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Katie Genter is a digital nomad who has traveled full time since June 2017. She writes and edits stories about points and miles, and loyalty programs, often letting her personal experiences color these stories.
September 11, 2026 • 15 min read
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Quick summary
Rental car loyalty programs differ significantly in terms of benefits, point expiration policies and the ability to earn or redeem rewards.
Some programs offer elite status, priority service and free upgrades, while others focus on discounts or expedited pick-up lines without traditional rewards.
Eligibility for complimentary status may be available through select travel loyalty programs or certain cards.
What to consider
Point expiration policies and redemption rates vary widely between programs, with some requiring account activity to maintain points.
Most programs require payment of taxes and fees even when redeeming points for free rental days, and blackout dates may apply for some redemptions.
Not all programs offer traditional points or status tiers.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of each major rental car loyalty program's perks, redemption rules and which traveler profiles benefit most from each.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
The perks and rewards you can earn on rental cars vary drastically between programs. And not every rental car loyalty program is a traditional rewards program. But joining the right program can help you earn free rental days, get upgrades, skip the counter or unlock elite status through a credit card or another loyalty program.
So, here's a look at the best rental car loyalty programs for U.S. consumers.
Comparison of the best rental car loyalty programs
Before we dive into each program, here's a quick comparison of the best rental car loyalty programs.
I chose programs to include in this guide based on three factors: would I recommend that other travelers use them, are they available in most major cities and airports throughout the U.S., and do they offer either rewards that you can use toward free rental days or member discounts on rentals. As such, I excluded regional programs, as well as Ace Member Rewards and Fox Rewards, which offer budget rentals but often result in poor rental experiences due to the lack of widely available skip-the-line pickup features.
Program
Earning rate on rentals for members without status
Starting rate for a free rental day
Reward expiration policy
Complimentary status through credit cards and travel loyalty programs
Alamo Insiders
No earnings on rentals
No rental rewards
N/A
No elite status
Avis Preferred
1 point per dollar spent
700 points
5 years after earning, or 12 months without activity
Select travel loyalty program elite members and credit card holders, including members of Air Canada Aeroplan, American AAdvantage, Atmos Rewards, JetBlue TrueBlue and United MileagePlus
Budget Fastbreak
No earnings on rentals besides occasional Budget Bucks promotions
No rental rewards
N/A
No elite status
Dollar Express Rewards
1 point per dollar spent
500 points
24 months without rental activity
No elite status
Enterprise Plus
1 point per dollar spent
400 points
3 years without a qualifying rental
None
Hertz Gold+
1 point per dollar spent
950 points
5 years after earning, or 12 months without rental
Select travel loyalty program elite members and credit card holders, including members of Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles, IHG One Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy
National Emerald Club
1 rental credit per qualified car rental
5 to 7 rental credits (depending on your status)
Credits don’t expire for active accounts
Select credit card holders
Sixt One
1 rental point and 1 status point per 1 euro spent
The Alamo Insiders program offers members 5% off base rates on pay-later reservations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean.
THOMAS BARWICK/GETTY IMAGES
The program doesn't offer any elite status, earnings on rental or opportunities to redeem for free rentals. But it does offer a skip-the-counter option during the online accelerated check-in process if you are picking up from an eligible airport location.
Avis Preferred
The Avis Preferred program lets you earn and redeem points, plus members can skip the line and head directly to their car at most rental locations.
Avis Preferred has three tiers: Avis Preferred, Avis Preferred Plus and Avis President's Club.
Avis Preferred
Avis Preferred Plus
Avis President's Club
Requirements per calendar year
None
10 rentals or $4,000 spent
20 rentals or $6,000 spent
Earning rates
1 point per dollar spent on rentals and 2 points per dollar spent on accessories
1.25 points per dollar spent on rentals and 2.5 points per dollar spent on accessories
1.5 points per dollar spent on rentals and 3 points per dollar spent on accessories
Additional perks
None
One-car class upgrade each time you reserve a midsize or above
Two-car class upgrade each time you reserve a midsize or above, and guaranteed availability to book up to a full size when you book at least 24 hours in advance
You'll keep Avis Preferred status through the end of the calendar year following the one in which you earned it. You can also obtain complimentary Avis Preferred status through select loyalty programs and travel rewards cards:
You can redeem points for rental reward days and accessories; rental reward days start at 700 points, while accessories start at 250 points per accessory per day. Specifically, here's how Avis divides its rental reward days:
Up to $50 standard base rate: 700 points
$50.01 to $85 standard base rate: 1,400 points
$85.01 to $125 standard base rate: 2,100 points
$125.01 to $225 standard base rate: 3,500 points
The best redemptions are those for 700 points. However, you'll still need to pay the taxes and fees on your rental when you redeem points for reward days. And you'll often need to redeem more points than you'd expect. For example, on a one-day economy car rental from the Atlanta airport, I could pay $59.79 or redeem 2,100 points and still pay $20.79 in taxes and fees. On this redemption, I'd only get 1.86 cents per point.
1 of 2
AVIS
2 of 2
AVIS
Avis points expire 60 months after you earn them, or if your account is inactive for 12 months.
The Budget Fastbreak program lets you skip the pick-up and drop-off lines at most rental locations.
However, the Budget Fastbreak program doesn't offer any elite status, permanent reward currency or standing rental discounts. Instead, it sends occasional emails with offers and periodic promotions that let you earn Budget Bucks on rentals. For example, Budget Fastbreak members can currently register for Budget Bucks and then earn $25 in Budget Bucks after completing two qualifying rentals by Dec. 31, 2026. Budget Bucks usually expire 12 months after you earn them.
The Dollar Express Rewards program lets you earn and redeem points on rentals in the U.S. and Canada as long as they aren't prepaid. Express Rewards members can also enjoy faster pickups and returns.
You'll earn 1 point per dollar spent on the base rental rate for rentals in the U.S. and Canada.
GENERAL_BOJANSTORY/GETTY IMAGES
You can redeem points toward compact, midsize and full-size rentals. Dollar's frequently asked questions page says that on average, you can expect to redeem 500 points for a one-day weekend rental, 625 points for a one-day weekday rental and 2,550 points for a one-week rental. You'll still need to pay the taxes and fees on your rental when redeeming points, and most major holidays are blackout days for redemptions.
Dollar Express Rewards points expire if you don't have any rental activity with the program for 24 months.
Enterprise Plus
The Enterprise Plus program lets you earn and redeem points on rentals worldwide. Its status has four tiers: Plus, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
Plus
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Requirements per calendar year
None
6 rentals
12 rentals or 40 days
24 rentals or 85 days
Earning rates
1 point per dollar spent
1.1 points per dollar spent
1.15 points per dollar spent
1.2 points per dollar spent
Complimentary car upgrades per year
None
One
Two
Four
Once you earn Enterprise Plus status, you'll keep it through the end of February in the second calendar year after you qualify.
You can redeem points for free rental days with no restrictions on car type and no blackout dates. As with most rental car loyalty programs, free rental days only cover the base rate, so you'll still need to pay for taxes and fees on your free rental. Free rental days start at 400 points, but the exact amount required depends on the rental details.
Enterprise Plus points only expire if you don't have a qualifying rental for three years.
Hertz Gold+
The Hertz Gold+ program lets you earn and redeem points on car rentals, enjoy member-only pricing and skip the line when picking up a car at select locations.
Hertz Gold+ has three tiers: Gold, Five Star and President's Circle.
Gold
Five Star
President's Circle
Requirements per calendar year
None
3 rentals or $1,000 in base rental spend
15 rentals or $3,000 in base rental spend
Earning rates
1 point per dollar spent
1.25 points per dollar spent
1.5 points per dollar spent
Additional perks
None
Select from vehicles on the Hertz Five Star lot and get a free vehicle upgrade at participating locations when available
Select from vehicles on the Hertz President's Circle lot and get a guaranteed free vehicle upgrade at participating locations
Once you earn a Hertz Gold+ status tier, you'll keep it through the end of the next calendar year. You can also obtain complimentary Hertz Gold+ status through select travel rewards credit cards and loyalty programs:
You can redeem Hertz Gold+ points toward qualifying base rental rates for reservations at corporate and participating franchise locations, according to an award chart with standard and peak dates. Award rates start at 950 points for a standard vehicle one-day rental. However, you'll need to pay for taxes, fees and optional add-ons on your award days.
Most Hertz Gold+ points expire five years after you earn them or 12 months after your last rental. However, any bonus points that you earn may expire sooner.
The National Emerald Club gives its members 1 rental credit for every qualified car rental. Members can skip the counter and pick a car from their assigned area as long as they've booked at least a midsize car. Otherwise, you can use the Emerald Club counter service.
National Emerald Club has three tiers: Emerald Club, Executive and Executive Elite.
Emerald Club
Executive
Executive Elite
Requirements per calendar year
None
12 paid rentals or 40 paid rental days
25 paid rentals or 85 paid rental days
Credits needed for a free rental day
7
6
5
Additional perks
Choose any car on the Emerald Aisle and only pay the reserved midsize rate in the U.S. and Canada and get a one car class upgrade (subject to availability at time of rental) at participating locations in the U.K., Ireland, France, Spain and Germany
Choose any car in the Executive Area and only pay the reserved midsize rate in the U.S. and Canada, and get a guaranteed free upgrade when you reserve a full-size through luxury vehicle in the U.S. and Canada
Guaranteed availability to reserve up to a full-size car with 24-hour notice in U.S. and Canada
Once you earn National Emerald Club status, you'll keep it through February of the year following the one in which you earned it. You can also obtain complimentary National Emerald Club Executive status through select U.S. Visa Infinite cards, as well as the following cards (enrollment may be required):
Additionally, your credits toward a free rental day don't expire as long as your account is active. However, National will convert your credits into a free rental day once you have enough, and this free rental day will expire on Dec. 31 of the year after you earn it.
Sixt One
The Sixt One program offers member discounts, the ability to earn and redeem rental points and the opportunity to skip the counter and select a car on the Sixt app when picking up a car.
Sixt One has four tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond.
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Diamond
Requirements per calendar year
None
2,000 status points
4,000 status points
6,000 status points
Earning rates
1 rental point and 1 status point per 1 euro spent
1.1 rental points and 1 status point per 1 euro spent
1.2 rental points and 1 status point per 1 euro spent
1.3 rental points and 1 status point per 1 euro spent
Discount on car rentals
Up to 8%
Up to 10%
Up to 15%
Up to 20%
Additional perks
Pick from up to two car options after mobile check-in
Pick from up to three car options after mobile check-in
Eligible for free upgrades
Diamond lounge access
Once you earn Sixt One status, you'll keep it through the end of the next calendar year. Select U.S. Visa Infinite cardholders may be eligible to enroll in complimentary Sixt One Platinum status; check your card benefits to see if this is an option on your card.
You can redeem rental points for instant savings on your rental car bookings. However, the exact redemption rate depends on the specifics of your rental. Rental points expire 24 months from the end of the quarter in which you earned them.
Thrifty Blue Chip Rewards
The Thrifty Blue Chip Rewards program offers its members discounts at booking and access to a priority counter service or the ability to go directly to the lot at select U.S. airports. However, there are no status tiers or points in the Thrifty Blue Chip Rewards program.
Bottom line
I love earning and redeeming airline miles and hotel points. But, although I rent cars about a dozen times each year, I've struggled to get excited about earning and redeeming rewards with rental car loyalty programs. Perhaps that's because the program I use most frequently (Avis Preferred) offers good rates with my company's personal travel discount code, but seemingly low redemption value.
The best rental car loyalty program for you will depend on what you value most. For example, if you value being able to select your own vehicle, the National Emerald Club is a good option. And if you value securing upgrades on special rentals, Enterprise Plus may be best. However, it may also make sense to consider which credits or perks you can enjoy with specific rental car loyalty programs, based on your credit cards or other loyalty programs.
