Hertz Gold+: How to earn and redeem points for free car rentals, discounts and more

Hertz is one of the largest rental car companies in the world, with locations in over 160 countries across six continents.Its loyalty program, Hertz Gold+, is free to join and rewards its members with instant perks, such as a free additional driver and member-only rates.Here’s what to know about joining Hertz Gold+, including how you can earn points, unlock a higher elite status tier and redeem your rewards for free car rentals.How to earn Hertz Gold+ pointsTUPUNGATO/GETTY IMAGESUnfortunately, renting cars is the only real way to earn Hertz Gold+ points. Gold members earn 1 Hertz point per dollar spent on the base fare for rentals (excluding taxes and fees). Those with Hertz elite status earn bonus points based on their status level:Five Star: 25% bonus for a total of 1.25 points per dollar spentPresident’s Circle: 50% bonus for a total of 1.5 points per dollar spentIt is worth noting that Hertz points expire after just 12 months without earning or redemption activity. And even if you keep your points from expiring after 12 months, any points that stay in your account for over five years without being redeemed will be forfeited.How to redeem Hertz Gold+ pointsThings get tricky when redeeming Hertz Gold+ points.Hertz has two redemption levels: standard and peak. Standard awards are priced significantly lower but are restricted to specific dates that vary by Hertz location. Meanwhile, peak rewards can be redeemed without blackout dates but cost twice as many points.I recommend redeeming points for standard rewards whenever possible. Peak rentals are generally a bad value unless your rental is extremely expensive. However, if you travel during popular time frames, don’t be shocked to see peak prices. You can use this calculator on Hertz’s website to see peak dates for the location you’re planning to rent from.With that in mind, here’s a quick overview of the Hertz award chart and how you can maximize redemptions.Related: How you can redeem points and miles for car rentalsMaximizing Hertz standard redemptionsThe below chart offers a look at pricing for compact through premium rentals within the U.S. It includes most rentals (minus high-end luxury cars).HERTZYou can rent “specialty” cars for double the points. These rentals include vehicles like SUVs within the U.S. and start at 1,900 points per day.Even more specialized vehicles, such as a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 or a Porsche, may be available under the “adrenaline” and “prestige” vehicle price tiers. However, based on our spot checks, availability for vehicles in these categories is not very good, so your mileage may vary on whether you can grab one with your points. You can view the award chart for these redemptions by heading to this page and scrolling down.Using AutoSlash is quick and easy. ANDREW KUNESH/THE POINTS GUYHertz also offers discounts on one-week rentals booked with points. Weekly round-trip standard rentals within the U.S. start at 4,750 points, which comes out to roughly 675 points per day. This is a significant discount compared to booking seven one-day rentals, making it a potentially good use of points for a longer trip.HERTZFinally, one-way rentals — where you return your vehicle to a different Hertz location — cost twice as much as a round-trip rental. This means a one-day, one-way standard rental within the U.S. will cost 1,900 points.HERTZHow to book standard awards with HertzSo, when can you book standard awards? There’s no easy answer. Unfortunately, each Hertz location has a different set of standard award dates, and some offer more than others.You can view the list of peak dates by heading to this page and entering your pickup location.HERTZPeak dates vary widely — they may cover a holiday weekend or span an entire season. Unfortunately, Hertz has steadily expanded its peak dates so that they now account for more than half of the year at most locations, as you’ll notice in the example above. This makes it harder to take advantage of standard award redemptions.In cities with more than one Hertz location, it’s best to check multiple locations to see which off-peak dates work best with your travel schedule.Other things to know about Hertz Gold+ pointsHertz eliminated cancellation fees for award rentals. That means if you book a car with points and cancel your reservation before your scheduled pickup time, the points will be refunded to your account without any penalty.Hertz also updated its points transfer feature. Previously, you could transfer points to your spouse or domestic partner’s account, with no limit on the number of points or transfers. Now, you can transfer points to any family member’s account who has had activity in the last 12 months. You can only do this once per calendar year.How to use your points on a Hertz reservationThe actual process of using your Hertz points for a booking is a bit involved and requires the following steps:Log in to your Hertz Gold+ account.On the upper-right-hand section of the website, under your name, select “Use My Points.”On the page that loads, click “Book With Points.”Then, run your search like normal. Unfortunately, the points price will not display.Select your desired vehicle on the final booking page. If the car is eligible for using points, there will be an option to “Pay With Hertz Rewards Points” for anywhere from one day to the length of your rental.HERTZHertz Gold+ Rewards elite statusHertz offers three status tiers: the entry-level Gold tier, plus the two Five Star and President’s Circle elite tiers. You earn status based on how often you rent cars with Hertz or how much you spend with Hertz.HERTZHertz Gold statusHertz Gold status is free and open to anyone 21 years and up who joins. Being a Hertz Gold member is very beneficial, as it allows for free additional driver status for a spouse or domestic partner in the U.S. It also makes it possible to skip the line at many locations so you can go straight to picking up your car in the lot.Hertz Five Star statusTo reach the Hertz Five Star elite status tier, you must complete three Hertz rentals or spend $1,000 on rental cars in a given calendar year. Hertz Five Star elite members receive several benefits. The most notable of these benefits include:Space-available upgrades: You’re eligible for a one-class car upgrade if the Hertz location you’re renting from has cars in stock.Bonus points: You’ll earn 25% more points on all rentals, totaling 1.25 points per dollar spent.Wider Ultimate Choice availability: When renting from a Hertz location with an Ultimate Choice lot, Hertz Five Star members have access to a wider range of cars.Hertz President’s Circle statusYou’ll earn President’s Circle status after completing 15 Hertz rentals or spending $3,000 on rental cars in a single calendar year. These benefits are significantly more valuable than Five Star.This is Hertz’s top-tier status level and includes an upgraded set of perks, such as:Guaranteed upgrades: You’re eligible for a guaranteed one-class car upgrade. In practice, the upgrade depends on whether the Hertz location you’re renting from has an upgraded car in stock.Bonus points: You’ll earn 50% more points on all rentals for 1.5 points per dollar spent.Widest Ultimate Choice availability: If renting from a Hertz location with an Ultimate Choice lot, you’ll have access to a wider range of cars than a standard or Five Star member.Dedicated Hertz Gold+ phone line: You can access a dedicated Hertz phone number for President’s Circle members.Related: Hitting the road on your vacation? Everything you need to know about rental car elite statusGet Hertz status and savings with these partnershipsHertz has several travel partnerships that let you earn rewards, discounts and elite status.Free Hertz status for Delta Medallion elite membersIf you have Delta Air Lines elite status, you may be eligible for a free status match to Hertz Gold+. Silver and Gold Medallion members can match to Five Star status, while Platinum and Diamond Medallion members can match to top-tier President’s Circle status.Head to the Hertz page on Delta’s website to take advantage of this status match.Plus, all Delta SkyMiles members can earn up to 8 miles per dollar spent on Hertz rental cars.Related: The complete guide to car rental elite status matchesComplimentary Hertz status for select cardholdersOne of the many perks of the American Express Platinum Card® is that it provides complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status to cardholders (enrollment required). Additionally, cardholders receive a four-hour grace period on rental returns at select U.S. locations.If you hold the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and/or the Capital One Venture X Business, you can enroll in complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status. Select lower-tier Capital One cards, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, offer Five Star status.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+ 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.HERTZTake advantage of Hertz perks with a AAA membershipAAA members have access to a corporate code that gives up to 20% off rentals, waives the fee for young renters ages 20 to 24, offers the complimentary use of a car seat and provides a discount on prepaid fuel, among other minor benefits.You can also status match to Hertz from another car rental company.Related: Credit cards that offer elite status for car rentalsBottom lineThe Hertz Gold+ loyalty program is valuable, even if you only plan to rent a car once per year. Not only can you save money on rentals with member-only rates, but you can also skip the lines at the counter and go straight to your vehicle. Plus, if you earn enough Hertz Gold+ points, you can redeem them for future rentals.Related: Save money on your next trip: Use these tips to never pay full price for a rental carEditorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.