Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.
Hertz is one of the largest rental car companies in the world, with locations in over 150 countries across 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 become more difficult with devaluations over the years. Here, I’ll share the best ways to earn and redeem Hertz points, and I’ll 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 the base fare for rentals (excluding taxes and fees). 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 just 12 months without earning or redemption activity. (This has decreased from 18 months.)
And in equally bad news, 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 effective Dec. 31, 2024.
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 when you can. AnyDay rentals are generally a bad value unless your rental is extremely expensive. However, if you travel during popular time frames, don’t be shocked when the price is an AnyDay price. For example, from Dec. 16-Jan. 3, 2025, every day is an AnyDay rate if you are picking up a car in Salt Lake City. Meanwhile, at the Orlando airport, every day from July 3-Aug. 18, 2024, was a peak, pricier date.
With that in mind, here’s a quick overview of the Hertz award chart and how you can maximize redemptions.
Related: How you can redeem points and miles for car rentals
Maximizing Hertz Standard redemptions
In August 2022, Hertz introduced a new reward chart. Now, Standard rentals are half the cost of AnyDay rentals, and they start at 950 points per day for a rental that starts and ends at the same place within the U.S. Here’s a look at pricing for compact through premium rentals within the U.S.
Further, you can rent Specialty cars for double the points. Specialty rentals for vehicles such as SUVs within the U.S. start at 1,900 points per day.
Even more specialized vehicles, like a Shelby GT or Porsche, may be available under the Adrenaline and Prestige vehicle prices. However, availability at these in our spot checks is not very good, so your mileage may vary on whether or not you can grab one of those with your 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 Gold Plus Rewards points. Weekly round-trip standard rentals within the U.S. start at 4,750 points, which comes out to roughly 675 points per day. This is a significant discount over booking seven one-day rentals, making this a potential very good use of points for a longer trip.
Finally, one-way rentals — where you return your vehicle to a different Hertz location — cost twice as much as 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? There’s no easy answer. Unfortunately, each Hertz location has a different set of Standard award dates, and 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.
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 and cancel your reservation before pickup 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 who has had activity in the last 12 months. You can only do this once per calendar year.
Related: Quick points: Book award travel faster by pooling your points
How to use your points on a Hertz reservation
The actual process of using your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards for a booking is a bit involved and requires the following steps:
- Log into your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards account.
- On the upper right-hand section of the website, under your name, select “Use My Points.”
- There will be a section on that page where you again click “Book With Points.”
- Then run your search like normal. Unforunately, the points prices will not display.
- Select your desired vehicle on the final booking page. If the car is eligible for using points, there will be an option to “Pay With Hertz Rewards Points” for anywhere from one day to your whole rental.
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards elite status
Hertz offers three status tiers, with two being elite tiers: 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 Gold status
Hertz Gold status is free and open to anyone 21 years and up who joins. Being a Hertz Gold member is actually very beneficial as it allows for free additional driver status for a spouse or domestic partner in the U.S. It also allows you to skip the line in many locations and go straight to picking up your car in the lot.
Hertz Five Star elite status
The first elite status tier that you have to actually earn is Five Star status. 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.
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. Still, l wouldn’t go out of my way to rent with Hertz solely to earn status when cheaper options are available.
Related: Everything you need to know about rental car elite status
Get Hertz status and savings with these partnerships
Hertz has partnerships with several travel companies, the most popular being status matches from Capital One and Delta Air Lines. 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 for Delta Medallion elites
If you have Delta elite status, you may be eligible for a free status match to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. Silver and Gold Medallion 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 Silver Medallion members can earn bonus SkyMiles by crediting rentals to Delta instead of Hertz.
Related: The complete guide to car rental elite status matches
Free Hertz status for Amex Platinum cardholders
One of the many perks of The Platinum Card from American Express is that it provides cardholders with Hertz President’s Circle status and a four-hour grace period when booking. For example, say you booked a rental that started at 12 p.m. one day, and you needed to turn it in at 4 p.m. the next day. By using the Amex Platinum’s Hertz code, you wouldn’t have to pay any extra to book it in that manner. Amex cardmembers must enroll in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards in order to receive this benefit.
Related: How to get a free 4-hour grace period on your next Hertz car rental
Take advantage of Hertz perks with an AAA membership
AAA members have access to a corporate code that gives up to 20% off rentals, waives the fee for young renters aged 20 to 24, offers the complimentary use of a car seat and offers a discount on prepaid fuel, among other minor benefits.
Related: Hertz waives young-driver fees for new graduates — here’s how to enroll
You can also status match to Hertz from another car rental company.
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.
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.
Related: Credit cards that offer elite status for car rentals
Bottom line
Hertz points have the potential to be valuable, especially during off-peak rental dates. 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.
Related reading:
- Ways to save money on car rentals
- How to redeem points and miles for car rentals
- Best car rental rewards programs
