Kia Soul Hertz
Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

Did Hertz Remove Yet Another Feature of Gold Plus Rewards With No Advance Notice or Warning?

“I’ve recently paid attention to the dollars-off redemption options. For example, 600 points for $30 off. Can be a reasonable redemption value when rates are low. If rate is $15/day, this yields two days for 600 points, versus 1500 points required under the newly-worsened reward chart. Obviously better for customer. And if Hertz corporate is concerned about redemptions on super-high-priced vehicles at peak time, this also helps protect them against that” is what veteran FlyerTalk member bedelman posted in this discussion. “Today the dollars-off redemptions are no longer appearing for me within hertz.com, and also appear to be missing from https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/ememb…points-program. Gone for good? What a double-whammy that would be.”

Did Hertz Remove Yet Another Feature of Gold Plus Rewards With No Advance Notice or Warning?

When I checked, the redemption of Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points for discounts on car rentals indeed is no longer anywhere to be found at the official Internet web site of Hertz.

The following awards were not initially listed on the suddenly former redemption charts — although using points for discounts was introduced on Friday, November 30, 2018:

Use Points for Discounts Standard Rewards AnyDay Rewards
$5.00 discount
200
$7.50 discount
300
$12.00 discount
400
$20.00 discount
500
$30.00 discount
600
$180.00 discount — New
3,600

What is bizarre is that the redemption of 3,600 Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points for a discount of $180.00 off of a car rental was recently added prior to the chart disappearing altogether.

Last month, Hertz implemented what is widely perceived as a massive devaluation of its Gold Plus Rewards frequent renter loyalty program, through which the points needed to redeem for all rewards increased between 11.11 percent and 81.82 percent, with no advance warning, notice or explanation — and weekend day rewards were eliminated altogether.

Then, a new and arguably draconian point usage cancellation policy is now in effect — including the forfeiture of some or all points which were redeemed to book the reward, depending on when the reward was canceled — and it is practically buried at the official Internet web site of Hertz. As with the increase in the number of points needed to redeem for rewards, this new policy was also implemented with no advance warning, notice or explanation.

In fact, I did not receive any notice pertaining to the changes in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards frequent renter loyalty program until at least nine days afterwards via e-mail message — and some people reported receiving no message at all to this day.

Summary

I doubt that the disappearance of the redemption of Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points for discounts on car rentals was an accidental technical glitch, as the rewards for vehicles from the Dream Cars collection has since been condensed — nothing was taken away — and tucked under Collection Rentals, which indicates to me that changes did occur yet again…

…and if the redemption of points for discounts has indeed been purposely removed, then that is yet another perceived devaluation which was implemented by Hertz — once again, with no advance warning, notice or explanation.

Hopefully, I will be proven wrong…

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

  1. @ Brian — Hertz is now on my list on dishonest companies that should never be trusted, along with Wyndham. Once my points are burned, I will no longer have any loyalty to them. I will rent from them only when it saves me money. Previously, I ALWAYS rented from Hertz and Hertz only., regardless of who was cheapest. The company is now run by short-sighted, greedy executives who hate their customers. The feeling is mutual.

  2. I recently had 35,000 points removed from my Hertz Gold account. Contacted them and they said they have right to remove if no activity on account!
    I’m self employed so I’ll be taking my hard earned money elsewhere!
    Bye bye Dishonest Hertz!

    1. Sounds like you don’t spend enough of your hard earned money on rental cars to make of a difference, or you would have had some recent activity. Nearly all points & miles programs have similar policies, unless you have their annual fee credit card.

  3. Have been trying to use hertz points instead of money in SEVERAL rentals and it no longer exists. When you go through the rental process on a computer or app the only option is for $$. I called and tried to book using points and the rep said that the “location” has elected to not accept points – it was Portland OR, same went for New Orleans and San Diego… Not sure if this is permanent or if it has something to do with the bankruptcy or COVID etc. Either way I am moving on and hopefully the new company I choose will accept my Hertz points..

    1. Before I respond, Jim Laydon, please let me relay this to my contact at Hertz and await a response.

      Thank you for your patience.

    2. My contact at Hertz wants to investigate this further, Jim Laydon; but I was asked for your name, contact information, Gold Plus Rewards number, and the exact locations from which you were trying to rent.

      Please let me know if you are interested in pursuing this matter further; and if so, please either contact me or let me know how I can contact you…

  4. Same here no option to use points even though I follow Hertz instruction incredibly opaque site no surprise it Hurts

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