash.

Where to sign up: You do not need to sign up. Some museums may ask you to book ahead, so check first. Find a museum on museums4all.org. This can be a low-cost family day out over the long weekend.

Which internet companies have low-cost plans?

4 big internet companies have their own low-cost plans. These are company offers. Each one works only where that company serves homes. For more choices, see our low-cost internet guide.

Xfinity Internet Essentials

Xfinity's page says Internet Essentials costs "$14.95/mo for up to 75 Mbps, or $29.95/mo for up to 100 Mbps." You may be able to get it if you are in a program like the school lunch program, housing help, Medicaid or SNAP. You can't have had Xfinity Internet in the last 90 days. You also can't owe Comcast money from the past year. Apply on Xfinity's apply page or call 1-855-846-8376. The site has a place to upload your papers.

Spectrum Internet Assist

Spectrum's page says: "You may be eligible for Spectrum Internet Assist for $25/mo if you meet certain qualifications." It also lists a $15 a month rate if you get SSI or the school lunch program. The speed is 50 Mbps. Spectrum says seniors 65 and up who get SSI can get it. Gather your papers and apply on Spectrum's page.

Access from AT&T

AT&T says you may be able to get it if someone in your home is in a help program, or if your income is below 200% of the poverty line. AT&T does not list one price. It says your price and speed "depend on what services are available at your address." For proof, AT&T lists papers like an EBT card, a Medicaid card or an SSI letter. You apply through an outside partner. Start on AT&T's page.

Verizon Forward

Verizon says qualifying customers get "a service discount of up to $30/mo." Its page also says "as low as $20/mo." That lowest price comes with conditions, such as also having a Verizon phone plan or Lifeline, depending on the service. Programs on its list include Lifeline, SNAP, Medicaid, WIC, SSI and the Pell Grant. Income at or below 200% of the poverty line also counts. Verizon says you may need to upload papers that show you are in a program. It allows one discount per account. Learn more on Verizon's page.

What is Lifeline?

Lifeline is a government program. It is not a store deal. The FCC runs it. The FCC says it "provides up to a $9.25 monthly discount on service for eligible low-income subscribers and up to $34.25 per month for eligible subscribers on Tribal lands." It works on phone, internet or both.

Who can get it: Homes with income at or below 135% of the federal poverty line. People on SNAP, Medicaid, federal public housing, SSI, VA pension or some tribal programs can also apply.

Rules: Only one Lifeline benefit per home. If you send papers as proof, they must be dated in the past 12 months. You must sign up again every year, or you lose it.

Where to sign up: Apply online at lifelinesupport.org, by mail, or through a phone or internet company that takes part. If you live in Texas or Oregon, use your state's process. For help, call 1-800-234-9473. Read our Lifeline guide to learn more.

How do I spot fake deals and delivery scams?

Scams rise when people shop for the holidays. Here is advice from 3 federal agencies.

• Prices that look too low. In a holiday alert from Nov. 2025, the FTC says scammers run ads for brand-name items at very low prices, often on social media. Then they send fakes or nothing at all.
• Check the seller. The FTC says to search the seller's name with words like "review," "complaint" or "scam."
• How you pay. The FTC says to pay by credit card when you can. If a seller says you can only pay with a gift card, wire transfer, payment app or crypto, it is probably a scam.
• Links in emails and ads. CISA says to type the store's web address yourself. Never give a password or bank details in reply to an email you did not expect.
• Package texts. Postal Inspectors say USPS texts you only if you asked to track a package. Those texts "will NOT contain a link." Forward fake texts to 7726. Email USPS scams to spam@uspis.gov.
• If you clicked. Postal Inspectors say to call your bank, even if you did not type in any details.

Sign up for the offers in this guide only on the company's own website. Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Where can I find free holiday help?

Some groups give toys and holiday meals to families who need help. Each one has its own rules and dates, and some close early. See our free holiday help guide to learn how to sign up. For more help with SNAP, Medicaid and SSI deals, read our EBT discounts guide. To see what else is coming up, see everything happening this month.

Programs mentioned in this guide