【Updated 2024.12】If you currently have Hertz President's Circle or Five Star status, you can now fill out a form to gift the same status to two other people for free. The key is that these two elite statuses can come from certain premium credit cards, such as the AMEX Platinum and Capital One Venture X. Be sure to use the correct link based on your own status level. The new gifted status starts on January 13, 2025. If you need this, gift it soon.

About car rental elite status

Previously, we talked about how to quickly get airline and hotel elite status. Today, let’s look at how to quickly get elite status with car rental companies.

Car rental status can definitely be useful. Common benefits include:

  • Skip the counter and go straight to your car
  • No waiting in line
  • Free upgrades to a better vehicle
  • Guaranteed vehicle availability (or they may proactively upgrade you to a higher car class)
  • Rental car discounts
  • Vehicle delivery to your home, etc.

For example, Hertz offers benefits such as free upgrades, a free additional driver, and skipping the line, all of which are quite practical.

However, as you can see, reaching those tiers normally requires more than 10 rentals or over $2,000 in spending, which can be hard for people who do not rent cars very often.

So for people who do not rent cars often, how can you maximize benefits from just a limited number of rentals? Below we introduce several ways to quickly get higher car rental status.

Elite status offered by credit cards

AMEX Platinum

AMEX Platinum and the AMEX Business card lineup both offer car rental elite status as a cardholder benefit. You only need to hold the card to enroll.

You can directly get Avis Preferred Plus status, which offers no-line service and free upgrades, and you can also use the provided discount code for savings.

Currently, both personal and business AMEX Platinum cardholders can register for this offer and directly receive Hertz’s top-tier Presidential status. Just use the link below, or log in to your AMEX account and register under benefits.

If you do not already have a Hertz account, you will need to create one first before you can upgrade. It is still unclear whether people without an AMEX Platinum card can slip through using this link.

You can also get benefits with National, roughly equivalent to Emerald-level status. Benefits include skipping the line and choosing your own car.

Visa Infinite

If you have a Visa Infinite card, such as the following cards, there are also extra benefits available through the Visa channel:

For car rentals, Visa Infinite offers Avis Preferred Plus status and discounts. Hertz also provides extra points and benefits. It also offers National Executive status.

Chase United lineup

Several Chase United co-branded cards partner with Avis and offer top-tier President Club status.

The following cards can directly get Avis President status:

  • United Club Infinite Card
  • UnitedSM Presidential PlusSM Card
  • United ClubSM Business Card
  • UnitedSM Presidential PlusSM Business Card
  • MileagePlus members with Premier® Platinum status or higher

If you have UA Premier Silver or Gold, you can get Avis Preferred Plus status.

Capital Venture X

This card offers excellent value, and both the primary cardholder and authorized users can directly get Hertz Presidential Circle status.

Status from airline and hotel programs

Delta

Delta members at various elite tiers receive Hertz elite status.

Delta and Sixt also have some co-branded partnership benefits.

UA

As mentioned above, UA cardholders can get Avis status. Even if you do not have the card, UA elite members can also qualify.

  • Premier Silver and Premier Gold members will receive Avis Preferred Club status.
  • MileagePlus members with Premier Platinum status and higher will receive Avis President's Club status.

Marriott

Marriott elite members can now fast track to Hertz elite status through a match. Top-tier Ambassador Elite members can directly receive Hertz’s top-tier President's Circle status.

One thing to note is that Platinum members can only get a challenge for Five Star status. You need 7 rentals to earn Five Star status, versus 10 rentals normally required, so this is a fast track. After earning it, the status is valid for 12 months. You also need to maintain Marriott Platinum status during that period.

Five Star status can be earned after 7 rentals within a twelve-month period from enrollment compared to 10 rentals normally required. Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite members who earn Five Star status will retain the benefit for twelve months after earned, and will need to qualify annually and maintain their Platinum Elite status within Marriott Bonvoy.

Car Rental Company Status Matches

National and Hertz now both offer status matches from other car rental companies. You need to upload a screenshot of your elite status with another company.

National

National is being a bit vague here. It does not explain exactly how the match works, only that it accepts status matches from more than 40 car rental, airline, and hotel elite programs. If you need it, it may be worth trying.

Hertz

Hertz provides a status match chart, and it is pretty clear.

Avis

Avis now also offers status matching. If you have elite status with another car rental company, you may be able to match to Avis status. You can refer to the article below, first quickly get status with another company, and then match to Avis.

However, this offer says that only certain countries are eligible, as listed below. If you are a new user, you may be able to select an eligible country yourself and still get through.

  • 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
  • The United Kingdom

The site even specifically says that residents of the United States and Canada are not eligible. However, based on reports from the blogger, you may be able to email a screenshot of your elite status with another rental company along with your Avis information, and it may still be possible to get matched.

Enterprise now also has a status match offer. More than 40 travel-related elite programs are eligible, including hotel, airline, and car rental programs. You can try using a few different elite statuses; it seems fairly possible to get the top-tier Platinum status.

After a successful match, the status is valid through February 28 of the following year. If you want to keep the status after that, you need to meet certain rental requirements. Silver requires 6 rentals, Gold requires 12 rentals or 50 days, and Platinum requires 24 rentals or 85 days.

A status match will be granted upon review and approval to members with valid elite status in any one of a variety of travel loyalty programs (i.e. hotel, airlines, car rental.) Matched status is valid through February 28 of the second calendar year following the member's status match approval. To maintain matched status, the member must meet the standard qualifications, which are as follows: 6 rentals in the full calendar year following a status match for Enterprise Plus Silver membership; 12 rentals or 40 rental days in the full calendar year following a status match for Enterprise Plus Gold membership; 24 rentals or 85 rental days in the full calendar year following a status match for Enterprise Plus Platinum.