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Hertz is one of the world’s largest rental car companies, with a presence in more than 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 it’s gotten harder with depreciation 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 a car 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’s worth noting that Hertz points expire after 12 months without earning or redemption activity (this has been reduced from 18 months). Even if you Prevent your points from expiring after 12 months, any points that remain in your account for more than 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 cost significantly less but are limited to specific dates. On the other hand, any day rewards can be redeemed without blackout dates but are worth twice the number of points.

With that in mind, I recommend redeeming points for standard rewards. Any day rental is usually 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.

Related: How you can redeem points and miles for car rentals

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Max Hertz Standard Redemption

In August 2022, Hertz introduced a new Reward Chart. Now, Standard fares are half the price of AnyDay fares and start at 950 points per day for round-trip fares within the US. Here’s a look at prices for round-trip compact through premium fares in the US

Additionally, you can rent Specialty, Adrenaline and Prestige cars for more points. Specialty tires include high-end vehicles and can be found at most Hertz locations. The Adrenaline Collection features performance vehicles such as Corvettes and high-end Mustangs, while the Prestige features ultrahigh-end luxury vehicles such as Cadillac Escalades, Jaguars, Land Rovers and BMWs.

Specialty round-trip fares in the US start at 1,900 points, Adrenaline vehicles start at 2,787 points, and Prestige vehicles start at 3,167 points. You can view the award chart for this redemption by visiting This page And scrolling down.

Hertz also offers discounts on one-week rentals booked with points. Weekly round-trip standard fares in the US start at 4,750 points, which works out to about 675 points per day – a significant discount on seven one-day fare bookings.

Finally, one-way rentals — where you return your vehicle to a different Hertz location — are double the price of a round-trip rental. This means a one-day, one-way standard rental in the US will set you back 1,900 points.

How to book standard awards with Hertz

So, when can you book Standard Awards? Good question – and no easy answer. Unfortunately, each Hertz location has a different set of standard award dates; Some offer more than others.

You can see the list of top dates by going to This page and enter your pickup location. You can only book top dates with any day awards; You can book any date period not listed here at the standard rate.

Peak dates vary widely – they can cover a holiday weekend or cover the entire season. Unfortunately, Hertz has steadily expanded its peak dates so that they now account for more than half of the year in most locations, as you’ll see in the example above. This makes it difficult 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.

Maximize your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points by renting a high-end car

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

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

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

Hertz has also recently updated its points transfer feature. Previously, Gold Plus Rewards members could transfer points to their spouse’s or domestic partner’s account with no limit on 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.

Related: Quick Points: Book Awards Travel faster by pooling your points

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Elite status

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

Hertz Five Star Elite Status

Five Star is the lower of the two elite status levels. To achieve that, in a given calendar year you need to complete 10 Hz rentals or spend $2,000 on a rental car. Hertz Five Star Elite members receive many benefits with limited utility for most tenants. The most notable of these benefits include:

• Space-Available Updates: You are eligible for a one-class car upgrade if the car is in stock at the Hertz location you are renting from.
• Bonus Points: You’ll earn 25% more points on all rentals, for a total of 1.25 points per dollar spent.
• Wide Ultimate Choice Availability: When renting from a Hertz location with the Ultimate Choice Lot, Hertz Five Star members have access to a wide range of cars.

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

Hertz President’s Circle Elite status

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

• Guaranteed Upgrade: You are eligible for a guaranteed one-class car upgrade. In practice, the upgrade depends on whether the upgraded car is in stock at the Hertz location you are renting from.
• 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 the 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 members of the President’s Circle.

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

Related: Everything you need to know about rental car elite status

A look at Hertz’s various partnerships

Hertz has partnerships with several travel companies, the most popular being Capital One and Delta’s Status Match. Plus, you can save on Hertz fares and take advantage of other benefits if you’re an AAA member or have Platinum Card® from American Express.

Free Hertz status with Capital One

If you’re a Capital One cardholder, you might be in luck. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card cardholders qualify for complimentary Five Star status, while Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card holders 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 benefit is not limited to the primary cardholder. You can learn more on that Capital One’s partner page for Hertz.

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

*Eligible cardholders will remain at the upgraded status level until December 31, 2024, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app upon enrollment. Please note, enroll through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (eg, at Hertz.com). Cardholders will not be automatically detected as eligible for the Program and Cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

Related: Stacking rental car perks with Hertz and Venture X

Free Hertz status for Delta Medallion elites

If you have Delta elite status, you may be eligible for a free status match with 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 for Hertz page on Delta’s website To take advantage of this position match. Through this partnership, Medallion Silver members can also earn bonus SkyMiles by crediting fares to Delta instead of Hertz.

Related: The Complete Guide to Renting a Car Matches Elite Status

Free Hertz status for Amex Platinum cardholders

One of the many benefits of Amex Platinum is that it gives cardholders Hertz President’s Circle status. Card members are mandatory Registration in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards to avail this benefit.

Related: How to get a free 4-hour grace period on your next Hertz car rental

Take advantage of Hertz benefits with AAA membership

I hold an annual AAA membership just for the included Hertz benefits. Members have access to corporate codes that offer up to 20% off rent, waive fees for young renters aged 20 to 24 and offer discounts on prepaid fuel, among other small perks.

RELATED: Hertz waives young-driver fee for new graduates – here’s how to enroll

Save money on rental car insurance with a credit card

Like most rental car companies, Hertz offers a basic damage waiver for its rentals. This waiver protects you against theft and damage to the vehicle, ranging from a simple fender-bender to a total loss. We always recommend getting one of these waivers when renting a car. It can save you a lot of money if you get wrecked and keep your car insurance rates from going up, as you can claim damage waiver coverage before your personal insurance.

The primary downside comes at the cost of forgiveness, though. You’ll typically pay between $14 and $20 per day, which can add up quickly if you rent a car frequently. Fortunately, you can get one of these damage waivers for free if you pay for your rent with a A card that provides car rental coverage.

Related: Credit Cards That Offer Elite Status For Car Rentals

Bottom line

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