The complete guide to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards

July 24, 2024

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Hertz is one of the largest rental car companies in the world, with locations in over 150 countries on six continents.

Over the years, I’ve learned the ins and outs of the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program and found ways to maximize it — though that’s gotten more difficult with devaluations over the years. Here, I’ll share the best ways to earn and redeem Hertz points and give an overview of earning and using Hertz Gold Plus Rewards elite status.

How to earn Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points

Unfortunately, renting cars is the only real way to earn Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points. Basic members earn one Hertz point per dollar spent on rentals, while those with Hertz elite status earn bonus points based on their status level:

Five Star: 25% bonus for a total of 1.25 points per dollar
President’s Circle: 50% bonus for a total of 1.5 points per dollar

It is worth noting that Hertz points expire after 12 months without earning or redemption activity (this has decreased from 18 months). Even if you keep your points from expiring after 12 months, any points that stay in your account for over five years without being redeemed will be forfeited.

How to redeem Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points

Things get tricky when it comes to redeeming Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points. Hertz has two redemption levels: Standard and AnyDay. Standard awards are significantly lower priced but are restricted to specific dates. On the other hand, AnyDay rewards can be redeemed without blackout dates but cost twice the number of points.

With that in mind, I recommend redeeming points for Standard rewards. AnyDay rentals are generally a bad value unless your rental is extremely expensive.

Here’s a quick overview of the Hertz award chart and how you can maximize redemptions.

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Maximizing Hertz Standard redemptions

In August 2022, Hertz introduced a new reward chart. Now, Standard rentals are half the cost of AnyDay rentals and start at 950 points per day for a round-trip rental within the U.S. Here’s a look at pricing for round-trip compact through premium rentals within the U.S.

Further, you can rent Specialty, Adrenaline and Prestige cars for more points. The Specialty tier includes higher-end vehicles and can be found at most Hertz locations. The Adrenaline collection has performance vehicles like Corvettes and high-end Mustangs, while Prestige has ultrahigh-end luxury vehicles like Cadillac Escalades, Jaguars, Land Rovers and BMWs.

Specialty round-trip rentals within the U.S. start at 1,900 points, Adrenaline vehicles start at 2,787 points and Prestige vehicle rentals start at 3,167 points. You can view the award chart for these redemptions by heading to this page and scrolling down.

Hertz also offers discounts on one-week rentals booked with points. Weekly round-trip standard rentals within the U.S. start at 4,750 points, which comes out to roughly 675 points per day — a significant discount over booking seven one-day rentals.

Finally, one-way rentals — where you return your vehicle to a different Hertz location — are twice the cost of a round-trip rental. This means a one-day, one-way Standard rental within the U.S. will set you back 1,900 points.

How to book Standard awards with Hertz

So, when can you book Standard awards? Good question — and there’s no easy answer. Unfortunately, each Hertz location has a different set of Standard award dates; some offer more than others.

You can view the list of peak dates by heading to this page and entering your pickup location. You can only book peak dates with AnyDay rewards; you can book any date period not listed here at the Standard rate.

Peak dates vary widely — they may cover a holiday weekend or span an entire season. Unfortunately, Hertz has steadily expanded its peak dates so that they now account for more than half of the year at most locations, as you’ll notice in the example above. This makes it harder to take advantage of Standard award redemptions.

In cities where Hertz has more than one location, it’s best to check multiple locations to see which off-peak dates work best with your travel schedule.

Maximizing your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points by renting high-end cars

Your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points can go a long way. Since Hertz charges a flat rate for Standard awards, I recommend booking premium rentals with these awards to maximize your value. You can use these awards for anything from a compact car to a high-end premium rental, so you might as well rent a cool ride if you’re already using your points.

For example, the total cost of a one-day large SUV rental at Denver International Airport (DEN) in mid-January is $305 after tax, while a large sedan or economy car costs less than half that — but all three cost the same 950 points.

So if you can, rent a bigger or higher-end car with your points. You’ll have more fun and get more value from your hard-earned Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points — not a bad combination.

Other things to know about Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points

In its latest update to its loyalty program, Hertz decided to eliminate cancellation fees on award rentals. That means if you book a car with points after Sept. 1, 2024, and cancel your reservation before pick-up time, the points will be refunded to your account without any penalty.

Hertz also recently updated its points transfer feature. Previously, Gold Plus Rewards members could transfer points to their spouse or domestic partner’s account, with no limit to the number of points or the number of transfers. Now, you can transfer points to any family member’s account — but only once per calendar year.

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards elite status

Hertz offers three status tiers, with two being elite: Five Star and President’s Circle. You earn status based on how often you rent cars with Hertz or how much you spend with Hertz.

Hertz Five Star elite status

Five Star is the lower of the two elite status tiers. To achieve it, you must complete 10 Hertz rentals or spend $2,000 on rental cars in a given calendar year. Hertz Five Star elite members receive several benefits with limited usefulness for most renters. The most notable of these benefits include:

Space-available upgrades: You’re eligible for a one-class car upgrade if the Hertz location you’re renting from has cars in stock.
Bonus points: You’ll earn 25% more points on all rentals, totaling 1.25 points per dollar spent.
Wider Ultimate Choice availability: When renting from a Hertz location with an Ultimate Choice lot, Hertz Five Star members have access to a wider range of cars.

Unfortunately, I don’t think these benefits are very useful — while a one-class upgrade is nice, it isn’t guaranteed. The most valuable benefit is the 25% point bonus, which is guaranteed.

Hertz President’s Circle elite status

Things start to get more interesting when it comes to President’s Circle status. This is Hertz’s top-tier status level and includes an upgraded set of perks:

Guaranteed upgrades: You’re eligible for a guaranteed one-class car upgrade. In practice, the upgrade depends on whether the Hertz location you’re renting from has an upgraded car in stock.
Bonus points: You’ll earn 50% more points on all rentals, for 1.5 points per dollar spent.
Widest Ultimate Choice availability: If renting from a Hertz location with an Ultimate Choice lot, you’ll have access to a wider range of cars than a standard or Five Star member.
Dedicated Hertz Rewards phone line: You can access a dedicated Hertz phone number for President’s Circle members.

You’ll earn President’s Circle status after completing 15 Hertz rentals or spending $3,000 on rental cars in a single calendar year. These benefits are significantly more valuable than Five Star, but I still wouldn’t go out of my way to rent with Hertz solely to earn status when cheaper options are available.

A look at Hertz’s various partnerships

Hertz has partnerships with several travel companies, the most popular being status matches from Capital One and Delta. Additionally, you can save on Hertz rentals and take advantage of other perks if you’re a AAA member or have The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Free Hertz status with Capital One

If you are a Capital One cardholder, you may be in luck. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card cardholders qualify for complimentary Five Star status, while those with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card receive complimentary top-tier President’s Circle status*. Best of all, authorized users and account managers who are at least 21 years old are eligible — this perk isn’t limited to just the primary cardholder. You can learn more on Capital One’s partner page for Hertz.

Unfortunately, Capital One is discontinuing this benefit at the end of this year.

*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through Dec. 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g., at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

Free Hertz status for Delta Medallion elites

If you have Delta elite status, you may be eligible for a free status match to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. Medallion Gold members can match to Five Star status, while Platinum and Diamond members can match to top-tier President’s Circle status.

Head to the Hertz page on Delta’s website to take advantage of this status match. Through this partnership, even Medallion Silver members can earn bonus SkyMiles by crediting rentals to Delta instead of Hertz.

Free Hertz status for Amex Platinum cardholders

One of the many perks of the Amex Platinum is that it provides cardholders with Hertz President’s Circle status. Cardmembers must enroll in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards in order to receive this benefit.

Take advantage of Hertz perks with a AAA membership

I keep an annual AAA membership solely for the included Hertz perks. Members have access to a corporate code that gives up to 20% off rentals, waives the fee for young renters aged 20 to 24 and offers a discount on prepaid fuel, among other minor benefits.

Save money on rental car insurance with credit cards

Like most rental car companies, Hertz offers a primary damage waiver for its rentals. These waivers protect you against theft and damage incurred to the vehicle, ranging from a simple fender-bender to a total loss. We always recommend having one of these waivers when renting a car. It can save you a ton of money if you end up in a wreck and protect your car insurance rates from going up, as you can claim the damage waiver coverage before your personal insurance.

Primary damage waivers come at a cost, though. You’ll generally pay between $14 and $20 per day, which can add up quickly if you rent cars often. Thankfully, you can get one of these damage waivers for free if you pay for your rental with a card that provides car rental coverage.

Bottom line

Hertz points have the potential to be valuable, especially during off-peak rental dates, and elite status can be useful, too, if you rent frequently. That said, you’re usually best off renting from the company that gives you the best price.