The Guide to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program

Like many other rental car companies, Hertz offers a loyalty program for its most valued members. Those who rent from Hertz frequently can enjoy perks like free car rentals, complimentary upgrades and additional bonus points. You may be wondering how you can take advantage of these loyalty perks. Let’s take a look at Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, how the program works and the best ways to benefit from being a member.

Join Hertz Gold Plus Rewards

Like any other loyalty program, you’ll need to sign up for an account in order to begin earning points with Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. Signing up is easy, and there is no Hertz Gold Plus Rewards cost to join. Membership is free.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards benefits

There are three levels of elite status in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program.

Hertz Gold

This level is the base level and the one you’ll receive once you sign up. As a Gold member, you’re entitled to a free additional driver and the ability to earn 1 point per dollar spent. Plus, after seven qualifying rentals, you’ll earn the ability to have Five Star elite status treatment for a day.

Hertz Five Star

Five Star elite status is achieved after spending $2,000 or completing 10 rentals. As a Five Star member, you’ll have more options for car rentals and may receive complimentary upgrades on your bookings. Your earning rate also increases — you’ll receive 1.25 points for every dollar you spend.

Hertz President’s Circle

Hertz’s highest level of elite status, President’s Circle, grants you the ability to earn 1.5 points for every dollar spent, as well as guaranteed upgrades with all bookings. This status can be earned after 15 qualifying rentals or spending $3,000 with the program.

» Learn more: How to avoid long lines at rental car counters

Airline and hotel partners

If you’d rather skip out on earning points towards rental cars, you can also opt to earn airline miles or hotel points.

Airline partners

Hertz has many different airline partners. The number of miles you can earn will vary according to the type and length of rental as well as Hertz’s agreement with each partner. You’ll want to check the dedicated page for detailed information. Here are all of Hertz’s airline partners:

Hotel partners

Hertz has far fewer hotel partners than it does airline partners, but these limited options still offer ways for you to earn points:

• IHG One Rewards: Earn 125 points per day.

• Marriott Bonvoy: Earn 500 points per rental.

• Accor Live Limitless: Earn 3 Accor Live Limitless Rewards Points for every euro spent with Hertz.

» Learn more: The best credit cards for rental cars

How to redeem Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points for max value

Hertz has varying award charts to redeem your Gold Plus Rewards points — standard reward and AnyDay rewards. Standard rates are cheapest, while AnyDay rewards enjoy no blackout dates.

Along with the difference between these two options, you’ll be charged different quantities of rewards based on:

• Length of rental.

• Country of rental.

• Type of car.

• Whether or not it’s a one-way rental.

Single day standard reward rentals can cost as little as 750 points. This figure doubles for an Anyday rewards rental, with the going rate starting at 1,500 points for one day. Obviously, if you aren’t worried about blackout dates, booking a standard reward can really maximize your points.

If you’re looking for a weekly rental, you can save yourself some points if you book for a full seven days. A weekly rental can be as short as five days or as long as seven, but with the standard rewards redemption you’ll pay 3,750 points either way. With a seven-day rental you are essentially getting the last two days of the rental for free.

» Learn more: Credit cards with elite car rental perks

Is joining the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards loyalty program worth it?

It’s always a good idea to join a loyalty program. Even if you’re an infrequent renter, the ability to score a free second driver and earn a few points makes it worth signing up. This is true whether you’re looking to join Hertz Gold Plus Rewards or any other programs — it’s free and takes very little time investment.

Keep in mind that if you’ve earned elite status with Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, you can also parlay that into elite status with other rental car companies. National, for example, will give you a status match from 40 other car rental, airline and hotel loyalty programs.

However, you’ll also want to consider whether booking a rental car directly with Hertz is a good idea. The rental car industry sees frequent swings in pricing and you may be able to find cheaper results with an online travel agency such as Priceline or Costco. AutoSlash is also a great asset when searching for cheap rental cars; this site will search and find a variety of rates from every provider in order to score you the best rates.

» Learn more: How to get car rental elite status through airline or hotel status

The bottom line

There’s no reason not to join the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program, especially if you’re often on the road. With generous benefits for its top-tier members, such as guaranteed upgrades, it can more than make it worth it to join. Just be sure to check pricing among a variety of sites before booking to make sure you get the best deal possible.