Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Guide: How to Earn Status, Skip the Counter, and Get Upgrades

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Frequent travelers know the value of airline miles and hotel points, but rental car rewards and loyalty programs are often overlooked. For trips that require more than just a flight and hotel, a car rental loyalty program can offer some stellar perks. Hertz Gold Plus Rewards is arguably one of the best car rental loyalty programs, offering benefits that include skipping the counter and guaranteed upgrades for elite members.

One of the major selling points of the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program is the ease of earning top-tier elite status. You might already qualify for elite status with Hertz and not even know it.

Whether you're a regular renter or just planning a few road trips this year, here’s how the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program works — and how to make the most of it.

Hertz Car Rental Basics

Hertz is one of the world's largest car rental companies with around 11,000 locations in 160 countries worldwide. According to Hertz, it boasts the most airport car rental locations with 2,900 airport locations across the globe.

The car rental company's reach is impressive with locations found throughout all six permanently inhabited continents. You'll be able to pick up your rental from Hertz in the United States and Canada but also countries like Botswana, Estonia, and Sri Lanka, just to name a few.

With such a far-reaching footprint, the types of cars you'll find at a Hertz location vary widely. In some U.S. cities, you'll have the option to upgrade to luxury cars, including the Maserati Grecale. In the United Kingdom, Hertz even offers the Land Rover Velar. But, in smaller markets like Riga, Latvia, luxury options are harder to come by with Peugeots and Volkswagens taking up most of the lot.

Booking with Hertz

Booking your rental car with Hertz is a simple process similar to booking a flight or a hotel. Unless you're trying to secure a special rate or have a unique request, you shouldn't need to call the Hertz reservation hotline. All reservations can be made and managed on the Hertz website or in the mobile app. Some Hertz locations even allow you to check in for your rental using the app for an even quicker pick-up process.

Even if you have a special rate (like a corporate contract), you should be able to use the Hertz website to book and manage your rental. Similar to hotels offering the ability to enter a corporate or group code, the Hertz website allows customers to enter a number of discount codes, including CDPs and convention codes.

To book with Hertz, visit their website or use the app. Credit: Hertz

To start a booking, you will want to select your preferred pickup location, pickup and drop-off date, and age. Hertz also offers the option to book one-way rentals, but, as is the case with nearly all rental car companies, typically charges a one-way rental fee. If you want to book a one-way rental, you can select this option during the booking process.

Once you click submit, the next page will display all available vehicle types at your preferred pick-up location. On this screen, you'll also see the daily rate and total rate for your rental period. If you have a promo or discount code, this page will already show you the discounted rate.

Any discounts or corporate rates will appear with vehicle results if entered during booking. Image via Hertz

To complete your booking, just select your preferred vehicle type, any add-ons like additional insurance, and provide some basic personal information. It's a simple process that should only take a minute or two longer than booking a hotel room.

One way to make the booking process even easier is to log in to your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards account. Personal information including driver's license information can be added to your profile allowing you to breeze through the reservation process. Additionally, as a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards member, you will automatically start seeing the best possible rate for all vehicle classes.

The perks and benefits of the Gold Plus Rewards program don't end there. Here's what Gold Plus Rewards members can expect when renting from Hertz.

What Is Hertz Gold Plus Rewards?

As previously mentioned, Gold Plus Rewards is Hertz's loyalty program. It's free to join and available in many countries to anyone 21 years of age and older. Just like with most airline and hotel loyalty programs, there are two components of the Gold Plus Rewards program. The first, as the name would suggest, is earning and redeeming rewards. The second is the loyalty component allowing frequent renters to earn elite status.

If you don't already have a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards account, you can create one for free using this link. Signing up only takes a few minutes and makes future bookings quicker and easier.

Once you've created your new loyalty program account, make sure to link it to your AwardWallet account. Don't have an AwardWallet account yet? Sign up for free and track unlimited rewards programs and travel plans.

Before we dive into the benefits of Hertz Gold Plus Rewards and the elevated perks that come with elite status, let's breakdown how you can earn and redeem points with Hertz.

Earning and Redeeming Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Points

As a Gold Plus Rewards member, you actually have two options when earning points. The first is to earn points towards free rental days with Hertz. This is the standard option with all new members earning towards free rentals.

The second option is to earn points or miles with Hertz's airline and hotel partners. To earn points or miles with airline or hotel partners, you will have to select this option in account settings.

Let's take a closer look at how you'll earn points towards rewards with Hertz and how you'll earn points or miles with partner programs:

Earning points for rewards with Hertz

The earning structure for accumulating points for rewards with Hertz is straightforward. Basic members (Gold members) without status earn 1 point per dollar spent with Hertz. It's important to remember that the total cost of your rental is not the figure used in determining how many points you'll earn for a rental.

You won't earn points on certain charges, taxes, and fees associated with your car rental. Here's a breakdown of the costs that are not eligible for reward points:

• Local, state, or federal taxes
• Airport concession fees
• Location-specific fees (e.g., Arena Cost Recovery fee in parts of Kansas City, MO)
• Environmental surcharges
• Fees incurred during your rental. (e.g., tolls or add-ons like car seats)

You will only earn points on the base rental rate. So, for example, if you're renting a car for three days and the base rental fee is $39 a day, you'll earn 108 points as a Gold member.

Earn additional points with Five Star and President's Circle status

Both Hertz Five Star and President's Circle members earn additional points on rentals. Here's how elite members earn points when renting with Hertz:

• Five Star members: Earn 1.25 points per $1 spent
• President's Circle members: Earn 1.50 points per $1 spent

If you don't see much value in free rentals, you don't have to earn points towards rewards with Hertz. You can opt to earn points or miles with eligible airlines and hotels.

Earning points and miles with Hertz airline and hotel partners

As of May 2025, Hertz partners with around 85 other programs. The majority of Hertz's partners are major airlines, with just a few hotel partners. Hertz also lists a few non-travel loyalty programs, including Coop Supercard and Payback Italia. It's worth noting that this list of partners is outdated with some pages on the Hertz website listing Air Berlin, TAM, and US Airways as partners.

Here are some of the more popular programs that Hertz partners with:

• Air France/KLM Flying Blue
• American Airlines AAdvantage
• Avianca LifeMiles
• Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
• Emirates Skywards
• Lufthansa Miles & More
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• Accor Hotels ALL
• IHG One Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Amtrak

If you don't see your preferred loyalty program listed above, there are a few landing pages with additional partners listed. You can view what appears to be the latest list of partner programs by clicking this link. You can also view the full list of airline partners here, but as mentioned, this list is outdated. Finally, here is the list of all hotel partners.

Some Hertz airline and hotel partners

So, let's say your preferred loyalty program is listed above or somewhere on Hertz's website, what steps do you need to take to earn points or miles with that program?

First, you will want to log in to your Gold Plus Rewards account and head to your profile.

Once you have loaded your profile, you will want to navigate to the section titled “Step 4 – Membership Details.” To change the program with which you earn points from rentals, you will want to edit this section. With the edit screen loaded, you can select your preferred program and add your membership details.

Earn airline miles on Hertz rentals

Upon submitting and saving this information, you will no longer earn points toward free rentals with Hertz. Instead, you will earn points from car rentals with your preferred partner program. You cannot earn both rewards with Hertz and a partner program.

How many points or miles will I earn with partner programs?

Unfortunately, there is not a single rate for earning with partner programs. Each program has a different earning structure. For example, if you choose to earn AAdvantage miles, you will earn 1 mile per $1 spent. If you choose to earn Air France/KLM Flying Blue miles, you will earn 12 miles per 1 Euro spent.

As much of the information listed on the various program pages does not appear to have been updated for quite some time, it is possible that earning structures have changed. Before choosing to earn with a partner program, we recommend calling or emailing Hertz to verify the accuracy of the terms and conditions listed on each partner program page.

One final thing to consider before linking your frequent flyer program to your Hertz account is that a $1.50 daily surcharge is added to the cost of your rental when earning miles or points with partner airlines in the United States. For some, this surcharge will be enough to make earning with airline partners an unattractive option.

Can you buy Hertz points?

Yes, you can buy Hertz points. If you're just shy of a free rental, Hertz allows Gold Plus Rewards members to buy points. Here are the details on buying Hertz points:

• Cost per point: $0.20 cents
• Minimum purchase: 50 points
• Maximum purchase: 500 points per transaction
• Purchases are limited to once every 6 months
• You must have at least 500 points already in your account to purchase additional points

To buy points, you must call Hertz customer service as there is no way to purchase points online. Due to these limitations and the unattractive pricing, purchasing points generally make sense only if you are very close to a free rental.

Related: Current Promotions for Buying Airline Miles and Hotel Points

Redeeming points with Hertz

If you choose to earn points towards rewards with Hertz, there are a few ways you can use your points. Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points can be redeemed for the following:

• Daily Rentals
• Weekly Rentals
• One-Way Rentals
• Speciality Rentals (trucks, vans, sports cars, and luxury vehicles)
• Car class upgrades

Award pricing for free rental days is provided by Hertz. Unfortunately, you will need to call the Hertz location from which you are picking up your vehicle to see how many points you need to upgrade your car class, as this information is not available online.

While earning points with Hertz is straightforward, redeeming them is not. Hertz utilizes a fixed award chart for all free day rentals. In theory, this should mean that redeeming points is a simple process. Instead, this award chart is rather confusing, with different award charts for the various countries in which Hertz offers free rental awards.

For the sake of simplicity, this post will only provide the rates for free days redeemed in the US. If you're interested in redeeming your points for a rental outside of the US, you can view information for international free rental day awards here.

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards award chart (for rentals in the US)

*Sports Cars were formerly grouped under the Adrenaline Collection, **Luxury Vehicles were formerly grouped under the Prestige Collection, ***Rates for all vehicles from compact to premium

As you might have noticed, Hertz has peak and off-peak award pricing. If you're not familiar with peak award pricing, it simply means that free rental days will require more points during peak travel periods. Hertz Gold Plus Rewards is not the only program with this structure. British Airways also charges more for award travel during peak travel periods.

Peak free rental days are provided by Hertz and are updated each year. Peak dates vary by pick-up location. To determine whether or not your rental dates are considered peak dates, you can use this tool provided by Hertz.

Transfer Hertz points to airline and hotel partners

There is one more way to use your Hertz points. Gold Plus Rewards members can transfer their points to select partner airlines and hotels. The following programs participate in transfers from Hertz Gold Plus Rewards:

• Aeroplan
• Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
• American Airlines AAdvantage
• Amtrak Guest Rewards
• Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
• Frontier Miles
• HawaiianMiles
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Marriott Bonvoy
• IHG One Rewards
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• Spirit Airlines Free Spirit
• United Airlines MileagePlus

You can transfer your Hertz points to a number of partner programs, including Delta SkyMiles. Image courtesy of Delta Air Lines

Transfers start at a minimum of 600 points, with the maximum number varying from program to program. All transfers must be done in multiples of 600.

Just like earning points with partners, transferring points to partner programs is not straightforward. You will need to check with Hertz to see if your preferred program is currently participating in the transfer program. The published transfer rate is 600 Hertz points to 500 miles points. However, this also varies from program to program, as noted below.

Transfers cannot be done online. To transfer points to an eligible partner program, you will need to contact Hertz customer service directly.

Though the standard rate is 600 Hertz points to 500 miles or points, there are some exceptions:

• 600 Hertz points = 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
• 600 Hertz points = 1,000 IHG One points
• 600 Hertz points = 1,200 Southwest Rapid Rewards points

For the programs above, the transfer ratios aren't terrible, especially when you consider that free rental days aren't always the most lucrative or rewarding use of points.

The Benefits of Hertz Gold Plus Rewards

Earning points for free rentals is just one part of the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program. Like with any loyalty program, you get exclusive perks with Hertz status. Membership becomes especially valuable once you earn elite status. Gold Plus Rewards members with the base tier—Gold—also receive a few benefits.

Base tier members also receive some benefits but the program becomes especially lucrative once you earn elite status. Image via Hertz

Here’s a breakdown of the perks you’ll enjoy as a Gold Plus Rewards member and the requirements to earn each tier of elite status:

Gold (base tier)

This is the base tier of Hertz status. You'll become a Gold member when you sign up for the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program. These are the benefits you'll get with Hertz Gold status:

• Skip the counter and pick up your car straight from the lot
• Earn points that can be redeemed for free rental days and car-class upgrades
• Additional driver at no additional charge
• Express return (drop off the keys and go)

Five Star

To achieve Hertz Five Star status, you must complete a minimum of 10 rentals or spend $2,000 with Hertz in a calendar year. Five Star members receive all of the benefits available to base tier members as well as:

• Earn 25% more points
• Access to a wider selection of cars with Hertz Ultimate Choice
• One car-class upgrade, if available

President's Circle

Where you really start to see lucrative benefits is with Hertz President's Circle status. To earn President's Circle status, you will need to complete a minimum of 15 rentals or spend $3000 with Hertz in a calendar year. Here are the additional benefits you will receive with President's Circle status:

• Earn 50% more points compared to base tier status
• Access to the widest selection of cars with Hertz Ultimate Choice
• Guaranteed car-class upgrade

As someone who has been able to enjoy the benefits of Hertz President's Circle status, I can vouch for the value you get from this status. I always book the minimum vehicle class required to take advantage of Hertz Ultimate Choice.

Booking the minimum required vehicle class for Ultimate Choice, I have always been able to select a vehicle from the President's Circle aisle. Over the past year, I have been able to pick the following vehicles off the Hertz lot for the price of a standard mid-sized sedan:

• Volvo C40
• Polestar 2
• Toyota 4Runner
• Ford Mustang convertible

A wide selection of vehicles is available for President's Circle members. You could even have the option to pick a Ford Mustang convertible from the lot. Image by Max Prosperi / AwardWallet

Fast Track to Hertz elite status

There are a few ways to get elite status with Hertz Gold Plus Rewards without having to meet the minimum rental or spending requirements. The first way is through a status match. Of course, this requires you to already have elite status with another car rental company.

The second way to get elite status with Hertz without having to complete a single rental is with eligible credit cards and from elite status with partner programs.

Some credit cards and partner programs offer instant Five Star status while others offer instant President's Circle status. Here's an overview of the credit cards and partner programs that offer either Five Star or President's Circle status:

Credit Cards & Partner Programs with Hertz Five Star Status Benefit:

The following credit cards offer Hertz Five Star status as a cardholder benefit:

• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card

Members of the following partner programs also receive Hertz Five Star status:

• Delta SkyMiles: Silver and Gold Medallion members
• IHG One Rewards: Diamond Elite members
• Marriott Bonvoy: Titanium Elite members (Platinum Elite members receive “Fast Track to Five Star Status”)

Credit Cards & Partner Programs with Hertz President's Circle Status Benefit:

The following credit cards offer Hertz President's Circle status as a cardholder benefit:

• The Platinum Card^® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express
• Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve Business American Express Card
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Members of the following partner programs also receive President's Circle status:

• Delta SkyMiles: Platinum and Diamond Medallion members
• Marriott Bonvoy: Ambassador Elite members

If you hold a credit card or status with a partner that offers Hertz elite status, you will need to activate this benefit.

For example, if you hold The Platinum Card from American Express, you will need to link your card to your Hertz account to receive President's Circle status. Similarly, as a Delta Medallion member, you will need to link your SkyMiles account to your Hertz account to start enjoying the benefits of Hertz elite status.

Related: How To Get Car Rental Elite Status for Free

There are a few credit cards that offer Hertz elite status as a cardholder benefit.

Maximizing the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program

Earning rewards points and achieving elite status is just a part of the Herts Gold Plus Rewards program. To get the most out of Hertz's loyalty program, keep a few key points in mind to maximize your rental experience and points earned with each rental. Here's how to make the most of the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program:

Using the right credit card for Hertz rentals

The easiest way to boost rewards from Hertz rentals is by using a credit card that earns bonus points or miles on car rentals. Two of the more popular cards that earn bonuses for purchases made with car rental companies include the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

Keep in mind that to earn additional points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card or Capital One Venture X card, you will need to book your rental car through Chase or Capital One's own travel portal. If you book direct with Hertz and use either of these cards, you won't be eligible for this bonus.

Here are some of the best credit cards for earning bonus points or miles on car rentals:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve^®: Earn 10x points on car rentals after spending $300 annually when booked through Chase Travel℠
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 10x miles on car rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• Citi Strata Premier^® Card: Earn 10x points on car rentals booked through CitiTravel
• Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card: Earn 5x points on car rentals booked through Chase Travel℠
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 5x miles on car rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• U.S. Bank Altitude^® Connect Visa Signature^® Card: Earn 5x points on car rentals booked in the Travel Center
• American Express^® Green Card: Earn 3x points (Not required to book through Amex Travel)

Related: The Top Credit Cards for Car Rental Insurance Coverage

Exclusive discounts with The Platinum Card from American Express

The Platinum Card from American Express not only offers complimentary President's Circle status as a cardholder benefit. This card also offers members exclusive discounts with Hertz. To take advantage of preferred rental pricing through the Platinum Card, you will want to link your card to your Hertz account. Saving your card to your Hertz account will allow you to use the preferred rate available to Platinum cardholders.

Choose your rewards strategy wisely

As mentioned earlier, there are two ways to earn with Hertz: earning Hertz points directly or crediting your rentals to a partner airline or hotel program. Deciding which earning strategy is best depends on which program you value the most and how you plan to redeem points.

If your aim is free rentals, stick with earning Hertz points. If your goal is to earn elite status with an airline or rack up points or miles with an airline or hotel, crediting rentals to a partner program might be a good option, especially when lucrative promotions are available. Keep in mind that you will incur a $1.50 daily surcharge if you credit Hertz rentals to airline programs.

Take advantage of airline and hotel promotions

Throughout the year, numerous airline and hotel loyalty programs offer bonus miles or points with rental car companies including Hertz. Some more recent or ongoing examples include:

• Delta SkyMiles: Medallion members earn 5 to 8 SkyMiles per dollar spent depending on status tier
• American Airlines AAdvantage: Occasionally offers bonus AAdvantage miles on Hertz rentals (e.g., 500 bonus miles)
• Marriott Bonvoy: Earn up to 700 Bonvoy points per rental. 500 points earned per rental with eligible members with Bonvoy elite status earning up to 200 bonus points.

Even if you typically earn Hertz points, a particularly generous bonus from an airline or hotel partner might justify a temporary switch to in your earning preference.

Leverage Hertz Ultimate Choice

If you hold Five Star or President’s Circle status, arguably the best perk is access to Hertz Ultimate Choice. This benefit allows you to select your preferred vehicle directly from the lot rather than being assigned a specific car.

To maximize this perk, always book the lowest qualifying class of car with access to Ultimate Choice. You must reserve at least a mid-size (Class C) vehicle or higher to receive the Ultimate Choice benefit, even if you have elite status. If you book an economy car, compact car, or any manager's special (Classes A and B), you will not qualify for Ultimate Choice access.

Keep an eye on your points: They expire

Hertz points expire after 12 months of no account activity. So, if you don't earn or redeem at least 1 Hertz point or complete a rental for a full 12-month period, you will lose any points in your account. Even with account activity, points expire 5 years after they are earned.

Thankfully, keeping your points alive is easy. Any account activity — including short, inexpensive rentals or point redemptions — will reset the expiration clock. If you're nearing expiration, consider redeeming points for a single-day rental or transferring points to a partner program to avoid losing your points.

Track your points and miles expiration for 630+ loyalty programs and get email alerts before your miles expire by signing up for a free AwardWallet account.

Image by Max Prosperi / AwardWallet

Final Thoughts

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards is one of the stronger car rental loyalty programs available to travelers. With straightforward elite status requirements, valuable perks like skipping the rental counter and guaranteed upgrades for elite members, and options for how you earn and redeem points, it’s a valuable program for both frequent and occasional renters.

Maximizing Hertz Gold Plus Rewards is as simple as using the right credit card, leveraging partner airline and hotel promotions, and taking advantage of benefits like Hertz Ultimate Choice. Combining President's Circle status with Ultimate Choice can even allow you to rent cars including the Jeep Wrangler, Ford Mustang, and luxury sedans for the price of a standard midsize sedan.

Have you ever rented with Hertz as a Gold Plus Rewards? What has been your experience with Hertz Ultimate Choice?

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