Renting a car while on a business trip
is a convenient and cost-effective way for businesses to keep employee travel costs down. However, car rental fees can quickly add up, and if travel managers aren’t clued in on a programme’s rewards scheme, they could be throwing perks and offers down the drain.The best car rental rewards programmes allow you to earn points and/or miles every time you rent a car which can be redeemed for free rentals, upgrades, and other perks in the future.
So, if you’re wondering which rental car company has the best rewards programme and which rewards programme is best for your business, keep reading—we’ve got the lowdown on the features you should look out for when choosing a car rental membership and a deep dive into the top eight car rental loyalty programmes.
What is the ideal car rewards programme for my business?
Which is the best car rental loyalty programme? The answer depends entirely on your business needs. However, here are a few factors you should take into consideration before making a final decision on a car rental membership.
Rental frequency
Consider how often employees rent cars and how much the business typically spends on car rentals per year. Many programmes offer better reward terms for frequent renters or for those who spend a certain amount.
Earning potential
When deciding whether membership would be beneficial, consider how many points or rewards you can earn per rental, whether there are rules regarding the rental period length, as well as any bonus opportunities for frequent rentals or high spending.
Make sure that you check which programmes offer extra points or rewards for using specific card issuers such as American Express.
Coverage area
Choosing a car rental company that has a wide coverage area that covers the locations your employees typically travel to is essential—especially if they travel across different states or countries.
Point redemption options
Deciding what redemption options are most favourable for your business is important. Many programmes offer options for redeeming points or miles, including free rentals, upgrades, and cash back.
Membership levels
The best rental car membership programmes offer tiered levels with varying rewards. Consider whether it makes sense to aim for a higher membership level based on your rental needs and budget. You’ll also need to consider whether business travellers need to pay an annual fee or enrollment fees—be sure to check disclaimers and waivers carefully.
Airline and hotel partnerships
Check if the different car hire loyalty schemes partner with your preferred airlines and/or hotels to benefit from
airline miles
and hotel points
.Flexibility
Check if the rental rewards programmes allow for
flexible booking and cancellation policies
to accommodate last-minute changes to travel plans.The 8 best car rental loyalty programmes
1. Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Programme
With over 1,600 Hertz rental locations in the U.S. alone, the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards programme is a good car rental membership option that allows you to earn points on rentals and extra charges such as insurance options, additional mileage charges, and gas.
Members can redeem Standard rewards, which are the cheapest option, and AnyDay rewards, which are more expensive but do not have blackout dates. Reward redemption begins at 950 points.
Key features
- Membership fee: Free to join
- Airline and hotel partners: Hertz partners with most major airlines, and with IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Accor Live Limitless
- Counter-free pick-up option: Yes
- Point redemption options: Free rental cars, free airline rewards, and free hotel stays
There are three Hertz Gold Plus reward tiers:
- Hertz Gold: Members earn one point per pound spent plus a free additional driver
- Hertz Five Star: This level is achieved after spending £1,604 or 10 rentals. Members receive 1.25 points per £0.80 spent plus a 25% bonus. Capital One Venture Rewards credit card cardholders qualify for complimentary Five Star status.
- Hertz President’s Circle: This level is achieved after spending £2,407 or 15 rentals. Members earn 1.5 points per £0.80 spent plus a 50% bonus.
2. Avis Preferred
Preferred members benefit from earning points or miles for every pound spent on car rentals, and can choose from over 1,500 Avis rental locations across the U.S..
Reward days begin at 700 points with no blackout dates, and cardholders of certain credit cards (including the Capital One Venture X card and Capital One Venture Rewards credit card) earn twice the number of points or miles per pound spent.
Key features
- Membership fee: Free to join
- Airline and hotel partners: Avis partners with the majority of major airlines. It also partners with Accor Live Limitless, Best Western Rewards, Choice Privileges, Fiesta Rewards, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Nordic Choice Club, Radisson Rewards, The Ascott Limited, and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.
- Counter-free pick-up option: Yes
- Point redemption options: Car rentals, upgrades, and accessories like ski racks and booster seats. Members also have the option to earn miles and points with airline and hotel loyalty programmes instead of earning Avis Preferred Points.
There are three Avis Preferred reward tiers:
- Avis Preferred: Members earn one point per pound spent and two points per pound spent on accessories (GPS, satellite radio, etc)
- Avis Preferred Plus: This level is achieved after spending £3,209 or 10 rentals. Members earn 1.25 points per pound spent and two and a half points per pound spent on accessories.
- Avis President’s Club: This level is achieved after spending £4,814 or 20 rentals. Club members earn 1.5 points per pound spent and three points per pound spent on accessories.
3. Alamo Insiders
Alamo Insiders operates differently, in that the programme does not offer elite status tiers nor does it enable members to earn points towards future rentals. In lieu of points, the programme offers a 5% discount on all Alamo rentals, with no limit on how much money members can save.
There are over 1000 Alamo worldwide locations, and members can choose to earn miles or points when renting a car or when using Alamo airline or hotel partners.
Key features
- Membership fee: Free to join
- Airline and hotel partners: Alamo Insider partners with Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways (ANA), American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, Eva Air, Frontier Miles, Korean Air, Southwest Rapid Rewards, and Sun County Airlines. It also partners with Best Western Rewards and Hilton Honors.
- Counter-free pick-up option: Yes
- Point redemption options: N/A
4. Enterprise Plus
Boasting more than 9,500 worldwide locations and the opportunity to earn points towards free car rental days, the Enterprise Plus programme is a great option for frequent travellers.
Reward days begin at 600 points, and cardholders of certain credit cards (including the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Citi Premier Card can earn three times the points per pound spent.
Key features
- Membership fee: Free to join
- Airline and hotel partners: Enterprise Plus partners with AirFrance-KLM, CAA Rewards, and Hilton Honors
- Counter-free pick-up option: Yes
- Point redemption options: Free car rentals with no blackout days
There are four Enterprise Plus reward tiers:
- Plus: Members need to complete 0-5 rentals before they can start earning points
- Silver: Silver: Members need to complete 6-11 rentals for this level, and will earn 10% bonus points on points earned and one free car upgrade per year
- Gold: Members need to complete 12 rentals or 40 paid rental days for this tier, and will earn 15% bonus points on points earned and two free car upgrades per year
- Platinum: Members need to complete 24 rentals or 85 paid rental days for this level, and will earn 20% bonus points on points earned and four free car upgrades per year
5. National Emerald Club
National Emerald Club is the loyalty programme of National Car Rental that offers over 1,500 worldwide rental locations. Instead of earning points, members earn credits to use for free rental days when they join the club. Members can choose any car from the Emerald Aisle when renting a midsize car or above.
Members can also opt to earn frequent flyer miles or hotel points instead of rental credits, receive expedited services (when renting in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean), and access free class upgrades at certain locations across the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain, and Germany.
Key features
- Membership fee: Free to join.
- Airline and hotel partners: National Emerald Club partners with 14 airlines, including Southwest Rapid Rewards and Delta SkyMiles, and also partners with Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Honors, and Radisson Rewards Americas.
- Counter-free pick-up option: Yes.
- Point redemption options: Members have the option to earn miles and points with airline and hotel loyalty programmes instead of earning car rental credits.
There are three National Emerald Club reward tiers:
- Emerald Club: Members earn one rental credit for every qualified car rental, with one free rental day costing seven credits
- Executive: This level is achieved after 12 paid rentals or 40 paid rental days in a calendar year. Members earn one rental credit for every qualified car rental, with one free rental day costing six credits.
- Executive Elite: This level is achieved after 25 paid rentals or 85 paid rental days in a calendar year. Members earn one rental credit for every qualified car rental, with one free rental day costing five credits with no blackout days.
6. Budget Fastbreak Programme
The Budget Fastbreak car rental membership programme does not offer elite status tiers or points for rentals. Members receive exclusive deals and special offers and can earn frequent flyer miles.
However, members can earn £20 in Budget Bucks which can be redeemed against future rentals when they sign up for the programme and complete two qualifying rentals.
Key features
- Membership fee: N/A
- Airline and hotel partners: Budget Fastbreak partners with several airlines, including Emirates Skywards and Asia Miles, and also partners with Wyndham Rewards and Radisson Rewards Americas
- Counter-free pick-up option: Yes
- Point redemption options: Members also have the option to earn miles and points with airline and hotel loyalty programmes instead of earning Budget Bucks
7. Thrifty Blue Chip Rewards
The Thrifty Blue Chip car rental membership programme does not offer elite status tiers or points for rentals. Instead, members earn a 10% discount on the base rate on all rentals. Members can also add their spouses as additional drivers for free and skip rental counter check-in.
Thrifty’s parent company is Hertz, and its sister company is Dollar, which means that members have access to over 4,000 rental locations worldwide.
Key features
- Membership fee: N/A
- Airline and hotel partners: Thrifty Blue Chip partners with several airlines including American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, and Emirates Skywards, and also partners with IHG Rewards Club Programme
- Counter-free pick-up option: Yes
- Point redemption options: N/A
8. Dollar Express Rewards
The Dollar Express Rewards programme does not offer elite status tiers, but does allow members to earn one Dollars Rewards point per pound spent to spend on future rentals, and gives them access to perks such as priority service.
Point redemption begins at 500 points, and members can also earn airline or hotel points instead of Dollar Rewards points with associated partners.
- Membership fee: N/A
- Airline and hotel partners: Dollar Express partners with several airlines, including Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Airlines, and also partners with IHG Rewards and
- Counter-free pick-up option: Yes
- Point redemption options: Free car rentals. Members also have the option of earning frequent flyer miles or hotel points
Use TravelPerk for optimised corporate car rental management
A comprehensive
travel management platform
is a travel manager’s best friend when it comes to booking and hiring rental cars. With TravelPerk as your corporate travel management platform, you have access to an industry-leading inventory for renting cars for business travel
, including leading providers such as Avis, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, National, and Sixt.You can compare each provider within TravelPerk’s platform to access the best car rental rates and deals, reducing the time you spend platform-hopping. And, if you’re looking for customised options tailored to your needs, we also offer additional features such as the ability to rent a car for up to a year and add a second driver to a policy.
Plus, TravelPerk also offers a
VAT recovery service
that can help you save up to 25% of your annual travel budget with a VAT calculator that provides an accurate VAT refund estimate.