Marriott and Hertz launch a status match

Marriott and Hertz have had a partnership for many years, although neither makes a big deal of it. You can see details on the Marriott website here.

Hertz has now launched a short term status match to encourage Marriott Bonvoy elite members to try it.

This is what you get:

• Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite members get Hertz President’s Circle

• Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite members get Hertz Five Star

• Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite members get a fast track offer to Hertz Five Star (get status with seven rentals in 12 months instead of the usual 10)

Given the number of other routes to getting Hertz status via airline, hotel and credit card partnerships, this offer doesn’t seem hugely generous. I appear to have Hertz President’s Circle status via my Accor Live Limitless Diamond status for example.

Not only is the match not very lucrative (there aren’t many Ambassador Elite members of Bonvoy), I’ve never been totally convinced about the value of car rental status.

The one upside is generally ‘skip the line’. When I landed in Hamburg last week, the Hertz desk had my name (and, oddly, only my name – no other elites seemed to be coming) on a board, telling me to go straight to a certain bay and take the car, no paperwork required.

The downside is often upgrades – you will get one, and you may not want it. Whilst few people would turn down a bigger airline seat or hotel room, a lot of people – including myself – aren’t delighted to find they’ve been given a car which is far longer and wider than they would normally drive.

If you have Platinum, Titanium or Ambassador status in Bonvoy, you can register for your Hertz status match here.

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How to get FREE car rental status and other benefits via UK credit cards (September 2023)

If you hire a car in the UK, you can get special benefits (discounts, upgrades, free additional drivers etc) if you have elite status with a car rental programme. You can get elite status for free via certain American Express cards.

The Platinum Card and American Express Business Platinum

The Platinum Card from American Express and American Express Business Platinum come with two free car hire status cards. Your supplementary Platinum cardholder can also receive status in their own right.

From Avis, you receive President’s Club status in Avis Preferred. This gets you up to 25% off standard rates, a free additional driver and a guaranteed one class upgrade. For weekend rentals you will receive a two class upgrade, subject to availability.

From Hertz, you receive ‘Five Star’ status in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. This gets you up to 15% off standard rates, a free additional driver and a one class upgrade, subject to availability.

Hertz also offers Platinum cardholders a 4 hour grace period on rentals. Your final day is treated as 28 hours, so a 1pm pick up with a 5pm return the following day is only charged as one day, not two days. We wrote about the Hertz / Platinum 4 hour grace period here.

The Platinum Card also comes with full car hire insurance with no obligation to pay for the rental via American Express. You can refuse any attempts to sell you additional insurance at pick up. This benefit has substantial value if you rent on a regular basis.

You can find more details on the two Platinum cards, and apply, in our full reviews:

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is an excellent card in its own right. You receive 20,000 Membership Rewards points for signing up (convert to 20,000 Avios amongst other things), four airport lounge passes and £120 of Deliveroo credit. Even better, your first year is free.

There are two car rental benefits:

• you receive Preferred Plus status in Avis Preferred

• you receive a special package with Hertz – 10% off best available rates at participating locations, a one class upgrade for rentals of 5 days or more, subject to availability, and no additional driver fees

Find out more about the benefits of American Express Preferred Rewards Gold, and apply, in our review: