New Hertz Gold Plus Rewards promotion lets elite members gift status to friends and family
'Tis the season for status — at least, at Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. Thanks to the program's new promotion, Hertz elite members can choose up to two friends or family members to gift elite status to before the end of the year.
All you have to do is fill out a form on Hertz's website (here if you hold Five Star status or here if you're in President's Circle) by Dec. 31, 2024. You'll need to enter your Gold Plus Rewards number and email and your two gift recipients' Gold Plus Rewards numbers and emails. If you'd like to gift status to someone who isn't a Gold Plus Rewards member, they'll have to set up a free account first.
Your loved ones will receive the same status as you, along with all the same perks, from Jan. 13 to Dec. 31, 2025. After that time, they must meet Hertz's usual tier qualifications to hold onto their elite status.
The fine print doesn't mention any restrictions on which elite members can gift status, suggesting that you can take advantage of this promotion even if you hold status through an airline partnership or credit card — more on that below.
Related: Everything you need to know about rental car elite status
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards elite status
If you already hold elite status with Hertz, you know how valuable the benefits are. Five Star and President's Circle give members a wider selection and complimentary vehicle upgrades. Plus, these tiers earn 25% and 50% more Hertz points per dollar, respectively, to get you to your next free rental faster.
You'd typically need to make 10 qualifying rentals or spend $2,000 in a calendar year to reach Five Star status. Those thresholds increase to 15 rentals or $3,000 for President's Circle. But with this promotion, two of your friends or family members can enjoy the perks of elite status for free for most of 2025.
This isn't the only shortcut to status. The following credit cards provide cardholders (and, in some cases, authorized users) with automatic elite status with Hertz:
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Receive complimentary Hertz Five Star status after enrolling through your account's benefits tab on the Capital One website or mobile app.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Receive complimentary Hertz President's Circle status** after enrolling. (Although it was previously announced that this benefit would end at the end of 2024, a Capital One spokesperson confirmed in September 2024 that eligible cardholders will continue to qualify for complimentary Hertz status beyond Dec. 31, 2024.)
- The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Enjoy complimentary Hertz President's Circle status (enrollment required).
Elite members of the Delta SkyMiles program can also get automatic Hertz status. Silver and Gold Medallion members are eligible for Hertz Five Star status, while Platinum and Diamond members are eligible for President's Circle.
If you hold status with another car rental agency — including Avis, Enterprise, Europcar, National and Sixt — you can request a status match to the equivalent Hertz tier on this page.
Related: Stacking rental car perks with Hertz and the Venture X
Bottom line
It's great to see Hertz launch a new promotion during the holidays — and this one is particularly lucrative because it lets you reap the benefits of Hertz elite status next year without spending a dime this year. If you're a Hertz elite, chances are you know a fellow traveler who doesn't have rental car elite status, so consider using this promo to brighten their 2025.
If you haven't yet finished your holiday shopping, check out our guides to the best travel gifts, how to give the gift of travel and redeeming points and miles for gifts.
**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
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.