Car rental elite status compared across the four major US programmes comes down to price against the single benefit that matters most to frequent renters: the guaranteed upgrade. Avis President's Club costs $69 a year; Enterprise Plus Platinum, Hertz President's Circle and National Executive Elite each cost $119, and all four skip the rental counter.
Last updated: August 2026. Car rental loyalty sits inside a wider shift toward paid, purchasable status across travel loyalty, and the Enterprise Plus Platinum tier carries the most transparent published benefit list of the four programmes compared here.
What is car rental elite status?
Car rental elite status is a loyalty tier that skips the rental counter, adds priority vehicle service and offers a chance at a vehicle upgrade at pick-up. The four major US car rental brands each run their own version: Avis President's Club, Enterprise Plus Platinum, Hertz President's Circle and National Executive Elite. Each tier can be earned organically, or purchased directly as a LuxuryAscent product, which applies the tier without the qualifying rentals.
What are Avis President's Club benefits?
Avis President's Club is Avis's top loyalty tier, priced at $69 through LuxuryAscent. It carries the core elite-tier package common to all four programmes compared here: counter bypass, priority service and a chance at a vehicle upgrade at pick-up. Avis does not publish a more detailed public benefit list beyond this on its Avis Preferred programme page, but at $69 it is the cheapest of the four routes to elite recognition.
What is Enterprise Plus Platinum?
Enterprise Plus Platinum is the top tier of Enterprise's loyalty programme, Enterprise Plus, sitting above the Executive and Select tiers. It is priced at $119 through LuxuryAscent and carries the most detailed published benefit list of the four programmes: a two-class vehicle upgrade at every check-in, four confirmed advance car upgrades a year, counter skip, a free additional driver, and 20% bonus points per dollar spent, with guaranteed availability on the reserved class. Enterprise does not publish a points or rental threshold for reaching Platinum organically, according to its own Enterprise Plus programme page. The purchased tier is valid through 1 March 2029, with processing taking 5 to 10 business days.
Hertz President's Circle vs National Executive Elite: what is the difference?
Hertz President's Circle and National Executive Elite are both priced at $119 through LuxuryAscent and both carry the core elite package of counter bypass, priority service and upgrade access. Hertz President's Circle sits at the top of Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. National Executive Elite sits at the top of National's Emerald Club, detailed on the Emerald Club programme page, and its standout feature is the Executive Aisle: members choose any vehicle parked in the Executive Aisle rather than being assigned one at the counter, which is why it tends to suit frequent business renters best.
Which car rental elite status is best in 2026?
There is no single best car rental elite status in 2026 — all four programmes deliver broadly similar core value, and the right answer is usually whichever brand has the best airport presence on your own routes. Where they separate is on price and on the one upgrade benefit that matters most to frequent renters. Avis President's Club is the cheapest entry at $69. Enterprise Plus Platinum's guaranteed two-class vehicle upgrade at every check-in is the most consistently valuable single benefit of the four, because it does not depend on availability at pick-up. National Executive Elite is the strongest choice for frequent business renters, thanks to the Executive Aisle vehicle-choice model that lets members pick their own car rather than wait to be assigned one.
The LuxuryAscent Car Rental Status Value Index is original LuxuryAscent analysis ranking the four programmes on price against that single most valuable benefit, skipping the counter and guaranteed upgrades that all four share as table stakes:
| Programme | Tier | Price | Counter skip? | Upgrade benefit | Standout perk | Best for |
| Avis | President's Club | $69 | Yes | Priority upgrade access | Cheapest entry point of the four | Occasional renters wanting the lowest-cost route to elite recognition |
| Enterprise | Plus Platinum | $119 | Yes | Guaranteed two-class vehicle upgrade at every check-in | 4 confirmed advance upgrades a year plus a free additional driver | Renters who want a certain upgrade every time, not a chance at one |
| Hertz | President's Circle | $119 | Yes | Priority upgrade access | Top tier of Hertz Gold Plus Rewards | Renters loyal to the Hertz network |
| National | Executive Elite | $119 | Yes | Executive Aisle vehicle choice | Pick any car in the Executive Aisle instead of being assigned one | Frequent business renters |
Hotel loyalty shows the same pattern of programmes competing hard for switchers: hotel loyalty programme memberships reached 675 million in 2024, up 14.5% year on year, outpacing 6.7% room growth (CBRE hotel loyalty analysis, 2025), with Marriott Bonvoy at roughly 271 million members, Hilton Honors at roughly 243 million and World of Hyatt at roughly 63 million (company/industry reporting, 2025). Car rental status sits inside that same broader loyalty economy, where membership keeps growing and programmes keep adding routes to bring switchers in.
Is car rental status worth it?
Car rental status is worth it if you rent often enough that counter time and upgrade uncertainty cost you more than $69 to $119 a year. For a renter who books four or more trips a year, the counter skip alone tends to justify the price; for someone renting once or twice a year, the core benefits are harder to use often enough to matter. Major US airline programmes have shifted elite qualification away from distance flown toward revenue and spend through 2026 (airline loyalty reporting, 2026), so organic status increasingly tracks spend, not just travel frequency — which makes a fixed-price purchased tier a more predictable route to the same recognition. If your routes run through airports where all four brands have a strong counter presence, the cheapest option, Avis President's Club at $69, delivers most of the same practical value as the $119 tiers.
How to apply for car rental elite status
The process for adding a purchased car rental elite tier is broadly the same across all four programmes. Here is how it works:
- Pick the programme that matches your routes. Choose based on which brand has the strongest counter presence at the airports you use most, not on price alone.
- Confirm the tier and price. Avis President's Club is $69; Enterprise Plus Platinum, Hertz President's Circle and National Executive Elite are each $119.
- Submit your loyalty account details. The tier is applied to the loyalty number you already hold, or a new one set up as part of the order.
- Allow for processing time. Enterprise Plus Platinum takes 5 to 10 business days to process; allow a similar window before your next rental with any of the four.
- Check the tier has posted. Log into your loyalty account before your next rental to confirm the tier is active and the counter-skip benefit is available.
- Note the validity window. Enterprise Plus Platinum purchased through LuxuryAscent is valid through 1 March 2029; confirm the validity period for whichever programme you choose before booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which car rental elite status is best in 2026?
There is no single best option — all four programmes deliver broadly similar core value. Avis President's Club is cheapest at $69, Enterprise Plus Platinum offers the most consistently valuable upgrade, and National Executive Elite suits frequent business renters best. Airport presence on your own routes usually decides it.
What is the difference between Hertz President's Circle and National Executive Elite?
Both cost $119 and include counter bypass and priority service. Hertz President's Circle sits atop Hertz Gold Plus Rewards; National Executive Elite sits atop Emerald Club and adds the Executive Aisle, where members choose their own vehicle instead of being assigned one.
What are Avis President's Club benefits?
Avis President's Club, priced at $69, includes counter bypass, priority service and a chance at a vehicle upgrade at pick-up. Avis does not publish a more detailed public benefit list, but it is the cheapest of the four elite tiers compared here.
What is Enterprise Plus Platinum?
Enterprise Plus Platinum is Enterprise's top loyalty tier, priced at $119. It includes a guaranteed two-class vehicle upgrade at every check-in, four confirmed advance upgrades a year, counter skip, a free additional driver and 20% bonus points per dollar.
Is car rental status worth it?
It is worth it for renters who book four or more trips a year, since counter-skip and upgrade benefits offset the $69 to $119 price quickly. Occasional renters may find the core benefits harder to use often enough to justify the cost.
All four car rental elite tiers deliver broadly similar value, and the right pick usually comes down to which brand serves your own routes best. Start with Enterprise Plus Platinum if a guaranteed upgrade every check-in matters most, or compare the full breakdown in our Hertz President's Circle vs National Executive Elite guide and our Avis President's Club guide for the other two routes.
