Editor's Review
For anyone who pays AARP dues, the Now app is the shortest route to the parts of that membership you actually use. It gathers the organisation's news coverage, the discount programme, local events and the membership card itself, and it manages a 4.73 average across five million installs, unusually high for an app this broad.
Membership in your pocket: the digital card is the feature members mention most. Rather than hunting for plastic at a hotel desk or a restaurant till, you open the app and show the screen. Renewal status and member number sit beside it.
Discounts and events: the offers section lists travel, dining, insurance and retail deals negotiated for members, filtered by where you are. The events calendar surfaces local AARP activity, from tax help sessions to community meetups, which is far richer in some regions than others.
News and advocacy: a feed covers social security, Medicare, retirement finance and health, written for a readership over fifty. This is house journalism with a declared point of view, so read it alongside other sources on any policy question.
The catch: installing costs nothing, but most of what makes the app worthwhile is gated behind a paid membership in a United States organisation. Someone outside the country will find little here. Text sizing and contrast are handled better than in most lifestyle apps, which matters for the audience being served.
Features
Digital membership card displayed from the phone
Member discount listings filtered by location
Local AARP events and community activity calendar
News feed covering retirement, health and public policy
Membership status and renewal details
Saved offers kept for later use
Larger text and high-contrast presentation by default
Pros
The digital card removes any need to carry the plastic one
A 4.73 rating is exceptional for an app covering this much ground
Discounts are filtered to your area rather than dumped as one long list
Readable typography and contrast without hunting through settings
Cons
Most of the value depends on an active paid membership
Relevant only in the United States
The news feed carries the organisation's advocacy position rather than neutral reporting
Questions people ask
Do I need to be an AARP member?
Some content is readable without one, but the membership card, member discounts and account sections all require an active paid membership.
Is there an age requirement?
AARP is aimed at people aged fifty and over and sells membership on that basis. The app simply reflects whatever your membership allows.
Does it work outside the United States?
AARP is a US organisation and its discounts, events and advocacy content are built around US members, so there is little use for the app elsewhere.
