Hertz Gold+ (formerly Gold Plus Rewards)

Hertz now calls its program Hertz Gold+, and its 2025 annual report notes the change from the older name, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. The program does two jobs. It is the expedited rental service that lets members skip the counter at major airports and walk to a car. It is also a points program that pays out in free rental days, or in rewards from other companies' programs. Joining is free, and members book at members-only rates with the Gold+ discount code in the US and Canada.

Points come only from the base rental rate; taxes, fees and options such as protection or equipment earn nothing. A Gold member earns 1 point per dollar. Five Star earns 25% more, or 1.25 points, and President's Circle earns 50% more, or 1.5 points. A free rental day starts at 950 points, so a Gold member needs about $950 of base rate for the first one. Members can ask for missing points up to six months after the rental returns.

The bar for status is low by design. Five Star takes 3 rentals or $1,000 of rental spend in a calendar year, and Hertz calls it the fastest route to status compared with major US car rental programs. Five Star brings a free upgrade where available and a choice of cars on the Five Star lot. President's Circle takes 15 rentals or $3,000. It adds a guaranteed one-class upgrade, up to a full-size car, plus its own lot and call center line. Status runs for the rest of the year it is earned and all of the next. Every member can add a spouse or domestic partner as a driver for free.

Hertz pairs that low bar with a strict expiry rule. Points carry a five-year life, but a member who goes 12 months without a rental loses the whole balance. Moving points to a family member does not count as activity, and neither does booking an award; the award only counts once the rental is completed.

Partners extend the earning. Delta SkyMiles members can earn up to 8 miles per dollar on Hertz rentals, and Marriott Bonvoy members earn 500 points per qualifying rental worldwide. AAA members get up to 20% off base rates and a free day after their first Gold+ rental. A status match brings members of other programs in as high as President's Circle, once in any five-year span.

The thresholds tell the story of the design. Hertz sets Five Star at three rentals, a fifth of what President's Circle needs, which spreads upgrades and lot choice across a wide base of members. The cost of that generosity is contained elsewhere: base-rate-only earning, a 950-point floor and a 12-month inactivity rule that clears balances from members who stop renting.