Hertz President's Circle is the top published tier of the airline-style Gold+ Rewards programme, and you don't need to rent 15 cars or spend $3,000 a year to get it — several premium travel credit cards hand it out for free. A writer for The Points Guy recently put the status through its paces on a rental from Denver International Airport before a day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, and the results are a useful reality check for anyone wondering whether the perk attached to their card is actually worth activating.
What does the status get you? A guaranteed one-class upgrade (capped at full-size), access to the widest vehicle selection at Ultimate Choice locations, counter-skipping at select sites, a 50% points bonus on qualifying charges, a free additional driver for a spouse or partner, and a dedicated service line. There are strings attached: the guaranteed upgrade needs a booking made at least 48 hours ahead, Ultimate Choice mostly exists at airport locations, and you must reserve a midsize car or larger to use it.
The routes to free status come via the Amex Platinum (consumer and business), Capital One Venture X (also business), and the Delta SkyMiles Reserve cards, plus Delta Platinum and Diamond Medallion elites. The catch that trips people up: you must enrol through the card issuer's or Delta's own process — the standard Hertz sign-up won't detect your eligibility. Timelines vary wildly too, from up to 72 hours for Amex to as long as eight weeks for the Delta route, so don't leave it until the night before pickup.
The Denver test itself was mostly a win. The pickup area had over 50 cars in the President's Circle section to choose from, and points posted at the boosted rate as promised. But the process nearly derailed at the start: the writer's name appeared on the President's Circle board with a 'see desk' note, he went to the wrong desk (at big airports like Denver, the Five Star/President's Circle desk is in a separate building from the main counter), and staff at the main desk wrongly claimed his status had expired and told him he'd need to cancel and rebook at last-minute prices. Only at the correct elite desk did things click — staff verified everything in minutes and sent him on his way.
The practical lessons are simple. Join Gold+ first, enrol through your card's benefits portal rather than hertz.com, confirm the status shows in your Hertz account before booking, save your licence details to your profile so counter-skipping works, and head straight for the elite desk if anything looks off at pickup. First-time renters should also expect an initial licence and payment card check before bypassing the counter on future rentals.
If you hold one of the qualifying cards and rent cars even a couple of times a year, the status costs nothing and can meaningfully improve what you drive — just do the enrolment properly and know which desk to walk to.
