TRAVEL · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Unlock Rental Car Perks with These Credit Cards
WHY IT MATTERS
This perk can be valuable for travelers who frequently rent cars, as it can provide benefits like skipping the rental counter and receiving complimentary upgrades, making the rental car experience faster and more rewarding.
What happened
Several travel credit cards offer complimentary rental car elite status, providing benefits like skipping the rental counter, choosing from a wider selection of vehicles, and receiving complimentary upgrades. Cards like the American Express Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offer elite status with rental car programs such as Avis, Hertz, and National.
To receive these benefits, cardholders must enroll in the respective programs through their credit card accounts or websites. For example, Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum cardmembers must enroll in the Avis Preferred program to receive their status, while Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders can activate their Avis benefits through their Chase account.
By taking advantage of these credit card perks, travelers can enhance their rental car experience and earn bonus points.
PRIMARY SOURCES
The best credit cards for rental car elite status
The Points Guy · Stephanie Stevens · Discovery and factual synthesis only; publisher copyright terms apply
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Oct 7, 2026, 9:15 PM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Oct 7, 2026, 9:15 PM