Maximizing Hertz Gold Plus Rewards: A Complete Guide to Earning Points and Elite Benefits
As one of the world’s leading car rental companies operating across more than 160 countries on six continents, Hertz offers a comprehensive loyalty program that can provide significant value to frequent renters and occasional travelers alike.
The Hertz Gold Plus rewards program comes at no cost to join and delivers immediate benefits including complimentary additional drivers and exclusive member pricing. Understanding how to effectively accumulate and utilize these rewards can lead to substantial savings on future vehicle rentals.
Accumulating Points in the Gold Plus Program
The primary method for building your Hertz rewards balance involves completing paid rentals with the company. Basic Gold members receive one point for every dollar spent on the rental base rate, excluding taxes and additional fees. Members who achieve higher status levels benefit from enhanced earning rates:
- Five Star members: Receive a 25% earning bonus, totaling 1.25 points per dollar
- President’s Circle members: Enjoy a 50% earning bonus, reaching 1.5 points per dollar
It’s crucial to maintain account activity, as points will expire after 12 months of inactivity. Additionally, any points remaining unused for more than five years face permanent forfeiture, regardless of account activity.
Understanding the Redemption Structure
Hertz operates a two-tier redemption system that significantly impacts the value of your points. Standard redemptions offer considerably better value but come with date restrictions that vary by location. Peak redemptions eliminate blackout dates but require double the points, making them generally less attractive unless rental costs are exceptionally high.
The company provides an online tool to check peak dates for specific locations, helping members plan their redemptions strategically. Given that peak periods now encompass more than half the year at most locations, securing standard redemption dates has become increasingly challenging.
Optimizing Standard Award Bookings
For domestic rentals within the United States, standard awards for compact through premium vehicles start at competitive point levels. Specialty vehicles, including SUVs, require double the standard points, beginning at 1,900 points daily.
Weekly rentals present excellent value opportunities, with seven-day standard bookings starting at 4,750 points – approximately 675 points per day compared to individual daily bookings. One-way rentals, where return occurs at a different location, cost twice the standard round-trip rate.
High-performance vehicles under the “adrenaline” and “prestige” categories may be available, though availability remains limited across most locations.
Booking Process and Policies
Redeeming points requires accessing the dedicated booking portal through your Gold Plus account. The process involves selecting “Use My Points” from your account dashboard, then “Book With Points” to access the award inventory.
Hertz has eliminated cancellation penalties for award bookings, allowing full point refunds for cancellations made before the scheduled pickup time. The company also permits annual point transfers between family members who maintain active accounts.
Elite Status Benefits and Requirements
The program features three membership levels, each offering progressively enhanced benefits and earning potential.
Gold Membership Foundation
Available to anyone 21 or older at no cost, Gold status provides valuable baseline benefits including complimentary additional drivers for spouses or domestic partners and expedited pickup processes that bypass traditional counter lines.
Five Star Elite Advantages
Achieving Five Star status requires completing three rentals or spending $1,000 annually. Benefits include space-available vehicle upgrades, the 25% point earning bonus, and expanded Ultimate Choice vehicle selection at participating locations.
President’s Circle Premium Tier
The program’s highest level requires 15 annual rentals or $3,000 in spending. President’s Circle members receive guaranteed vehicle upgrades (subject to availability), the 50% point bonus, maximum Ultimate Choice access, and dedicated customer service lines.
Strategic Partnerships and Status Matching
Hertz maintains valuable partnerships that can accelerate your path to elite status and enhance earning potential.
Airline Elite Status Benefits
Delta Air Lines Medallion members can secure complimentary Hertz status matches. Silver and Gold Medallion holders receive Five Star status, while Platinum and Diamond members qualify for President’s Circle benefits. All Delta SkyMiles members earn up to 8 miles per dollar on Hertz rentals.
Credit Card Partnership Benefits
Several premium credit cards provide automatic Hertz elite status. The American Express Platinum Card delivers complimentary President’s Circle status with enrollment, plus four-hour grace periods on returns at select domestic locations.
Capital One Venture X cardholders can enroll for President’s Circle status, while other Capital One cards may provide Five Star benefits. Enrollment must occur through the card issuer’s platform rather than directly with Hertz to ensure proper status recognition.
AAA Membership Advantages
AAA members access corporate rates providing up to 20% discounts, waived young driver fees for ages 20-24, complimentary car seat usage, and discounted prepaid fuel options.
Program Value Assessment
The Hertz Gold Plus program delivers meaningful value even for infrequent renters. Member-exclusive rates, streamlined pickup processes, and the potential for free future rentals through point accumulation make enrollment worthwhile for most travelers. The enhanced benefits available through elite status and strategic partnerships can provide substantial additional value for frequent renters or those holding qualifying credit cards.