A Less Enjoyable Side of Travel
Dealing with car rental companies is one of the less exciting aspects of travel, and I’m sure many would agree. The long, unexpected lines, unavailability of the requested car, confusion in terms and conditions, and numerous clicks of a button with your initials and signature can make the travel experience less enjoyable. Not to mention, employees use fear tactics to up-sell unnecessary add-ons, such as insurance, which is often redundantly covered by certain credit cards or your personal car insurance. It’s evident that car rental companies have significant room for improvement in addressing the concerns of travelers.
Growth Trends and Strategies of Industry Leaders
The global market for car rentals is expected to reach an incredible USD 104.00 billion in 2023, with a predicted annual growth rate of approximately 3.49%, reaching USD 119.30 billion by 2027 [link]. Major players in this market, such as Hertz, Avis & Enterprise Group, are thriving. To stay competitive, they’re experimenting with things like artificial intelligence (AI), connected cars, and electric vehicles (EVs).
Take Hertz, for instance. They had ambitious plans to add 100,000 more Teslas to their fleet by 2022 when the news first surfaced in 2021. However, there are several reasons why they are currently slowing down. They have so far added 35,000 Teslas [link].
In light of this, let’s take a look at Hertz, a popular choice for car rental loyalty programs.
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program
The program is under the umbrella of Hertz Global Holdings, which also oversees Dollar Rent A Car and Thrifty Car Rental, ensuring a comprehensive network of rental options.
The Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, is a loyalty program with some perks at different membership levels. Joining is easy and free – do it online or on the Hertz app. As a member, renting a car with Hertz is super easy – just skip the counter (available at select locations) and go straight to your car. You get cool extras like quick drop-offs through Hertz e-return, and if you rent from one of their neighborhood locations, they’ll even bring your car to you and pick it up. Your loyalty comes with special access to exclusive cars based on your membership tier.
Talking about tiers, there are three – Gold, Five Star, and the President’s Circle. The more you spend on car rentals, the more points you get, and higher tiers earn even more points. Everyone gets nice perks like free extra drivers (the sole reason to sign up for the program), lots of car choices with Ultimate Choice, and the chance to earn free rental days. But if you’re in the President’s Circle, you get a bonus – guaranteed upgrades to the best cars (Note: President’s Circle members enjoy one car class upgrade, with a maximum upgrade to a full-size vehicle (class F).
Ways to Redeem
To use Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Points for a car rental in North America, members just need to book online at least one day in advance and choose the points redemption option during the reservation. If you haven’t rented a car in the last 12 months, your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points will expire. To keep your points, earn or redeem them on a rental directly. Making reservations or transferring points to a partner company does not count as rental activity.
To use points in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program, members can choose from various options [link]:
Online Redemption
- Begin by making a reservation on Hertz.com.
- Choose “Use my Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® Points” on the homepage.
- Select your preferred option for point redemption and complete your reservation.
Use the Hertz App
- Download the Hertz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
- Log in to your account using the app.
- Make a reservation using the app.
- If you are eligible, choose your reward from the “Review and Book” page.
Call 1-800-227-4653
- If you have any questions, would like to transfer or buy points, contact at 1-800-227-4653 [Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST.]
If you and your spouse or domestic partner are both Gold members living at the same address, you can share your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points. However, you cannot transfer points to another person’s airline/hotel/Amtrak account, even if they are a spouse or domestic partner. As long as you have enough points in your account, you can transfer points to your partner as many times as you need.
AnyDay Reward vs. Standard Reward
Members can use points for either a part or the full rental cost. Hertz provides two redemption levels: Standard (lower priced with date restrictions) and AnyDay (redeemable without blackout dates but at double the points cost). According to the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards FAQs, “AnyDay Rewards are not subject to blackout periods and may be used during the busiest travel periods, which usually occur around certain holidays, major local events, and the very highest seasonal demand periods at specific locations.” Standard Rewards are available except during peak travel periods and require fewer points to redeem than AnyDay Rewards” [link].
Log in to Hertz.com, go to “My Account,” and then click on “Use My Points” to see which dates and cities require AnyDay Rewards redemptions. Access the “Terms and Conditions” tab within the “Use My Points” section, where you can find a list of AnyDay Rewards periods organized by country. Select the appropriate country to see the specific cities and dates that necessitate the use of AnyDay Reward.
Click here to view the 2023 AnyDay Rewards calendar.
To view the International AnyDay calendar click here.
Steps To Redeem Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Points
You can use your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points for reservations, with the option to pay partially or fully based on your preferences and available points. Follow these steps to redeem Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points for a rental [link]:
- Log into your account and go to “My Account” to check your available point balance.
- While entering your reservation details, check the option “Use My Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Points” to redeem a reward.
- Choose the car you want to rent and select additional options, then click “Submit.”
- On the “Review and Book” page, if your itinerary qualifies for a reward, you’ll see options to pay either a portion or the entire rental with points.
- If a reward doesn’t match your itinerary or you lack sufficient points, a warning message will display indicating that you do not have enough points to redeem a Herz Plus Rewards
- Click on the “Edit Itinerary” to make necessary adjustments
Credit Card Affiliation
The Platinum Card from American Express and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card give you elite status in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program. With President’s Circle status, you get guaranteed vehicle upgrades and earn more points. The World Elite Mastercard also automatically gives cardholders access to President’s Circle status in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program.
Capital One Venture / Venture X
You can get Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle status if you have a Venture X card, and Five Star status if you have a Venture card through December 31, 2024. To gain access to these upgrades, follow these steps:
- Go to capitalone.com or the Capital One Mobile app to get started.
- Select either your Venture X or Venture account.
- Navigate to the Benefits tab and select the Hertz tile.
- If you already have a Hertz membership, request an upgrade; otherwise, fill out the enrollment form.
- Fill out the form and submit it.
- Your upgraded status will be delivered to you within 24-72 hours.
This offer is open to all Venture X and Venture cardholders over the age of 21, including authorized users and account managers. To be eligible, you must enroll through Capital One.
American Express (Amex) Platinum Card
This offer is open to Amex Platinum, Business Platinum, and Amex Corporate Platinum Card holders. Getting Hertz President’s Circle status with your Amex Platinum card is rather simple. Follow these steps:
- Amex Platinum cardholders can enroll for Hertz Gold Plus status through the Amex offers dashboard.
- Make sure you’re already signed up for Hertz Gold Plus Rewards and have Gold status.
- Use the provided link to fill out a simple form and upgrade to Hertz President’s Circle status.
- Enter your name, email, and Hertz Gold Plus rewards number on the form.
- Hertz President’s Circle Status will be effective 24-72 hours after enrollment.
Hertz Status Match Program
Hertz lets you match your status from other rental companies to their Five Star or President’s Circle status, giving you benefits like faster reservations and car upgrades. To get the match, join Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, email proof of your identity and a proof of your current status with other rental companies to [email protected], or you can simply enter your member information here, including email, company name, and the competitor program you want to match, to participate. Please provide your Gold Plus Rewards member number as well as proof of current competitor status. If you are not already a member, you can sign up for Hertz Gold Plus Rewards to receive these special benefits.
Airline and Hotel Partners with Hertz
Hertz has numerous airline partners, including American Airlines, Delta, United, Alaska, Air France, Qatar and others [link]. IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Accor Live Limitless are among the hotel partners available [link]. The points earned vary, with IHG One Rewards offering 125 points per day and Marriott Bonvoy offering 500 points per rental.
Hertz collaborates with airline and hotel loyalty programs to provide members with the opportunity to obtain elite status with Hertz based on their status with these partners. Earn Hertz status through Delta Air Lines or Marriott Bonvoy:
Delta Air Lines:
- Delta Gold Medallion status gets you Hertz Five Star status.
- Delta Platinum Medallion status or higher gives you Hertz President’s Circle status.
To register for the complimentary status match with Delta, click here.
Marriott Bonvoy:
- If you’re a Marriott Bonvoy member with Platinum Elite status, you can match it for:
- Hertz Five Star status with Titanium Elite.
- Hertz President’s Circle status with Ambassador Elite.
To register for the status match with Marriott Bonvoy, click here.
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Points Cancellation Policy
If you cancel a reservation made with Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points, your points will be returned if you cancel 24 hours before the scheduled pickup time.
If you cancel after the initial 24-hour period, you may forfeit a percentage of the points used toward the booking, depending on your membership status:
- Gold members will forfeit 50% of the points used toward the booking.
- Five-star members will forfeit 25% of the points used toward the booking.
- Member of the President’s Circle: All points will be returned to the member’s account.
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Devaluation
Hertz discreetly lowered the value of its Gold Plus Rewards program in 2019 and again in 2022, increasing the number of points required for free rental days by 25%. The number of points required for a standard reward increased from 675 to 750 in 2019, now 950 points. Weekly rental rewards increased by 70% from 2,750 points in 2019 to 4,750 points in 2022. Point hikes were also seen in specialty and one-way rentals. The devaluation occurred without warning, making it difficult for members to track changes.
Click here to view the standard US reward chart for daily, weekly, and one-way rentals [link].
In Conclusion
Traveling has its drawbacks, especially when dealing with car rental companies. Long lines, muddled terminology, and pushy sales tactics can all diminish from the experience. Despite this, the global car rental market is booming, with major players like Hertz experimenting with new trends like electric cars and artificial intelligence.
When it comes to Hertz’s loyalty program, Gold Plus Rewards, there are benefits to be had, but there are also drawbacks. Issues such as the AnyDay Rewards system’s need for double points and previous program devaluation require attention. Travelers can overcome these obstacles by remaining informed, and making strategic decisions to maximize their benefits. Being proactive can transform the less exciting aspects of travel into a more rewarding experience. Finally, users can make the most of it by learning about the redemption process, downloading the Hertz app, and investigating credit card affiliations for additional benefits.
New to earning miles and points? Read my tips on how to collect them effortlessly [link]. I’ve got a beginner’s guide to credit card points and miles to help you start. If your credit card is declined or pending, don’t stress—it’s not over. Check this [link] for basics on the credit card application process and what to do with a reconsideration line. Explore my list of sweet spots to make the most of your miles and points. Enjoy your points and miles journey!
