Hertz Status Match: How to Apply and Qualify for President's Circle
Hertz will match elite status you already hold with another car rental company, up to its top tier, President's Circle. You need a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards account, current proof of status with one of the programs Hertz lists (Avis, Enterprise, National, Sixt or Europcar), and you can use the match only if you have never had one before or your last one was more than five years ago. Hotel and airline status do not count for the match itself. Some hotel, airline and credit card programs give Hertz status through separate partner benefits, which we cover below.
Hertz status match at a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Gold Plus Rewards members who have never had a Hertz status match, or whose last match was more than five years ago |
| What status counts | Car rental loyalty status only, from the programs on Hertz's list |
| Highest tier available | President's Circle |
| Proof required | Your name and Gold Plus Rewards number, the program you are matching from, and a welcome email, membership card or statement that shows your status |
| How long matched status lasts | Through December 31 of the second calendar year after approval |
| Processing time | Hertz does not publish one |
| Official cost | Hertz's published status match information does not mention a fee |
Who can apply for a Hertz status match
Two conditions apply before Hertz looks at your other status:
- You must already be a Gold Plus Rewards member. Hertz matches status onto an existing Gold Plus Rewards account, so join first and keep your member number handy.
- You must be eligible for a match. Hertz offers the match only to members who have never received a Hertz status match, or whose last one was more than five years ago.
Because of the five-year rule, it pays to time your request. Apply when you expect to rent from Hertz soon. And because matched status runs to December 31 of a set calendar year (see How long matched status lasts), an approval early in a calendar year gives you a longer matched period than one late in the year.
Which programs and tiers Hertz accepts
Hertz's status match lists specific car rental programs and maps each tier to either Five Star or President's Circle:
| Your current status | Matches to Hertz Five Star | Matches to Hertz President's Circle |
|---|---|---|
| Avis Preferred | Avis Preferred Plus (fewer than 25 rentals) | Avis President's Club |
| Enterprise Plus | Silver or Gold | Platinum |
| National Emerald Club | Executive | Executive Elite |
| Sixt | Gold or Platinum | Diamond |
| Europcar Privilege | Executive | Elite |
A few points to keep in mind:
- Hertz describes the match as "up to" President's Circle. The tier you receive follows Hertz's mapping, not the tier name you hold elsewhere.
- Avis Preferred Plus with 25 or more rentals is not clearly covered. Hertz's list ties Preferred Plus to Five Star when you have fewer than 25 rentals. If you have more, check the current status match page or ask Hertz how your account will be treated.
- Program names change. If your current program has renamed its tiers since Hertz last updated its list, include proof that makes your tier level clear.
Status Hertz does not accept for a match
Hertz's competitor list includes only car rental programs. Hotel, airline and cruise status do not qualify for the status match. If you hold hotel or airline status, see partner and credit card routes below, which work differently.
Five Star or President's Circle: which will you get?
Your result depends on your current tier, not on how often you rent:
- President's Circle goes to members who hold Avis President's Club, Enterprise Plus Platinum, National Executive Elite, Sixt Diamond or Europcar Privilege Elite.
- Five Star goes to members who hold Avis Preferred Plus (fewer than 25 rentals), Enterprise Plus Silver or Gold, National Executive, Sixt Gold or Platinum, or Europcar Privilege Executive.
If you hold a base tier elsewhere (for example, entry-level membership without elite status), there is nothing to match. For a comparison of what each Hertz tier actually gets you at the counter, see Is Hertz President's Circle Worth It?.
What documents you need
Hertz asks for two kinds of information.
To identify you:
- Your first and last name, exactly as it appears on your Hertz account
- Your Gold Plus Rewards member number
- The name of the program you are matching from
To prove your status (one of these):
- A welcome email from the other program confirming your tier
- A membership card showing your tier
- A monthly statement showing your tier
Send something that clearly shows both your name and your current tier, and make sure the status is current rather than expired.
How to apply for a Hertz status match: step by step
- Join Gold Plus Rewards on hertz.com if you haven't already, and note your member number.
- Check your eligibility. Confirm you haven't had a Hertz status match in the last five years.
- Gather your proof. Save a welcome email, card image or statement that shows your name and current tier.
- Submit through Hertz's status match page. Hertz has used both an online request form and an email address (hertzstatusmatch@hertz.com) for status match requests. Use whichever method the current Hertz status match page directs you to.
- Confirm the result. After approval, sign in to your Gold Plus Rewards profile and check that the new tier shows before your next rental.
How long processing takes
Hertz does not publish a processing time for status match requests. Third-party guides, such as a September 2026 Award Travel Finder guide, report that requests often take anywhere from about 24 hours to seven business days, with Five Star said to be faster than President's Circle. Treat those as reader reports, not a Hertz commitment, and apply well before a rental where you want the tier in place.
How long matched status lasts
Hertz says matched status is valid through December 31 of the second calendar year following approval. On our reading, a match approved at any point in 2026 would run through December 31, 2028. Hertz hasn't published a worked example, so check the end date on your account after approval.
What happens when matched status ends
When the match period ends, you keep your tier only if you meet Hertz's normal qualification requirements. Otherwise you return to Gold. Hertz counts qualifying rentals and spend per calendar year (January 1 to December 31).
Hertz's thresholds have changed, and the figures we found don't all agree:
| Tier | Older Hertz program pages | 2026 reports |
|---|---|---|
| Five Star | 10 rentals or $2,000 in a calendar year | 3 rentals or $1,000 (reported by AwardWallet in about April 2026; the same figure appears on Hertz's Japan and Asia pages, which are not US pages) |
| President's Circle | 15 rentals or $3,000 in a calendar year | Reported unchanged at 15 rentals or $3,000 |
We could not confirm the lower Five Star figure on a current US Hertz page, or exactly what counts toward spend (for example, whether taxes and fees are excluded). Check the current requirements on Hertz's Gold Plus Rewards page before you count on keeping a tier after your match ends.
Country and location restrictions
Hertz's status match page doesn't state a country or residency restriction in anything we could find. It sits on Hertz's US site, and Hertz runs separate regional offers in other markets. Some partner routes are explicitly limited: the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card benefit, for example, requires a US Gold Plus Rewards membership. If you live outside the US or hold a Gold Plus Rewards account opened in another country, confirm with Hertz before applying.
Status match vs partner and credit card routes
A status match is only one way to get Hertz elite status. Several partners give Hertz tiers as a benefit of their own card or loyalty program. These routes are not status matches: you enroll through the partner, and the status usually lasts as long as you keep the card or partner status. They run separately from Hertz's own status match process.
| Route | Hertz tier | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| American Express Gold Card | Five Star | Enroll through Amex; your Gold Plus Rewards email must match your Amex email. Amex says enrollment can take up to 72 hours, and status ends if the card is closed. |
| American Express Platinum Card | President's Circle (reported) | Enrolled through the card's car rental benefits. Third-party reports say cardmembers must re-enroll by December 31, 2026; confirm on americanexpress.com. |
| Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Reserve Business Amex | President's Circle | Requires a US Gold Plus Rewards membership. Enroll through Delta; allow up to eight weeks. |
| Delta Medallion status | Gold Medallion: Five Star. Platinum and Diamond Medallion: President's Circle | Enroll through Delta. |
| Capital One Venture X and Venture X Business | President's Circle | Enroll through Capital One; Hertz won't detect eligibility on its own. |
| IHG One Rewards | Gold and Platinum Elite: Five Star. Diamond Elite: President's Circle | Apply through IHG. |
Partner benefits change often. Check the partner's current benefit page before you rely on one, and note that any annual card fee is a cost of the card, not of Hertz status.
Does Hertz charge for a status match?
Hertz's published status match information doesn't mention a fee, and you can submit a request directly to Hertz yourself.
Status Unlocked is a separate, paid assistance service, not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Hertz. Our Hertz President's Circle listing costs a one-time $12, paid to Status Unlocked by PayPal or Venmo, and after you buy we send instructions by email. Our fee covers our help with the process. It is not a Hertz charge, it doesn't buy status, and Hertz makes the final decision on every request under the rules above, including eligible car rental status and one match every five years.
Hertz status match FAQ
Can I match hotel or airline status to Hertz?
Not through the status match, which accepts only car rental programs. Some hotel and airline programs, including IHG One Rewards and Delta SkyMiles Medallion status, give Hertz tiers through partner benefits instead.
Can I use the Hertz status match more than once?
Only once every five years. Hertz offers the match to members who have never had one or whose last match was more than five years ago.
Is matched status the same as earned status?
It carries the same tier while it lasts. The difference is how you keep it. Matched status runs through December 31 of the second calendar year after approval, then you must meet the normal rental or spend requirements to stay at that tier.
Do I need to complete rentals to keep matched status during the match period?
No activity requirement during the match period appears in Hertz's published terms. That makes Hertz's offer a true status match rather than a status challenge. See What Is a Status Match for how the two differ.
What's the difference between Five Star and President's Circle?
President's Circle is the higher tier, with a larger points bonus, a wider vehicle choice and upgrade and availability guarantees at participating locations. We cover the details and limits in Is Hertz President's Circle Worth It?.
Get help with your Hertz status match
If you hold eligible car rental status and would rather have someone handle the request, Status Unlocked can help for a one-time $12 fee, which is separate from anything Hertz charges. See our Hertz President's Circle status match service for how the process works.
Written by Jim for the Status Unlocked blog. Questions? unlocktravelstatus@gmail.com.