AARP’s one stated birthday perk is an email on your birthday with a “Spin the wheel!” button that gives you bonus AARP Rewards points. It belongs to AARP Rewards, which is free, and AARP’s own page says you don’t have to be a member to sign up. The points amounts on the wheel aren’t published anywhere AARP’s pages say, and no page lists a birthday discount on meals, shopping or travel.
What AARP Is
AARP’s about page says: “AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization serving the 125 million Americans age 50-plus and their families by strengthening communities and advocating for health care stability, financial stability and personal fulfillment.” It was founded in 1958. It isn’t a store or a venue, which is why the birthday perk here is a rewards-points perk and not a price cut.
How To Get The AARP Birthday Deal
AARP’s help center answers the question “Do I Earn AARP Rewards Points for My Birthday?” with: “Yes, we celebrate your day with a special treat from AARP Rewards!” Then the steps: “We will send you an email on your birthday,” and “Select the Spin the wheel! button within this email to navigate to the prize wheel on AARP Rewards.” If it doesn’t work, the page says “make sure you are logged in to your AARP Rewards online account and try again.” After the spin, “your points will be automatically applied to your AARP Rewards account.” The article is dated Jan 7, 2026.
AARP Rewards Is Free
AARP’s Rewards page describes it as “a free loyalty program that rewards you for the things you do every day,” and adds “And you don’t have to be an AARP member to sign up!” Members earn faster: the help center says “as an AARP member, you’ll earn points 50% faster.” The rewards page says you can earn “up to 5,000 points per day,” or up to 7,500 for members, and that unused points “expire 12 months after they are earned.”
What The Points Buy
Points go toward “sweepstakes entries, gift cards, magazines, and discounts on top brands and everyday essentials such as gas, groceries and more,” according to the Rewards page. So the birthday spin is a points bonus you can later redeem, not cash and not a coupon.
Membership Costs Extra
A paid AARP membership isn’t needed for the spin, but it’s what the old version of this post was describing. AARP’s membership page says “Join AARP for just $15 for your first year when you enroll in automatic renewal,” and also “Renews annually at $20/yr (or then-current rate).” Anyone 18 or older can join. The join form asks for a date of birth, and the membership page says nothing else about birthdays.
Other Pages That Mention Birthdays
AARP runs a birthday freebies article, updated March 11, 2026, and it’s a list of other companies’ offers, not an AARP perk. The membership shopping page lists an FTD offer, “Birthday Gifts Under $55.00 – Delivery Included,” with the note “Offer ends 9/30/26 and is only available to AARP members.” That ended before this post was written.
What The Old Post Got Wrong
An earlier version said AARP offers birthday discounts and promotional offers tailored to seniors that could include restaurant meals, shopping and travel rates, delivered by email or the website. None of that appears on AARP’s pages. It also said to keep your membership active and your profile up to date, but the birthday help article asks only that you be logged in to AARP Rewards. The restaurant and travel names it mentioned weren’t checked here and aren’t part of this post.
What Was Actually Checked
AARP’s membership page, about page, Rewards page, birthday freebies article, FTD page and age requirement page were read on 2026-10-07 through a plain page fetch. The help center articles on birthdays, rewards and earning points came back as an empty shell on both WebFetch and a plain fetch, so they were read through headless Chrome. AARP’s community forum pages returned page-not-found errors. The point amounts on the wheel and any eligibility conditions for the email, such as being opted in to AARP email, aren’t stated on any page that loaded.
Eligibility and Cost
AARP Rewards is free. A membership is optional and costs $15 for the first year on automatic renewal, then $20 a year. You’ll need an AARP Rewards account and the email address on it to receive the birthday email.
Q&A
Q: Does AARP give a birthday discount?
A: Not on the pages read. It gives bonus AARP Rewards points through a prize wheel.
Q: Do I have to be an AARP member?
A: No. The Rewards page says you don’t have to be a member to sign up.
Q: How many points does the wheel give?
A: AARP doesn’t say on the pages read.
Q: How do I find the wheel?
A: Use the “Spin the wheel!” button in the birthday email, while logged in to AARP Rewards.
Q: Do the points expire?
A: Yes. Unused points expire 12 months after they’re earned.
Compare This To
Build-A-Bear lets the birthday child pay their age for a bear, and K1 Speed gives a free race in your birthday week. Disneyland hands out a free birthday button with a park ticket.
More Information:
Verified against AARP’s help center, Rewards page and membership page, read first-party 2026-10-07. Programs change their terms often, so check AARP’s own page before you rely on the details.
