Changes to the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards frequent renter loyalty program are now in effect for 2019 — including how points are earned; a better and faster experience overall; and more flexible options for redeeming those points.
Changes to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards For 2019
The bad news is that the expiration date of points as a result of inactivity in your membership account shortens by six months — from 24 months to 18 months — so you must be more vigilant about ensuring that your membership account has qualifying activity every 18 months at the most.
Also, select activation bonuses — including a bonus for signing up for Hertz Gold Plus Rewards and a bonus for every 15 vehicle rentals — have been eliminated.
Elite Tier Status Changes
If you want to earn Five Star elite level status, qualification became more difficult, as you must rent a vehicle a minimum of 12 times or spend a minimum of $2,400.00 — which is a significant increase from renting a vehicle a minimum of seven times or spending a minimum of $1,500.00. The payment of taxes and fees are not included towards qualification for Five Star status.
The good news is that point multipliers have increased every time you rent a vehicle once you have earned elite level status in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards:
- Five Star: From a bonus of 10 percent to a bonus of 25 percent
- President’s Circle: From a bonus of 25 percent to a bonus of 50 percent
An Early Taste of the Benefits of the Next Elite Level
One innovative new feature of Hertz Gold Plus Rewards is experiencing the benefits of earning the next elite level through the offering of:
- Gold members Experience Five Star elite level status for a day when renting a vehicle eight times in a calendar year
- Five Star members Experience President’s Circle elite level status for a day when renting a vehicle 16 times in a calendar year.
New President’s Circle Benefits
When you earn President’s Circle elite level status, you get to enjoy the following additional benefits:
- The chance to upgrade to any available car on the lot after your 30th and 40th vehicle rentals.
- Guaranteeing your requested vehicle is available with at least 24-hour notice at the airport locations of Hertz — previously, at least 48-hour notice was required.
- Providing Hertz Valet — which is an airport terminal drive-back service — after the 15th, 20th and 40th rentals at select airport locations.
A Faster Experience
Hertz Fast Lane powered by CLEAR — which is a free service that gets you through the exit gate in 30 seconds or less — is currently available at the location of the international airport which serves the greater Atlanta metropolitan area; and greater than 40 new locations will be powered by CLEAR in 2019.
Flexible Redemption Options
An option of Cash + Points has been introduced, through which you can use a combination of points and currency — instead of one or the other — to pay for car rentals and vehicle upgrades.
New ways for you to earn and use points beyond rentals are being offered — including unique and exclusive access to Hertz+ experiences and Hertz Rewards, which is the auction platform of Hertz.
Not Yet In Effect
The following benefits are expected to be in effect later this month:
- Offering you the chance to use your points to redeem for luxury vehicles in Hertz Dream Cars Collection.
- Lowering the minimum enrollment age from 21 years of age to 18 years of age.
Summary
Depending on your perspective, the changes could be considered positive, negative or mixed. I like the idea of a taste of the next elite level prior to earning that status; but I am not sure that CLEAR will be an improvement in terms of how fast a vehicle is rented.
What I can say is that I have been pleased with my rental experiences from Hertz lately; but I am not thrilled with the increased difficulty in attaining elite level status.
Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.
