The complete guide to car rental elite status matches
Editor's Note
Quick summary
Like airline and hotel loyalty programs, car rental loyalty programs can enhance your travel experience by offering perks such as increased point earnings, free upgrades and other money-saving advantages. Ahead of what's likely to be a busy summer travel season, rental car status can help you skip the counter and be on your way quickly.
Many rental car companies provide status matches to elite members of other programs. This means that if you have elite status with at least one car rental loyalty program, you can match your status to other programs. For instance, you could match your Hertz President's Circle status to Enterprise Platinum status.
Matching your status is an excellent way to try a new rental car company. In this article, we'll explore all the currently available car rental status match offers so you can take full advantage of these opportunities.
Enterprise: Match up to Platinum status
If you hold Avis or Hertz status, you may be eligible for a status match to Enterprise Plus status.
Here's a closer look:
| Avis/Hertz status tier | Enterprise status match |
|---|---|
| Avis Preferred (with 6 to 11 rentals per year)
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards (with 6 to 9 rentals per year) | Enterprise Plus Silver |
| Avis Preferred Plus
Hertz Gold Five Star | Enterprise Plus Gold |
| Avis President's Club
Avis Chairman's Club Avis Preferred Plus (25 rentals or 85 or more rental days) Hertz President's Circle | Enterprise Plus Platinum |
Once you've signed up for an Enterprise Plus account, head to the status match website and enter your information. You'll need to upload your current monthly Avis or Hertz statement or a copy of your membership card showing your name, current elite status and your status expiration date. One of our staffers recently requested a status match to Enterprise Plus Platinum using Hertz President's Circle, and it took seven days for his status match to get approved.
Enterprise status isn't as rewarding as Hertz President's Circle or National Executive Elite, but it still has a handful of benefits you can use to improve your Enterprise rental experience. Enterprise Plus Platinum members get 20% bonus points and four upgrades per year.
Related: Which car rental company is right for you?
Avis: Not available to residents in the U.S. and Canada
Avis has a status match webpage; however, those who reside in the U.S. or Canada are ineligible.
The status match website is only available to residents of Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey or the U.K. If that applies to you, you can submit a status match request here.
However, those residing in the U.S. or Canada can earn Avis Preferred Plus status after earning 60,000 American Airlines Loyalty Points or by holding United Premier Silver or Gold status. Primary Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders are also eligible for Avis Preferred Plus status.
Top-tier Avis President's Club is also available to those who earn 100,000 American Airlines Loyalty Points as well as United Premier Platinum, 1K or Global Services members. Primary card members of the United Club℠ Card, United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Card, United Club℠ Business Card and United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Business Card also are eligible for instant President's Club status.
The information for the United Presidential Plus Card, United Club Business Card and United Presidential Plus Business Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Hertz: Match up to President's Circle status
Hertz President's Circle is one of the more lucrative car rental status levels. These top-tier elites earn 50% bonus points and are guaranteed one-class upgrades at participating locations. President's Circle members also have access to the President's Circle lot at Hertz Ultimate Choice locations worldwide.
Currently, Avis, Enterprise, National and Europcar elite members can status match to Hertz at the following levels:
| Your rental status | Hertz status match |
|---|---|
| Avis Preferred Plus with under 25 rentals
Enterprise Plus Silver or Gold National Executive Europcar Privilege Executive | Hertz Five Star |
| Avis Preferred Plus with more than 25 rentals
Avis President's Club Enterprise Plus Platinum National Executive Elite Europcar Privilege Elite | Hertz President's Circle |
To submit a status match request, you must create a Hertz account and head to the status match website. Enter your information, provide proof of your existing status and press the "Match My Status" button. You should see your matched status shortly.
You may be eligible for a free status match to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards status if you have Delta Air Lines elite status. Medallion Gold members can match to Five Star status, while Platinum and Diamond members can match to top-tier President's Circle status.
Some Delta elites and Capital One cardholders are also eligible for Hertz status.
Related: The complete guide to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards
National: Match your airline, hotel or car rental status
National is the car rental company of choice for many TPGers, mainly due to its solid Emerald Club program. Top-tier Executive Elite members can enjoy benefits like a free rental day after five qualifying rentals and upgrades in the U.S., Canada and Europe when you book the midsize rate. Last year, I used National status and free days to rent a $100,000 BMW 740i for $3 per day.
The great thing about National's status match is that you can match status from airline, hotel and car rental loyalty programs. National lists American AAdvantage, United MileagePlus and Hilton Honors as eligible programs but notes that "more than 40" programs are eligible for status matching.
Matching your status is easy: Create a National account and fill out the status match form.
Related: Credit cards that offer elite status for car rentals
Sixt: Match your rental car status
Sixt has three elite status tiers, each offering bonus points, upgrades and other valuable benefits. Although it doesn't publish which competing rental car status it matches, you can click "get matched" to request a status match here.
Sixt will review Avis, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, National and Thrifty elite status match requests.
Related: How to never pay full price for a rental car
Europcar
Europcar offers unpublished status matches to its Privilege elite status. The program has four tiers: Club, Executive, Elite and Elite VIP. Each tier has various benefits, such as a complimentary additional driver, savings and upgrades.
While not published on its website, you can email your Europcar Privilege number to privilege-card@europcar.com with proof of another elite status to request a match. In October 2021, I submitted a Europcar status match using a screenshot of my Hertz President's Circle membership ID card. TPG senior credits card editor Matt Moffitt had a similar experience using his Hertz President's Circle status for a Europcar status match in June 2023.
Europcar granted us both Privilege Elite status, the second-highest tier in its program.
It's important to note that Europcar's status match program is subject to eligibility criteria and may not be available in all regions. Additionally, the duration of the status match and the documentation required may vary depending on the program you're matching from. Before submitting your status match, you might consider contacting their customer support for the latest information.
Related: 9 rental car rewards programs you need to know about
Saving on rental car insurance
While renting a car with elite status can be a great experience, you generally still need to pay for insurance. To minimize your costs, it's a good idea to pay for your rental with a credit card that offers rental car insurance. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve are two of the best credit cards that offer primary rental coverage.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve, your rental is covered up to $75,000, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred provides coverage up to the car's cash value. This can help you save a significant amount of money, especially if you usually purchase a damage waiver from your car rental company.
Moreover, these credit cards offer bonus points on travel purchases, including car rentals. This means you can earn more points the next time you rent a car, which can help you save money on future trips.
Related: Should I purchase rental car insurance for a rental car booking?
Bottom line
Rental car elite status matches can significantly maximize your benefits and perks when renting a car. By matching your status from another loyalty program, you can enjoy the benefits of car rental elite status without starting from scratch. This can include free upgrades, increased point earnings and other valuable perks.
However, it's important to check the terms and conditions of each rental car company's status match program, as eligibility criteria and documentation requirements may vary. Additionally, it's always a good idea to pay for your rental with a credit card that offers rental coverage to minimize your costs and earn more points. Overall, rental car elite status matches can enhance your rental car experience and help you save money on future trips.
Additional reporting by Andrew Kunesh.