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How To Get Rental Car Elite Status for Free How To Get Rental Car Elite Status for Free

How To Get Rental Car Elite Status for Free

Skye Class
by Skye Class
January 1, 2025
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Reviewed byRyan Smith

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One of the feel-good milestones of travel is achieving elite status within a loyalty program. The recognition that we are a valued client plus the perks, upgrades, discounts, and extra points elite status affords us can be a huge incentive. It's one of the most significant driving forces behind loyalty programs.

What feels even better is when we can attain elite status without needing to meet the high spending requirements — in other words, getting benefits from a program as a loyal customer without a massive expenditure for those perks.

Recently, we updated our posts on the best ways to get hotel status for free and how to get airline elite status without flying. Now, let's show you how to achieve elite status within rental car rewards programs without the required number of paid rentals.

Benefits of Rental Car Elite Status

Rental car rewards programs generally don't hold the same aspirational value or appeal as their hotel and airline counterparts. However, the idea of coming off a long flight, skipping the lines at the car rental counter, and scoring a free upgrade to a more luxurious vehicle is certainly enticing.

a guy with a backwards hat drives a car at sunset
Credit: Tobi/Pexels

The benefits of attaining elite status with a car rental company can include:

  • Going straight to the car without waiting in line at pick-up.
  • Instant returns.
  • Free upgrades to a better vehicle.
  • Guaranteed availability.
  • Less paid days to receive free rentals.
  • Discounted rentals.
  • Increased points earning on rentals.
  • Having the car delivered to you on arrival.
  • Free second driver (typically limited to a spouse or domestic partner).

We won’t be covering every car rental rewards program in this post. Instead, we are focusing on the ones we feel provide the best value with an easily attainable path to elite status.

Free Car Rental Elite Status as a Credit Card Benefit

American Express Platinum Cards

The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, and The American Express Corporate Platinum Card® all offer elite status with Avis, Hertz, and National Car Rental, in addition to a huge array of other travel benefits. Make sure to enroll to get the following benefits:

  • Avis Preferred: Get Preferred Plus status. Skip the line and paperwork and go straight to your car. Plus, get a complimentary upgrade when available. Use the AWD discount code found on this page to receive discounts on your rental.
  • Hertz Gold Plus Rewards: Get Hertz President's Circle status. Bypass the counter, pick your car, and go. Plus, get an extra driver for free. Use the Amex Corporate Discount Code (CDP) 211762 to save up to 20% off published rates on your rental, receive a four-hour grace period on returns within the U.S., and get a one-car-class upgrade (when available).
  • National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive: Get Executive tier status. Choose your car and receive automatic upgrades when renting at least a full-size car. Plus, earn a complimentary rental day after six qualifying rentals.

Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.

2 businessmen at a National car rental lot; you can get rental car elite status for free and quite easily
Credit: National

Hilton credit cards

Enroll for complimentary National Emerald Club Executive status with these credit cards:

Visa Infinite cards

If you're a cardholder of one of the Visa Infinite cards, you'll be granted elite status in several programs as well. These include:

  • Avis Preferred: Get Preferred Plus status. Save up to 30% off rentals (or higher with special sales) when using the promo code found on this page. Furthermore, get a complimentary two-day weekend rental for qualifying rentals.
  • National Car Rental Emerald Club: Get Executive membership. Choose your car, guaranteed upgrades, 25% discount on rentals using promo code “5030849,” and fast-tracked rewards earning.

Visa Infinite cards used to come with Hertz Gold Plus Rewards status. Now, you'll get certain benefits — like upgrades and bonus points — when using the Visa Infinite CDP #2150933 at booking.

Visa Infinite Rental Car Benefits

Another Visa Infinite benefit is a 15% discount when booking rental cars through Audi on Demand. You must use your Visa Infinite card to pay for the rental. This was formerly a discount with Silvercar, which was purchased by Audi.

Visa Infinite Audi Discount

Examples of eligible Visa Infinite cards include:

Select United credit cards

The following four United credit cards provide top-tier Avis President's Club elite status:

Avis President's Club grants complimentary upgrades when available, 25%–50% points earning bonus, and exclusive monthly email offers.

In addition, those with United Premier Platinum and Premier 1K status also get Avis President's Club status. More on that in the section below.

Avis status benefits for United frequent flyers

Select Delta credit cards

You can enroll for complimentary Hertz Five Star status — offering upgrades, bonus earnings, a complimentary second driver, a wider selection of cars at pickup, and skipping the line — with these credit cards:

Alternatively, claim complimentary President's Circle status with these cards:

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Lastly, the Capital One Venture X offers several top-tier car rental elite statuses, beyond the benefits given as a Visa Infinite card:

  • Hertz President's Circle status if you enroll through a special link for cardholders.
  • As the Capital One Venture X is a Visa Infinite card, cardholders will also get National Executive Status and Avis Preferred Plus, as covered above.

FoundersCard

While FoundersCard is a membership service and not a credit card, it's yet another way to get rental car elite status after paying an annual fee. FoundersCard holders receive the following car rental benefits:

  • Complimentary Hertz Five Star status and up to 20% off all daily, weekend, weekly, and monthly rates.
  • Up to 25% off Avis rentals and complimentary Avis Preferred Plus membership.
  • 15% off Sixt rentals and complimentary Platinum Sixt Card membership.
  • Up to 20% off Zipcar for Business rentals.
  • 30% off luxury car rentals with Go Rentals.
  • 20% Off Jaguar and Land Rover rentals in the U.K.

Credit card travel protections

Elite status is not the only way you can save on car rentals using credit cards. A variety of cards offer primary rental insurance as a benefit. Eligible cards include the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. See our post on the Sapphire Preferred rental car insurance for details.

Related: Best Credit Cards for Rental Car Insurance

Get Rental Car Elite Status Through Airline Elite Status

Delta Medallion

Use your Delta elite status to get the following:

  • Hertz: Delta has a partnership with Hertz. Silver and Gold Medallion members receive Five Star status in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. Platinum Medallion and Diamond Medallion members receive Hertz President's Circle status. Delta SkyMiles members also earn 5-8 SkyMiles per dollar on Hertz rentals (5 for Silver, up to 8 for Diamond). To reserve a car and earn miles, book here.
  • Sixt: Delta also partners with Sixt. SkyMiles members will receive 500 miles for every rental with Sixt worldwide. Plus, Medallion elites can match their status to Sixt. SkyMiles Silver Medallion members get Gold Sixt status, while SkyMiles Gold, Platinum & Diamond Medallion members get Platinum Sixt status.

Finally, Delta partners with several other car rental companies to earn SkyMiles, although you won't also get elite status with these companies. Earn 4 SkyMiles per qualifying dollar with Dollar and Thrifty rentals or 2 SkyMiles per qualifying dollar with Alamo, Enterprise, and National rentals.

Marriott Bonvoy

Hertz and Marriott also have teamed up, although this partnership isn't as good as it used to be. Marriott Rewards and SPG elite members used to qualify for up to President's Circle elite status with Hertz. However, members still can earn bonus Bonvoy points with Hertz rentals, and there's also a status match available.

Marriott and Hertz Status Match banner image

After disappearing for some time, the status match from Marriott Bonvoy elite status to Hertz elite status is available again. Marriott Bonvoy members can get either a fast track to Five Star, complimentary Five Star, or President's Circle status:

  • Marriott Platinum Elite status members can get Hertz Five Star after only seven rentals (instead of 10).
  • Titanium Elite status matches to Hertz Five Star.
  • Ambassador Elite status matches to Hertz President's Circle.

Five Star status achieved through Platinum Elite status is valid for 12 months. Five Star or President's Circle status matched from Titanium or Ambassador Elite is good as long as the Bonvoy status is maintained.

Earning Car Rental Elite Status via Status Matches

Once you have elite status with any of the major rental car agencies, one of the easiest ways to achieve it with another program is to apply for a status match. Both National and Hertz have a formalized status match process that can be found via the links below:

Statusmatcher.com also has plenty of data points about other status match opportunities. For example, while Sixt doesn’t have a formal status match program, StatusMatcher has numerous confirmed status matches for Sixt from other car rental, hotel, and airline rewards programs. Ditto with Avis. In fact, we even have an Avis status match guide.

Final Thoughts

Earning elite status with car rental rewards programs can provide members with upgraded vehicles, preferential treatment, priority access at the reservations desk, discounts on rentals, and more. Although rental car elite status doesn’t hold the same appeal as an upgrade to a suite at The Ritz-Carolton, it certainly can improve the experience of renting a car.

The most advantageous benefit may be the fact you don't have to wait in line to pick up or drop off your car while on vacation. Who doesn't love extra time in their day?

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