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Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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Hertz President’s Circle elite status is included with several top travel cards. I put it to the test to see if it delivers real value
Featured image by BENJAMIN SMITHSON/THE POINTS GUY
Ben Smithson is a senior writer for TPG and is based in London. Originally from Australia and a qualified lawyer with a financial services background, he has almost a decade of experience writing about a broad range of travel and loyalty topics.
October 31, 2026 • 9 min read
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Quick summary
Hertz President's Circle is the top published tier in the Hertz Gold+ Rewards loyalty program, offering perks like guaranteed car upgrades, access to a wider vehicle selection at select airport locations and the ability to skip the counter at certain sites.
Several premium travel cards and select airline elite statuses provide complimentary President's Circle status, but enrollment must be completed through the specific card or airline process, not directly with Hertz.
The author tested these benefits during a rental at Denver International Airport, experiencing a seamless car selection process and a significant vehicle upgrade after initial confusion at the main desk.
While the status can enhance the rental experience, its value depends on location availability and whether upgrades and premium vehicle choices are important to you.
What to consider
Enrollment for complimentary status must be done through the card or airline's designated process, not Hertz's standard enrollment, and may require up to 72 hours or longer to process.
Ultimate Choice, which allows for a wide vehicle selection, is only available at select airport locations and requires booking a midsize or larger car.
Guaranteed upgrades are subject to advance reservation, location participation and do not apply to certain vehicle categories or special rates.
What you'll miss from the article
A firsthand account of how President's Circle status impacts the rental experience, including tips for navigating check-in and maximizing elite benefits.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
President's Circle is the top published tier of the Hertz Gold+ loyalty program, and earning it the traditional way means completing 15 rentals or spending $3,000 with Hertz in a calendar year.
The reason I overlooked it is that I rent a car maybe a couple of times a year and usually shop around for the best deal, with little brand loyalty.
But with a full day ahead of me recently to explore the spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, I wanted to put this elite status to the test to see whether it was a valuable credit card benefit.
BENJAMIN SMITHSON/THE POINTS GUY
What is Hertz President's Circle?
President's Circle is the highest published elite tier in Hertz Gold+ Rewards, the rental company's loyalty program, which costs nothing to join. It sits above the entry-level Gold tier and the mid-tier Five Star elite status.
President's Circle members receive:
A guaranteed one-car-class upgrade at participating locations, with a maximum upgrade to a full-size car
The widest selection of vehicles at Hertz Ultimate Choice locations, where you can choose any car in the President's Circle section
The ability to skip the counter at select locations
1.5 Hertz Gold+ Rewards points per dollar spent on qualifying base rental charges, a 50% bonus over the base earning rate
No additional driver fee for a spouse or domestic partner who has a credit card in their own name and meets Hertz's standard rental qualifications
A dedicated President's Circle customer service line
It's worth remembering that Ultimate Choice is available only at select Hertz airport locations, and you'll need to reserve a midsize or larger vehicle. The guaranteed upgrade requires a reservation made at least 48 hours in advance at a participating location, is capped at a full-size vehicle and does not apply to Manager's Special rentals or certain premium vehicle collections.
Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
Which credit cards offer complimentary President's Circle status?
The following premium credit cards offer complimentary President's Circle status:
American Express Platinum Card® and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Enrollment is required; terms apply. U.S. consumer and business Platinum cardmembers who enrolled before July 9, 2026, must re-enroll through the Car Rental Privileges tile in their Amex benefits by Dec. 31, 2026. Allow up to 72 hours for processing.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Business: Enrollment is required through the benefits tab of their Capital One account on the Capital One website or mobile app. Eligible cardholders can also enroll authorized users through this process. Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note that enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold+ enrollment process (e.g., at hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program, and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card or the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Enrollment is required; terms apply. Basic cardmembers must add their U.S. Hertz Gold+ account number to the Other Loyalty Programs section of their SkyMiles profile, then enroll on Delta's Hertz promotion page. Delta says the status can take up to eight weeks to appear in your Hertz account, so this isn't one to leave until the week before a trip. Delta SkyMiles Platinum Medallion and Diamond Medallion elite members are eligible for complimentary Hertz President's Circle status following this same process.
To receive the President's Circle status benefits, it's important to follow the correct booking process, which is not onerous:
Join Hertz Gold+ if you aren’t already a member, as every route to complimentary President’s Circle status requires it.
Enroll through the specific card issuer or Delta process described above rather than relying on Hertz's standard enrollment page to recognize your eligibility.
Check that the President’s Circle status shows in your Hertz account before you make a reservation.
Make sure your driver’s license details are saved in your Hertz profile so you’re set up to skip the counter.
Book a midsize car or larger at a location with Ultimate Choice, which mostly means airport locations.
At pickup, look for your name on the President’s Circle board and, if you need help, head to the Five Star and President’s Circle desk rather than the main counter.
HERTZ
The President's Circle benefits I actually received
As a solo driver, there was no need for me to add a complimentary second driver, and I didn't need to call Hertz in advance, so I couldn't test the dedicated President's Circle line.
I received 1.5 Hertz Gold+ Rewards points per dollar spent on the rental, as advertised, but the real perks I was interested in were the pickup experience and the type of car I received.
Skipping the counter
When I arrived at the pickup location, my name was on the President's Circle board with a note to "see desk." This was my first Hertz Gold+ rental, and first-time members may need to verify their driver's license and payment card at the Gold desk before they can bypass the counter on subsequent rentals.
Make sure you go to the Five Star/President's Circle desk, rather than the main building desk. At larger locations like Denver International Airport (DEN), where I was, these are two separate buildings.
Being unsure, I went to the main building desk and had an utterly bizarre interaction with the staff there, who found my reservation, insisted my President's Circle status had expired, despite me only activating it a month earlier, refused to activate it and insisted that if I reactivated myself, I would have to cancel the booking and rebook if I wanted any status benefits, which would likely be much more expensive to do last minute. This is despite my showing them my live Hertz account, including the booking confirmation, and my President's Circle status level was clearly visible.
Fortunately, I sought a second opinion at the Five Star and President's Circle desk, where the staff could not have been more helpful, found my reservation, could immediately see my President's Circle status and had me on my way to the President's Circle lot within minutes.
BENJAMIN SMITHSON/THE POINTS GUY
Choosing my car from the President's Circle section
This was the highlight of the day. More than 50 cars were waiting in the President's Circle section. I don't pretend to be an expert on cars (I don't currently own one), so I just chose the one that looked the most luxurious.
Walking up and down the rows and picking out exactly what I wanted to drive was great fun, and I settled on a shiny new 2026 Wrangler Sahara 4WD with just a few thousand miles on the clock, which I thought would be awesome for tackling the winding roads of the Rocky Mountain National Park.
BENJAMIN SMITHSON/THE POINTS GUY
The guaranteed upgrade
Having originally booked a midsize-category Kia K4, driving off the lot in a Jeep Wrangler Sahara sure felt like a superior car, but I subsequently checked the sticker price for each car, new. At more than twice the Kia's retail price, the Jeep was definitely an upgrade.
With the keys already inside, I drove my chosen car to the exit, showed the attendant my receipt with the large "PC" status written on it and headed out the exit to the mountains.
After years of ignoring the Hertz President’s Circle status that comes with my Venture X card, I’m a little sheepish about not using it sooner.
Despite the initial confusion at the main counter, Hertz ultimately delivered on the status benefits I valued most, and for someone who doesn't know much about cars, I felt like a television game show winner, wandering the lot and choosing any car I wished.
The rental wasn't the cheapest from any agency in the area, so if an upgrade doesn't interest you, you still may wish to shop around. Ultimate Choice is available only at certain locations, so a downtown Hertz branch may not have a President's Circle section at all.
It’s probably not a perk I’d open a new credit card for on its own, but if you already hold one of the cards above, submitting the enrollment only takes a few minutes, and it turned what would have been a forgettable rental into one of the highlights of my trip. For special occasions like exploring one of the country's best national parks, I would definitely give my President's Circle status a spin again.
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.
