Learn about available discounts for AAA car insurance, how many are available, how to get them and how much you could save
AAA offers a myriad of discounts for its policyholders, who can earn savings for everything from simply bundling policies to being part of a car club. In this article, we at the MarketWatch Guides team take a comprehensive look at some of the best AAA auto insurance discounts, outlining how many are available, how to get them and how much money AAA can save you.
We’ll also cover some of the biggest money-saving discounts from our top-pick insurance companies.
Key Takeaways:
- AAA has a range of available car insurance discounts that could save drivers an average of $376 per year.
- In addition to membership perks, which include a 5% discount on auto and home insurance, AAA offers discounts for bundling, driving safely and being part of a car club.
- Geico and State Farm also offer deep discounts to policyholders, with savings for vehicle safety features, good driving, and for government and military personnel.
AAA Car Insurance Discounts
For more than 100 years, the American Automobile Association (or AAA, as it is commonly known) has been synonymous with roadside safety and all things travel-related. In 1915, at the dawn of the automotive age, it was the first company to offer assistance to stranded drivers, and it has been fine-tuning its services ever since.
Today, AAA is at the forefront of roadside assistance, answering nearly 30 million calls a year from stranded motorists. But now, in addition to emergency services, AAA has a range of personal insurance products, including:
- Auto
- Home
- Life
- Commercial
- Business
- Travel
- Specialty
AAA also has a range of available car insurance discounts that could save drivers an average of $376 per year.
List of AAA Discounts
As a membership-based organization, AAA offers numerous discounts on everything from hotel stays to dining to auto repairs. According to the company, an AAA member can save as much as $170 a year on non-auto insurance-related items.
In addition to membership perks, which include a 5% discount on auto and home insurance, AAA offers multiple other discounts for policyholders. You could earn a discount for bundling policies or one for being part of a car club.
AAA Multi-Policy Discounts
Many insurance companies provide multi-policy discounts as a way to earn more business. Bundling means buying more than one policy with a company. Insuring your car and home with the same company would be a bundle, for instance.
AAA offers multi-policy discounts for houses, condominiums, cars, renters insurance and life insurance. Here are more details.
Companion Home Discount | Save up to 12.7% on auto insurance when you combine it with a home policy. |
Companion Auto Discount | Save up to 12.5% on homeowners insurance when you combine it with an auto policy. These savings are combined, meaning you could save more than 24% on both policies. |
Auto + Condo Discount | Save up to 11.2% on auto insurance and 20% on condo insurance when you combine policies. |
Auto + Renters Discount | Save up to 3.7% on auto coverage and 10% on renters insurance when you combine policies. |
Auto, Home and Life Discount | Save even more when you combine auto, home and life insurance policies altogether with AAA — as much as 19% on auto insurance and 22% on homeowners. |
AAA Auto Policy Discounts
When it comes to auto policy discounts, AAA gives drivers plenty of opportunities to save, including all of the following.
Multi-Vehicle Discount | Save up to 15.7% when you insure more than one car on the same policy. |
Select Professionals and Alumni Associations | AAA also gives discounts for drivers in certain professions, including:
|
Loyalty Discounts | Save up to 5.6% after one year of continuous coverage with the AAA Loyalty Discount. |
AAA Driver and Vehicle Discounts
Driver and vehicle discounts are some of the easiest to get and can save you significant money on your car insurance. AAA applies these discounts based on details about you and your vehicle.
Good Driver Discount | Avoid tickets and accidents and maintain a clean driving record to save up to 20% with the Good Driver Discount. |
Verified Mileage Discount | Depending on your annual mileage, the Verified Mileage Discount could save you up to 9.1% if you provide your vehicle’s odometer reading when requested. |
Student Away Discount | If your driver-eligible student is more than 100 miles away from school with no vehicle, you could save 46.7% on select coverages with the Student Away Discount. |
Good Student Discount | The Good Student Discount can save you up to 10% on car insurance if you’re a high school student or a full-time college student and carry a GPA of 3.0 or higher. |
Teen Smart (New Driver) Discount | Young drivers between the ages of 16 and 26 who take an online safety class could earn a 24% discount on auto insurance with the Teen Smart Discount. |
Driver Training Discount | Get the 10% Driver Training Discount on your car insurance by simply completing an approved driver training class. |
Car Club Discount | If you belong to a qualifying car club, you could earn a 5% discount on your car insurance with the Car Club Discount. |
How To Save Money on Car Insurance with AAA
Discounts are the simplest way to save money on car insurance. When getting a quote with AAA, include all driver and vehicle specifics that could qualify you for discounts.
Here are more things you can do to earn the maximum number of discounts and save money on car insurance with AAA:
- Drive safely. The best way to save on car insurance is to maintain a clean driving record with zero accidents or driving violations. In addition to its Good Driver Discount (20%), AAA has a Driver Training Discount of 10% for completing an approved safety course.
- Insure more than one car. Add all your vehicles to the same AAA policy to save as much as 15.7% with the Multi-Vehicle Discount.
- Bundle home and auto. If you bundle your car insurance with your home, condo or renters insurance, you could save up to 12.7% on your car insurance.
Outside of earning as many special discounts as you can, there are other ways to save money on car insurance with AAA or any insurance carrier. They include:
- Increase your deductible. The higher your deductible, the lower your monthly premium usually is. You can raise your deductible to whatever amount you think you can comfortably pay out of pocket if you need to file a claim.
- Update your policy regularly. Certain life events, such as getting married, having a baby or moving, affect your car insurance rates. Check your policy regularly to make sure you’re getting any additional savings you may now qualify for.
- Maintain a good credit rating. Because insurance companies associate higher credit scores with reliability and financial responsibility, having a solid credit rating can lead to lower car insurance premiums.
AAA Auto Insurance Discounts: The Bottom Line
When it comes to auto insurance, most drivers want to save as much money as possible while ensuring they’re protected should an accident occur. With more than 100 years of experience protecting drivers, AAA is a sound choice for car insurance and one that has many discounts to save you money.
AAA Alternatives With Discount Opportunities
Car insurance companies provide discounts to compete for your business. Actuary and rating factors are often complex and can be difficult to calibrate, so discounts are the typically best way for insurers to lower their rates and earn more business. Most major insurance carriers offer numerous discounts, but the MarketWatch Guides team recommends the following:
Geico: Affordable for Most Drivers
Known for its affordable prices, Geico has a host of discounts that could help you save even more than the 15% it promises in its long-running ad campaign. Here are a few of Geico’s vehicle safety discounts:
- Daytime running lights (3%)
- Airbags and anti-theft systems (23%)
- Anti-lock brakes (5%)
- New vehicle (15%)
- Safe driving (up to 22%)
Geico also has an extensive range of affiliation discounts, including for federal employees (12%), military service members (15%) and emergency deployment personnel (25%). Because of these potential savings, it’s easy to see why Geico tops the MarketWatch Guides list of cheapest car insurance providers.
Read more: Geico auto insurance reviews
Compare: AAA vs. Geico
State Farm: Editor’s Choice
State Farm also ranks high on our MarketWatch Guides list of cheap car insurance. It has some of the most affordable rates in the industry for good drivers. State Farm’s good driving discounts include:
- Steer Clear®: For new drivers under the age of 25
- Accident-free: For maintaining a clean driving record
- Defensive driving course: For completing a driver safety course
- Good driver: For going three years without moving violations or at-fault accidents
Additionally, State Farm’s UBI (usage-based insurance) program, called Drive Safe & Save™, gives drivers an initial discount just for enrolling but then offers savings of up to 30% based on safe driving habits.
Read more: State Farm auto insurance review
Compare: State Farm vs. Geico
AAA Insurance Discounts: FAQ
Below are frequently asked questions about AAA insurance discounts.
AAA offers three membership plans: Classic (at $64.99 per year), Plus (at $99.99 a year) and Premier (at $124.99 a year).
It’s simple to sign up for AAA. Visit AAA’s website, select your plan and sign up online in minutes.
All AAA members earn access to their roadside services, which include 24-hour emergency assistance, towing for up to 200 miles (based on your plan), flat-tire and lockout help, emergency jump-starts and more.
In addition to getting emergency roadside assistance, AAA members get access to discounts on everything from hotel stays, rental cars, retail shopping, dining, attractions and events, home services, auto repair and more. According to AAA’s website, members who use AAA discounts save an average of approximately $170 a year.
Our Methodology
Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car insurance companies. We collected data on dozens of auto insurance providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The result was an overall rating for each provider, with the insurers that scored the most points topping the list.
Here are the factors our ratings take into account:
- Cost: Auto insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services and discount opportunities were both taken into consideration.
- Coverage: Companies that offer a variety of choices for insurance coverage are more likely to meet consumer needs.
- Reputation and experience: Our research team considered market share, ratings from industry experts and years in business when giving this score.
- Availability: Auto insurance companies with greater state availability and few eligibility requirements scored highest in this category.
- Customer experience: This score is based on the volume of complaints reported by the NAIC and customer satisfaction ratings reported by J.D. Power. We also considered the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each insurance company’s customer service team based on our shopper analysis.
Our credentials:
- 800 hours researched
- 45 companies reviewed
- 8,500+ consumers surveyed
*Data accurate at time of publication.
If you have questions about this page, please reach out to our editors at editors@marketwatchguides.com.