If you have earned Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points and have not yet redeemed them, know that they can expire — so this article serves as a warning as to why renting from Hertz will not automatically keep your Gold Plus Rewards points from expiring.
Warning: Why Renting From Hertz Will Not Automatically Keep Your Gold Plus Rewards Points From Expiring
Hertz is a global multinational rental car company whose Hertz Gold Plus Rewards membership program bizarrely only includes the following 21 countries and territories:
- Australia
- Belgium
- Brazil — Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points can be redeemed but may not earned here
- Canada
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Puerto Rico
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland — Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points can only be earned and not redeemed here
- United Kingdom
- United States
- United States Virgin Islands
Here is the warning, which is highlighted in red and found under the heading Expiring Points:
Do my Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® points expire?
All points in a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® member’s account will be forfeited and removed from a member’s account after twelve months of no rental activity. Rental activity means a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® point was either earned or redeemed on a rental. Point transfer to a partner company does not count as rental activity.
A Bonus points – Many times points earned in connection with a limited time promotion (“Bonus Points”), will carry an earlier expiration date. This date will always be disclosed in the terms and conditions of the Bonus Points promotion.
If you rent a vehicle in countries and territories which do not participate in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, how much money you spent on the rentals and how often you rented do not matter: the expiration dates of your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points will not reset to a later date and will still expire on the same date twelve months after the last eligible prior rental according to the aforementioned policy.
Do not be fooled by where participation for membership in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards is open to residents of the following countries and territories, as quite a few of them do not participate in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards membership program:
- Europe: Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom
- North America and United States Territories: United States, Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas, Puerto Rico, Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas
- Caribbean: Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, San Marino, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos
- Central America and South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Belize, Chile, Costa Rica, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname, El Salvador, Uruguay, Venezuela
- Asia-Pacific: Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Palau, Singapore, South Korea
Final Boarding Call
Unfortunately, FlyerTalk member Stripe was one person who was caught off guard by this points expiration policy, Renting vehicles recently in Hungary and Malta did not matter with regard to the expiration policy of Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, as the points expired.
Also, do not forget that Hertz Gold Plus Rewards now expire after five years — regardless of activity…
Photograph ©2022 by Brian Cohen.
