Hertz

Hertz is the founding US car rental brand, part of Hertz Global Holdings, which also owns Dollar and Thrifty, so pick your car, then book through ShopBack before you pay, where ShopBack Cashback works like a discount, only easier than a promo code. It operates rentals at more than 12,000 corporate and franchise locations across 160+ countries, with a US network spanning virtually every major airport, downtown, and neighborhood location. Fleet includes economy, SUV, luxury (through the Hertz Adrenaline and Prestige Collections), and EV (a rebuilt Tesla and Polestar programme in 2025-26). Book via hertz.com or the Hertz app, starting from the ShopBack Hertz merchant page.

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards has three tiers: Gold (base signup, free), Five Star, and President's Circle. Effective January 1, 2026, Hertz lowered Five Star thresholds significantly to 3 qualifying rentals or $1,000 in qualified spend per calendar year (down from 10 rentals or $2,000). President's Circle requires 15 qualifying rentals or $3,000 in qualified spend per calendar year. Gold members skip the counter with Gold Choice at 40+ US locations. Five Star adds 25% bonus points, as-available upgrades, and access to a wider vehicle selection. President's Circle adds guaranteed complimentary car-class upgrades (up to full-size) and the highest earn rate (1.5 points per dollar).

Hertz runs seasonal promotions aligned to spring break (March), summer road trip (June to August), fall/leaf peeping (September to October), holiday travel (Thanksgiving through New Year), plus Black Friday (November 27, 2026) and Cyber Monday (November 30, 2026) deals. Frequent codes discount weekend rentals 20 to 30% off with 3-day-plus bookings; verify eligible dates and locations on hertz.com. Cashback via ShopBack tracks on eligible rentals at the current published rate.

The minimum age to rent a car from Hertz in most US states is 20 (25 for premium and specialty vehicles, and select specialty locations). Renters ages 20 to 24 are charged a Young Driver Fee that typically ranges from about $25 to $60 per day depending on location and vehicle class. This fee applies to Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty. In New York and Michigan, the under-25 fee is capped by state law. In a handful of US corporate rentals (typically for university, government, or specific business contract accounts), the fee may be waived; verify at booking.

Both are US-founded and roughly equivalent on US airport and downtown coverage. Hertz Gold Plus Rewards has more aggressive 2026 threshold reductions (Five Star at 3 rentals) versus Avis Preferred Plus (10 rentals or $4,000). Avis President's Club (20 rentals or $6,000) gives an automatic two-class upgrade at check-in versus Hertz President's Circle's guaranteed one-class upgrade up to full-size. For casual US travellers hitting 3 to 5 rentals per year, Hertz Five Star typically wins. For heavy business rental users, Avis President's Club can pull ahead on guaranteed two-class upgrades. Both cashback-eligible via ShopBack.

Enterprise (which also owns Alamo and National) dominates US neighborhood-location coverage with free pickup/dropoff and typically has newer, better-maintained fleets on average. Hertz dominates airport counter presence, has stronger business-travel elite recognition, and a deeper Prestige/luxury fleet. For a downtown or suburban rental where you don't want to hail a ride to an airport counter, Enterprise typically wins. For airport pickup or premium vehicle access, Hertz often wins. Both cashback-eligible via ShopBack via their own merchant pages.

Hertz Loss Damage Waiver (LDW, the US market equivalent of CDW) is optional, and its daily cost depends on vehicle class and location. Before adding LDW, check three sources: (1) your personal auto insurance may extend rental coverage; (2) many US credit cards (Chase Sapphire Reserve, Amex Platinum) offer primary or secondary rental car collision coverage when the rental is charged to the card; (3) programmes like Amex Premium Car Rental Protection, charged per rental rather than per day, provide primary coverage. Adding Hertz LDW when your credit card already covers the rental is often duplicative for personal rentals.

Hertz has staffed counters at every major US airport including Orlando MCO, Las Vegas LAS, Denver DEN, Los Angeles LAX, San Francisco SFO, Dallas Fort Worth DFW, Miami MIA, Atlanta ATL, Newark EWR, JFK New York, and Chicago ORD. Peak rental times align with spring break (March), summer road trip (June to August), leaf-peeping (September to October Northeast), and Thanksgiving through New Year. Book 3 to 4 weeks ahead for holiday windows since airport inventory tightens fast. Gold members skip the counter at 40+ US locations via Gold Choice.

Go through ShopBack before you pay and the Cashback tracks to your ShopBack account. Start from the ShopBack Hertz merchant page, click through to hertz.com, and complete the booking.

Pay Now (prepaid) rate cancellations within the free-cancellation window typically issue a refund, and Pay Later rate cancellations before pickup have no fee.

Booking Hertz? Pick your car, then book through ShopBack Hertz before you pay: ShopBack Cashback works like a discount, only easier than a promo code. Hertz accepts only one promotional coupon per rental, and a coupon can be rejected if it needs more advance notice, is not valid for your dates, car class or pick-up location, or requires a matching discount (CDP) number. Membership rates such as AAA, and offers sent to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards members, tend to be more dependable. The current Cashback is shown on the Hertz page on ShopBack before you buy.

Yes for most renters, because Hertz Gold Plus Rewards is free to join and even the base Gold tier lets you skip the counter at participating airports and earn points on every rental. Members earn one point for every dollar spent, and points can be redeemed for free rental days and upgrades. The three tiers reward how often you rent: occasional renters get the counter skip and points, while people who rent several times a year can reach Five Star or President's Circle for bonus points and upgrades, as set out in the tier table above. Gold Plus Rewards points and ShopBack Cashback are separate, so start the booking from this ShopBack page and check the live rate on this page.

AAA's published Hertz benefit is up to 20% off the Pay Later base rate at participating US, Canada and Puerto Rico locations, with taxes and fees excluded. The same benefit waives the additional driver fee for qualified AAA members and the young renter fee for AAA members aged 20 to 24, and includes free use of one child safety seat, subject to availability. To get it, the AAA Club Discount Code (CDP) must be in the reservation, the booking must be made at least 24 hours ahead, and you show your AAA card at pick-up.

Yes. Hertz rentals booked on hertz.com after clicking through from this ShopBack page can earn Cashback. Going through ShopBack is an essential step before you book, the same as with travel sites like Booking.com, Trip.com, Agoda and Expedia, and part of what you spend on the rental comes back as Cashback. Check the live rate on this page before you book.

ShopBack lowers the effective price of a Hertz rental after you pay: your effective price is the rental cost minus the cash ShopBack returns once the completed rental confirms. Cashback comes back as cash, not points or miles, so it works like a discount on the price, and it is separate from any Gold Plus Rewards points the same rental earns. Use the live rate on this page to work out your effective price before you book.

ShopBack's guides on Hertz cover monthly car hire on a budget, minimum age for car hire and premium car hire at a fair price: What Is the Cheapest Way to Rent a Car Long Term in the US (2026)?, How Old Do You Have to Be to Rent a Car in the US in 2026? and Where Can I Rent a Luxury Car Without Overpaying in 2026?.