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Frequent travelers know the value of airline miles and hotel points, but rental car loyalty programs are often overlooked. For trips that require more than just a flight and hotel, receiving stellar perks and discounts when you rent a car can elevate your travel experience. 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 how easily top-tier elite status can be earned. You might already qualify for elite status with Hertz without knowing 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.
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Hertz Car Rental Basics
Hertz is one of the world's largest car rental companies, with around 11,000 locations in 160 countries. According to Hertz, it's the largest airport car rental company, with 2,900 locations worldwide. Its 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, as well as in countries such as Botswana, Estonia, and Sri Lanka.
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 also let you check in for your rental in the app for an even quicker pickup.
Even if you have a special rate (like a corporate contract), you should still be able to use the Hertz website to book and manage your rental. Customers can enter multiple discount codes, including CDPs and convention codes.
To rent a car, select your preferred pickup location, pickup and drop-off dates, and age. Hertz also offers one-way rentals, but, as with nearly all rental car companies, it 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.
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 by adding your personal information to your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards account. This way, you can breeze through the reservation process without needing to re-enter your driver's license or other information.
What Is Hertz Gold Plus Rewards?
Gold Plus Rewards is Hertz's loyalty program. It's free to join and available in many countries to anyone aged 21 and older. The Gold Plus Rewards program has two components — rewards and 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.
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Elite Status Tiers
Hertz has three membership tiers: Gold, Five Star, and President's Circle. As always, the higher you climb up the membership tiers, the better the perks you receive. However, you still receive a few notable benefits by simply signing up for the program.
Gold (base tier)
You'll become a Gold member when you sign up for the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program. It provides a few benefits, including:
- 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 3 rentals or spend $1,000 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 premium vehicles
- 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 $3,000 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 exclusive vehicles
- Guaranteed car-class upgrade
- Dedicated customer service line
As someone who has enjoyed the benefits of Hertz President's Circle status, I can vouch for its value. I always book the minimum vehicle class required to take advantage of Hertz Ultimate Choice, and 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
Fast Track to Hertz Elite Status
There are a few ways to earn elite status with Hertz Gold Plus Rewards without meeting the minimum rental or spending requirements — from status matches to credit cards. Each path offers a match up to President's Circle.
Status match from competitors
The first way of fast tracking to Hertz is through a traditional status match. To do this, you'll need to already have elite status with another car rental company.
To request your status match, email digitalmarketing@hertz.com with your first and last name, Gold Plus member number, and proof of your competitor status. You can provide proof with a member card, a monthly statement, or a personalized welcome email. You can request a status match only once every five years, so make sure to do it in a year when you expect to rent cars frequently.
You can match to Hertz Five Star if you hold any of the following statuses:
- Avis Plus
- Enterprise Silver or Enterprise Gold
- National Executive
- Sixt Gold or Sixt Platinum
- Europcar Privilege Executive
You can match to Hertz President's Circle if you are a:
- Avis President's Club
- Enterprise Platinum
- National Executive Elite
- Sixt Diamond
- Europcar Privilege Elite
Your matched status lasts through December 31 of the second calendar year following the status match. For example, if you submit a status match request in June 2026, you will enjoy status through December 31, 2027.
Via credit cards
The easiest way to earn Hertz status is to hold the right credit card.
Five Star
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
$95
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
$350Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 3X miles per dollar at hotels
- 2X miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X Miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
$350Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 3X miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta
- 3X miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases with hotels
- 1.5x miles on eligible purchases over $5,000 (up to 50,000 bonus miles annually)
- 1.5X miles on eligible transit and U.S. shipping purchases*
- 1X miles per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
President's Circle
The following credit cards offer Hertz President's Circle status as a cardholder benefit:
- American Express Platinum Card®
- 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
Plus, the Platinum Card® also provides members with exclusive discounts at Hertz. Note that you might need to link your card to your Hertz account and activate the benefit to receive your status or discount.
$395
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per $1 on flights when booking via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases
$650Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1X miles on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
$895Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
Via airline or hotel elite status
If you don't hold a premium credit card, don't worry. You might qualify for upgraded Hertz status as an elite member of a partner hotel or airline loyalty program.
Members of the following partner programs receive Hertz Five Star status:
- Delta SkyMiles: Silver and Gold Medallion members
- IHG One Rewards: Gold and Platinum Elite members
Members of the following partner programs receive President's Circle status:
- Delta SkyMiles: Platinum and Diamond Medallion members
- IHG One Rewards: Diamond Elite members
You can also match into Hertz elite status if you have Marriott elite status, but the process is a bit more murky. Hertz doesn't specify which Marriott status tier corresponds to which Hertz status tier, so you'll need to submit a status match request to find out.
Make sure to link your loyalty program account to your Hertz account to start enjoying the benefits of Hertz elite status.
Related: How To Get Car Rental Elite Status for Free
Earning 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. 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 must select this option when reserving a car.
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. However, you won't earn points on certain charges, taxes, and fees associated with your car rental, including:
- 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. For instance, in the booking below, you'd earn 436 points on your rental. Or, if you held President's Circle status, you'd earn 654 points.
Earning points and miles with Hertz airline and hotel partners
As of March 2026, you can link around 49 other programs to your Hertz account. 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.
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
To view the complete list of partners, go to the “Step 4 — Membership Details” section in your account. That's also where you'll enter your loyalty program number if you choose to earn points with a different program.
Whenever you reserve a car, you will have the option to select if you want to earn Hertz points or rewards with a partner program — you can't earn both.
Unfortunately, there isn't a single earnings rate for partner programs, which can be a bit confusing. 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 up to 12 miles per 1 Euro spent. 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 daily surcharge of up to $1.50 is added to your rental when earning miles or points with select partner airlines in the U.S. For some, this surcharge will be enough to make earning with airline partners unattractive.
Buying Hertz points
You can buy Hertz points, but only if they are immediately applied to a rental. You have to call the Hertz customer service line to complete the transaction. Purchases are limited to once every six months, and you must have at least 500 points in your account to be eligible to purchase additional points.
You'll pay $0.20 per point with a minimum purchase requirement of 50 points and a maximum of 500 points per transaction. 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 Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Points
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
- Specialty Rentals (trucks, vans, sports cars, and luxury vehicles)
- Hertz Adrenaline Collection
- Hertz Prestige Collection
- Car class upgrades
Award pricing for free rental days is provided by Hertz. Unfortunately, you will need to call the Hertz location where you are picking up your vehicle to determine 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 uses a fixed award chart for all free day rentals. In theory, redeeming points should be a simple process. Instead, this award chart is confusing, with different award charts for the countries where Hertz offers free rental awards.
For simplicity, this post will only provide the rates for free days redeemed in the U.S. If you're interested in redeeming your points for a rental outside the U.S., visit this page and select your destination from the dropdown menu.
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards award chart (for rentals in the U.S.)
| Reward Type (for rentals in the US) | Standard Reward | Peak Reward |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Day Rental | 950 points | 1,900 points |
| 2 Day Rental | 1,900 points | 3,800 points |
| 3 Day Rental | 2,850 points | 5,700 points |
| 4 Day Rental | 3,800 points | 7,600 points |
| 1 Week Rental | 4,750 points | 9,500 points |
| 2 Week Rental (8-14 days) | 9,500 points | 19,000 points |
| Specialty Vehicle 1 Day Rental | 1,900 points | 3,800 points |
| Specialty Vehicle 2 Day Rental | 3,800 points | 7,600 points |
| Specialty Vehicle 3 Day Rental | 5,700 points | 11,400 points |
| Specialty Vehicle 4 Day Rental | 7,600 points | 15,200 points |
| Speciality Vehicle 1 Week Rental | 9,500 points | 19,000 points |
| Specialty Vehicle 2 Week Rental (8-14 days) | 19,000 points | 38,000 points |
| Hertz Adrenaline Collection 1 Day Rental | 2,787 points | 5,573 points |
| Hertz Adrenaline Collection 2 Day Rental | 5,573 points | 11,147 points |
| Hertz Adrenaline Collection 3 Day Rental | 8,360 points | 16,720 points |
| Hertz Adrenaline Collection 4 Day Rental | 11,147 points | 22,293 points |
| Hertz Adrenaline Collection 1 Week Rental | 13,933 points | 27,867 points |
| Hertz Adrenaline Collection 2 Week Rental (8-14 days) | 27,867 points | 55,733 points |
| Hertz Prestige Collection 1 Day Rental | 3,167 points | 6,333 points |
| Hertz Prestige Collection 2 Day Rental | 6,333 points | 12,667 points |
| Hertz Prestige Collection 3 Day Rental | 9,500 points | 19,000 points |
| Hertz Prestige Collection 4 Day Rental | 12,667 points | 25,333 points |
| Hertz Prestige Collection 1 Week Rental | 15,833 points | 31,667 points |
| Hertz Prestige Collection 2 Week Rental (8-14 days) | 31,667 points | 63,333 points |
| One-Way 1 Day Rental* | 1,900 points | 3,800 points |
| One-Way 2 Day Rental | 3,800 points | 7,600 points |
| One-Way 3 Day Rental | 5,700 points | 11,400 points |
| One-Way 4 Day Rental | 7,600 points | 15,200 points |
| One-Way 1 Week Rental | 9,500 points | 19,000 points |
*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 busy travel periods. Peak rental days are provided by Hertz and are updated each year. Peak dates vary by pick-up location. Check the 2026 peak rental dates here.
Note that you can only use points to cover your base rate. You'll need to pay out of pocket to cover taxes, fees, and optional add-ons.
Maximizing the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program
Earning reward points and achieving elite status are just 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 the points you earn 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 offer bonuses on purchases with car rental companies are the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Capital One Venture X. However, you'll need to book your car through the card's associated travel portal to earn your bonus.
Here are some of the best credit cards for earning bonus points or miles on car rentals:
- Citi Strata Elite℠ Card: Earn 10x points on car rentals booked through Citi 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 Citi Travel
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 8x points on car rentals booked through Chase Travel℠
- 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 when booking direct
- Wells Fargo Autograph® Card: Earn 3x points when booking direct
Related: The Top Credit Cards for Car Rental Insurance Coverage
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 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 daily surcharge of up to $1.50 if you credit Hertz rentals to select 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
- Marriott Bonvoy: Earn up to 700 Bonvoy points per rental. Earn 500 points per eligible rental, and earn 200 bonus points if you have Bonvoy elite status.
Even if you typically earn Hertz points, a particularly generous bonus from an airline or hotel partner might justify a temporary switch 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 car class 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.
Watch out for points expiration
Hertz points expire after 12 months of inactivity. 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.
Track your points and miles expiration for 620+ loyalty programs and get email alerts before your miles expire by signing up for a free AwardWallet account.
Final Thoughts
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards is one of the strongest car rental loyalty programs available to travelers. With straightforward elite status requirements, valuable perks, and options for how you earn and redeem points, it’s a solid 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 all the benefits available to you. Combining President's Circle status with Ultimate Choice can even let you rent luxury cards for the price of a standard midsize sedan.
Have you ever rented with Hertz as a Gold Plus Rewards member? What has been your experience with Hertz Ultimate Choice?
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees)
