President Circle gives you faster rentals, room upgrades, and loyalty rewards at Hertz locations
Hertz President Circle is Hertz's free loyalty program that tracks your rental history and gives you perks based on how often you rent. The main benefits are skipping the counter line, getting a car category upgrade when available, earning points toward free rental days, and access to a dedicated phone line for reservations and support. You don't pay to join — Hertz creates your account when you rent, or you can sign up online before your first rental.
The program has three membership tiers: Blue (entry level), Silver, and Gold. You move up by renting a certain number of days per year. Each tier unlocks more benefits, but even at the Blue level you get the core perks that save time and money on regular rentals.
Key Takeaways
- President Circle membership is free and automatic when you rent from Hertz, or you can enroll online before your first rental.
- All members skip the rental counter and go straight to their car, which cuts check-in time significantly on busy days.
- You earn one point per dollar spent on base rental rates, and points convert to free rental days once you reach 100 points.
- Higher tiers (Silver and Gold) add benefits like may provide upgrades, late return grace periods, and bonus point multipliers.
- The program works at most Hertz locations worldwide, though some airport and franchise locations may have restrictions.
How the three membership tiers work
You start at Blue the moment you enroll or complete your first rental. Blue members skip the counter, earn points on every rental, and get one free upgrade when available. There is no minimum rental requirement to stay at Blue.
Silver kicks in after you rent for 10 days in a calendar year. Silver adds a may provide upgrade to the next car category (not just when available), a 24-hour grace period if you return late, and a 10 percent point bonus on all rentals. You also get a dedicated reservations phone line that moves you ahead of regular customers.
Gold starts after 25 rental days in a calendar year. Gold members get a may provide two-category upgrade, a 48-hour late return grace period, a 25 percent point bonus, and priority phone support. Gold also includes complimentary additional driver coverage at most locations, which normally costs extra.
Your tier resets on January 1 each year. If you hit Silver or Gold partway through the year, you keep those benefits through December 31, then drop back to Blue on January 1 unless you hit the threshold again.
Skipping the rental counter and getting upgrades
The counter bypass is the most visible benefit. When you arrive at a Hertz location as a President Circle member, you go directly to the lot instead of waiting in line. A Hertz associate meets you there with your car keys and paperwork. On busy travel days — holidays, conference weekends, airport rush hours — this alone can save 15 to 30 minutes.
Upgrades work differently by tier. Blue members get one free upgrade per rental when cars are available. Silver members are may provide an upgrade to the next category — if you reserved a compact, you get a mid-size. Gold members get a may provide two-category jump. "may provide" means Hertz will give you the upgrade even if the lot is tight; they reserve inventory for it. "Available" means you get it only if there is a surplus that day.
Upgrades are subject to the car being in stock at your location and your rental agreement allowing it. Some corporate accounts and prepaid rates exclude upgrades. Check your confirmation email or call ahead if you are unsure whether your specific reservation qualifies.
Earning and using points toward free rentals
Every dollar you spend on the base rental rate earns one point. Taxes, fees, insurance, and add-ons do not earn points — only the daily rate itself. If you rent a car for three days at $50 per day, you earn 150 points. Fuel charges, GPS rentals, and roadside information do not count.
At 100 points, you get a free one-day rental credit. You can stack multiple free-day credits and use them on the same reservation. The points do not expire as long as you rent at least once every 24 months; if you go two years without a rental, your account closes and points are forfeited.
Silver members earn a 10 percent bonus — so that same $150 rental earns 165 points. Gold members earn 25 percent bonus, making it 187 points. Over a year of regular rentals, the bonus compounds into extra free days. A business traveler renting weekly at Silver tier can earn two to three extra free days per year just from the point multiplier.
You redeem points through the Hertz website, the mobile app, or by calling the President Circle phone line. The free-day credit applies to the base rate only, not taxes or fees, so you still pay those out of pocket.
Late return grace periods and additional perks
Blue members have no grace period — if you return late, you pay the daily rate for the extra time. Silver members get 24 hours free; if you return up to 24 hours late, there is no charge. Gold members get 48 hours. The grace period applies to the rental location's closing time, not a specific hour. If you rent from a location that closes at 6 p.m. and return at 7 p.m. the next day, that is within Silver's 24-hour window.
Gold members also receive complimentary additional driver coverage at most U.S. and international locations. Normally, adding a second driver costs $10 to $15 per day. For frequent renters who often have a colleague or family member drive, this saves hundreds per year.
All tiers get access to the President Circle website and mobile app, where you can view your points balance, make reservations, and modify existing bookings. The app also shows your car location on the lot when you arrive, which speeds up the counter-bypass process.
Where President Circle works and what to watch for
President Circle benefits explore at most Hertz locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and other countries where Hertz operates. However, some airport locations, franchise locations, and partner locations have restrictions. A few airport rental counters do not offer counter bypass due to airport rules. Some franchise locations (Hertz licensees rather than Hertz-owned) may not honor all benefits or may have different policies.
Before a rental, check your confirmation email to see which location you are using. If it is a franchise or airport location you have not used before, call ahead to confirm that your tier benefits explore. The Hertz website lists which locations are company-operated versus franchise.
Corporate accounts sometimes have different rules. If you rent through your employer's Hertz account, your personal President Circle benefits may not stack with corporate discounts. Check with your travel department or call the President Circle line to clarify how your account works.
International rentals earn points and count toward tier status, but some countries have different upgrade policies or do not offer counter bypass due to local regulations. The benefits are most consistent in North America and Western Europe.
Comparing President Circle to other rental loyalty programs
Hertz President Circle is free and automatic, which sets it apart from programs that charge membership fees. Enterprise Plus and Avis Preferred are also free and similar in structure — all three skip the counter and earn points. The main differences are in the point-earning rate, upgrade guarantees, and which rental companies own which locations.
If you rent from multiple companies, you may want to enroll in all three free programs and use whichever one matches your rental location. President Circle is strongest if you rent from Hertz regularly. If you rent from Hertz occasionally and another company most of the time, the free enrollment costs nothing but the benefits may not add up to a free day per year.
Premium programs like Costco Travel or AAA offer discounted rates upfront rather than loyalty points, which can be a better deal if you rent infrequently. Those are separate from President Circle and do not replace it — you can use both on the same rental.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay to join President Circle?
No. Hertz creates your account automatically when you complete your first rental, or you can enroll online for free before you rent. There are no membership fees at any tier.
What happens to my points if I do not rent for a long time?
Your points stay active as long as you rent at least once every 24 months. If you go two years without a rental, your account closes and any unused points are forfeited. You can reopen an account by renting again.
Can I use my free rental day credit on a prepaid or discounted rate?
Free-day credits explore to the base rental rate. If you booked a prepaid rate or used a discount code, the free day still works but covers only the standard daily rate, not the discounted amount you originally paid. You still pay taxes and fees.
Do I keep my tier status if I do not hit the rental threshold the next year?
No. Your tier resets to Blue on January 1 each year. If you rented 25 days in 2024 and were Gold, you drop back to Blue on January 1, 2025 unless you hit 25 days again in 2025. Your points carry over, but the tier benefits do not.
Does President Circle work at airport locations?
Most Hertz airport locations honor President Circle benefits, but some have restrictions due to airport rules. Counter bypass may not be available at certain airports. Check your confirmation email or call the location before you arrive to confirm which benefits explore.