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Dollar Express Rewards is Dollar Rent A Car's loyalty program. The program is simple and easy to use and lacks many of the complexities of other loyalty programs, such as elite status, upgrades, and so on. With that in mind, it still offers some excellent benefits, especially for those who want a quick and straightforward car rental experience without many additional perks.
Here's what you need to know about the Dollar Express Rewards program.
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How To Join Dollar Express Rewards
Joining Dollar Express Rewards is relatively easy. The process is simple, and the Dollar interface is intuitive, although not the most modern-looking. First, head over to the Dollar Express Rewards landing page, then hit “Join Now.”
You will then be guided through the process of entering your personal information and details.
Once you have submitted your information, you will receive a confirmation email with your member ID, and you are set and ready to go.
Dollar Express Rewards Membership Benefits
Although the Dollar Express Rewards program is simplistic, it still rewards its members with some wide-ranging benefits. While the features are not exceptional by other loyalty program standards, you must remember that you receive them the moment you join, and joining is free. Dollar Express Rewards members receive the following benefits.
- Expedited pick ups: Quickly pick up your rental by skipping the counter and heading to the lot with your registered documents.
- Complimentary additional driver: Add your spouse or partner as an additional driver free of charge.
- Speedy drop-offs: Enjoy an expedited drop-off experience. Simply pull in, leave your keys, and go.
- Priority Counter Service: You will receive priority counter service if you need to inquire about your reservation.
Related: How To Get Rental Car Elite Status for Free
How To Earn Dollar Express Rewards
Dollar Express points earning structure is straightforward. There are no bonuses depending on status or any other complex permutations that different programs have.
In the U.S. and Canada, you earn 1 point per $1 spent on qualifying rentals. To earn the points, you must provide your Dollar Express Rewards member ID when booking. A qualifying rental in the U.S. and Canada is any Dollar rental that is not prepaid.
It is worth noting that you can only earn points with Dollar — not Thrifty and Hertz, despite each being sister brands under the same parent company. Also, even though Dollar has locations outside of the U.S. and Canada, per the Dollar FAQ page, points are only earned when rentals occur in the U.S. or Canada.
Earn airline miles and hotel points instead of Dollar Express points
If you can't find utility in Dollar Express points, you can change your earning preferences to airline miles or hotel points. Dollar has several travel partners that offer points and miles on your rentals.
Here's a list of Dollar's partners and the rate at which you'll earn:
- Airlines
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan: Earn 50 miles per qualifying rental day at participating locations, limited to 30 days. Dollar will collect a surcharge of $0.95 per day at the time of rental if you choose to earn Mileage Plan miles.
- All Nippon Airways Mileage Club: Earn 300 miles per qualifying rental.
- American Airlines AAdvantage®: Earn 50 miles per qualifying rental day at participating locations, limited to 28 days. You will pay a surcharge based on the number of miles you earn.
- Avianca LifeMiles: Earn 50 miles per rental day on all qualifying rentals.
- COPA ConnectMiles: Earn 200 miles on all qualifying rentals.
- Delta SkyMiles: Earn 4X SkyMiles per $1 spent on qualifying rentals. You will pay a surcharge based on the number of miles you earn.
- Frontier Airlines Frontier Miles: Earn 50 miles per day on rentals of 1 to 4 days in length and 500 miles per rental transaction on rentals of 5 days or more. Dollar will collect a surcharge of $0.75 per day at the time of rental if you choose to earn Frontier miles.
- Japan Airlines Mileage Bank: Earn 300 miles on all qualifying rentals.
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards: Earn 600 points on all qualifying rentals. Dollar will collect a surcharge of $1.50 per day up to a maximum of $8.00 at the time of rental if you choose to earn Rapid Rewards points.
- Spirit Airlines Free Spirit: Earn 50 points per day on rentals of 1 to 4 days and 500 points per transaction for rentals of 5 days or more. Dollar will collect a surcharge of $0.75 per day at the time of rental if you choose to earn Free Spirit points.
- Hotels
- IHG One Rewards: Earn 125 points per rental day for qualifying rentals.
- Marriott Bonvoy: Earn 250 points on all qualifying rentals.
Again, note that you can either earn Dollar Express points or airline miles/hotel points. You can't earn both. Additionally, if you book with a tour rate or industry discount rate, you won't earn airline miles or hotel points.
How To Redeem Your Dollar Express Rewards Points
Dollar Express Rewards points can be redeemed for a wide range of rentals. However, the number of points required for a rental varies depending on what time of the week you rent. If you rent over a weekend, you can redeem your Dollar Express Rewards points as follows:
- 500 points for one free weekend rental day.
- 1,000 points for two free weekend rental days.
- 1,500 points for three free weekend rental days.
- 2,000 points for four free weekend rental days.
Or, if you rent during a weekday, you'll pay a little more. It's worth noting that four weekend days is the maximum number of weekend rental days you can have on one award booking — although it's just 50 more points to upgrade from a four-day rental to a week-long rental:
- 625 points for one free weekday rental day.
- 1,250 points for two free weekday rental days.
- 1,875 points for three free weekday rental days.
- 2,500 points for four free weekday rental days.
- 2,550 points for one free weekly rental.
- 5,00 points for two weeks of free rental, up to a maximum of 14 days.
Dollar blackout dates and locations
One thing to remember when planning your car rentals is that Dollar has an extensive list of blackout days. Expect there to be blackout days around every major holiday in the U.S. and Canada.
Furthermore, there are blackout days around major sporting events in specific locations. This range can make using your Dollar Express Rewards points tricky, especially if you plan on renting cars during peak travel periods.
Do Dollar Rent A Car Express Rewards Expire?
Dollar Express Rewards points expire if your account has no activity for 24 months. However, if your account remains active, your points will be safe from expiration. In terms of what Dollar Express Rewards considers as “activity,” that answer is straightforward. Activity is when a Dollar Express Reward point is redeemed or earned.
Best Credit Cards for Car Rental Insurance
When renting a car with Dollar, ensure you use a credit card with the right type of insurance to cover your rental. Many travel cards provide either primary or secondary car rental insurance.
Primary rental insurance is what you'd want, given the option. This insurance provides Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) without you needing to file with your main car insurance. Needless to say, every single card has its unique set of terms, conditions, and coverage limits; this can include everything from geographic restrictions to rental time limits either on a per-rental or annual basis.
Cards that include primary rental coverage include:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Liability insurance coverage
Remember that depending on where you rent a car, your liability coverage may not be included. For instance, if you injure someone, cause property damage, and are at fault, you are not covered for liability. You'll want to get liability insurance coverage to protect yourself in case you cause an accident.
While the above is the situation is prevalent in the U.S., it is not the same across the world. For instance, when renting a car in Australia, the rental cost includes partial liability coverage. On the other hand, renting a car in much of Europe (including the UK) generally includes full liability insurance since this is a legal requirement for the rental provider.
Our Take
When it comes to no-frill car rental loyalty programs, Dollar Express Rewards couldn't be simpler. You join for free and receive a defined set of benefits while earning and redeeming points. If you are after a simple and easy-to-use car rental loyalty program that is designed to smooth out the rental experience, then Dollar Express Rewards is worth a closer look. However, if you want a more feature-rich program, you are best served looking elsewhere.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
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