"National costs more, consistently. What it's selling is the Emerald Aisle — walk the lot, pick any car, pay the midsize rate. Avis has counter bypass too, and its own car selection program. The question is whether those two things are actually the same."
You've probably seen both on the comparison screen and noticed National is more expensive — not sometimes, but reliably. What's less obvious is why. Book on Avis and you're choosing a car. Book on National and the first thing the site asks, before you've seen a single vehicle, is whether you're an Emerald Club member. The loyalty program isn't a perk bolted onto the brand — it's the whole point of the brand. Everything else follows from that.
Avis is built around price and availability: anyone books, counter bypass is free to join, no loyalty required to get a fair deal. National is built around Emerald Club: the Aisle, the pricing, the booking flow all assume you're a member. You can book National as a guest and get a perfectly fine car — but you'll pay the member rate without the member experience. Avis is part of Avis Budget Group; National is part of Enterprise Holdings — no shared fleet, no cross-earning between their programs.
At a glance
| Category | Avis | National |
|---|---|---|
| Parent company | Avis Budget Group | Enterprise Holdings |
| DiscoverCars overall | 8.0 / 10 | 8.2 / 10 |
| Base price | Competitive — mid-tier, pay-now discount available | Consistently the most expensive major brand |
| Counter bypass (loyalty members) | Yes — Avis Preferred from first rental | Yes — Emerald Club from first rental |
| Car selection experience | Select & Go — app-based swap from limited alternates | Emerald Aisle — walk the lot, pick any car at midsize rate |
| US location network | 5,500+ globally, major airports and neighborhood branches | Airport-focused, 2,000+ worldwide |
| Amex Platinum integration | Preferred Plus status (automatic) | Executive status (enrollment required) |
| One-way fee structure | Often built into a higher day rate, no visible drop-off fee | More transparent in-network; Enterprise Holdings flexibility |
| Neighborhood locations | Yes — hotel, city, and off-airport branches available | Primarily airports |
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The price gap
National consistently lands at the expensive end of the market. By average weekly price across major US airports, it's often the most expensive major brand of all — not because the cars are different, but because the experience is priced in. The gap is wider on midweek business travel and narrows on leisure weekends, so what you actually see will vary by trip. But Avis coming in cheaper isn't a quirk of timing or airport — it's the pattern.
What the premium isn't buying: a better fleet, a more transparent fee stack, or preferential treatment at the counter. The add-ons at both brands are identical — LDW, deposit hold, supplemental liability, additional driver fee, young driver surcharge if applicable. None of that changes by brand. What the premium is buying is what happens between the curb and the car, and only if you're enrolled in Emerald Club.
What you actually get at the lot
Both programs offer counter bypass from the first rental, free to join. That's where the similarity ends.
At Avis, Preferred bypass means your name is on a board when you land. Bay number assigned, car waiting. You walk to it, flash your license at the exit gate, done. No queue, no counter conversation. Insurance and add-on decisions happen during online check-in before you travel, so by the time you reach the lot the paperwork is already settled. It's fast and it works well at most Avis airports.
At National, Emerald Club bypass means something else. You walk to the Emerald Aisle — a dedicated section of the lot — and choose any car there yourself. Any size, any color, any make available in the aisle, all at the midsize rate you booked. Keys are in the cars. You pick one and drive to the exit. No assignment, no app required, no negotiating with a screen. For people who've used it, this is the feature that makes them renew their Emerald membership every year regardless of price.
Avis has a car selection program called Select & Go, but it works differently: the system pre-assigns a car and the app offers a limited pool of same-class swaps before pickup. Frequent renters who've used both call it a step down — not because Avis's bypass is bad, but because a swap from a limited pool isn't the same as walking a lot and choosing. If picking your own car is the reason you're looking at National, the Aisle is what you want — and it only works when you book National. For how both programs compare against every other supplier's loyalty scheme, see our rental car loyalty programs guide.
How they score by airport
Scores below are from DiscoverCars, a booking platform with hundreds of thousands of verified post-rental reviews. They reflect the average traveller's experience — including people arriving at the counter unprepared. A traveller who's sorted their coverage and knows what to expect at pickup typically does better than the aggregate suggests at either brand.
| Airport | Avis | National | Best pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica (SJO) Costa Rica | 6.0 | 9.0 | National |
| Cancun (CUN) Mexico | 7.9 | 8.1 | National |
| Los Angeles (LAX) California | 7.8 | 8.5 | National |
| Newark (EWR) New Jersey | 8.4 | 8.3 | Avis |
| Las Vegas (LAS) Nevada | 8.7 | 8.6 | Either |
DiscoverCars traveller ratings, September 2026.
Both brands score reliably across most US and international locations — National edges Avis slightly overall, and the gap rarely justifies switching brands on its own. The one exception is Costa Rica: Avis's 6.0 at San Jose comes from franchise-operated locations where post-return billing isn't held to the same standard as corporate sites. A prepared traveller does better than that number suggests, but if Costa Rica is on the itinerary, National is the cleaner pick.
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Which one to book
You don't have Emerald Club and car selection isn't the reason you're here. Book Avis. Join Avis Preferred first — it's free and the board bypass at the lot is real. Las Vegas, Newark, and Chicago are the strongest US airports in the data above. If you're also weighing Enterprise, the Avis vs Enterprise comparison covers where that price gap actually comes from.
You have Emerald Club and you're flying into an airport where the Aisle is available. Whether National's premium is worth it depends on how much the Aisle matters for this particular trip and how wide the gap is on the day. For an occasional leisure booking the gap is usually too wide. For someone who rents twice a week and has learned to plan around the Aisle, the math is different.
You hold an Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve. Enroll in both programs through your card's benefits portal before you book anything. Then let the price decide — you'll have counter bypass and car selection access at whichever brand you end up on.
You need an off-airport or neighborhood location. Avis. National is airport-focused, and outside major airports the choice is often made for you by what's available.
You're doing a one-way trip. Avis often folds the one-way cost into a higher day rate with no visible drop-off charge — the one-way rental guide covers how to compare all-in totals across brands before you commit.
The verdict
If you haven't booked yet: Start with whether the Emerald Aisle is something you'll actually use. If not — if counter bypass alone is the goal — Avis is cheaper and does that just as well. Enroll in Avis Preferred and book on price. If the Aisle matters, check your card benefits first: Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve both unlock National status, which may change the economics. Then compare prices at your specific airport and dates — the gap narrows on some trips and widens on others.
If you're already booked with Avis: Sort your coverage decision before pickup — check your credit card's rental collision protection so the LDW conversation at the tablet doesn't catch you cold. Read your confirmation to make sure nothing is pre-selected that you didn't ask for. At the lot, the tablet has a countdown timer; read every line before initialing. Our Avis review covers the full fee stack.
If you're already booked with National: Confirm your specific airport has Emerald Aisle service — not all do. Add your Emerald Club number to the reservation if you haven't. If you're an Amex or Chase cardholder who hasn't enrolled in the National benefit, you can often still add the member number by calling the location before arrival. Our National review covers how the Aisle varies by airport and what to check before you land.
If a charge appeared after you returned: Start with the booking platform if you booked through one. Then the brand directly in writing with your rental agreement and pickup photos. Give it a week before escalating to a card dispute.
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- Avis's tablet sign-off at pickup can have options pre-selected. Read every line before initialing — the session has a countdown timer.
- National's Emerald Aisle counter bypass only works at participating airport locations. Confirm your specific airport qualifies before counting on it.
- Select & Go at Avis is not the same as the Emerald Aisle. It pre-assigns a car and offers limited app-based alternates — not a walk-the-lot experience.
- Amex Platinum gives you both Avis Preferred Plus and National Executive status, but each requires separate enrollment in your card's benefits dashboard.
- Avis and National are different companies with no shared parent. Loyalty credits and free days do not transfer or cross-earn between the two programs.
- The deposit hold applies at both brands regardless of loyalty status — plan for it on your card before pickup.
- Avis's one-way pricing often has no visible drop-off fee but builds a premium into the day rate. Compare the all-in total, not just the fee line.
Frequently asked questions
Are Avis and National the same company?
No — they have different parent companies. Avis is part of Avis Budget Group (which also owns Budget and Payless). National is part of Enterprise Holdings (which also owns Enterprise and Alamo). Unlike the Enterprise/Alamo comparison, there is no shared fleet or cross-earning between Avis and National loyalty programs.
Which is cheaper — Avis or National?
Avis, consistently. National is one of the most expensive major rental brands by average price — by some measures the most expensive of all. The gap is real, and it exists because National prices its Emerald Aisle experience into the base rate. Check both at your specific airport and dates: the gap widens on midweek business travel and narrows on weekend leisure trips.
Does Avis have a car selection program like the Emerald Aisle?
Avis has a program called Select & Go, but it works differently from National's Emerald Aisle. With National, you walk the aisle and choose any car at the midsize rate with no pre-assignment. With Avis, the system pre-assigns a car and lets you swap via the app from a limited set of alternates. Frequent renters who have used both programs consistently describe Select & Go as a meaningful step down from the Aisle experience.
Do Avis and National have separate loyalty programs?
Yes — Avis Preferred and National Emerald Club are completely separate programs with no cross-earning or cross-redemption. Points and free days earned at Avis stay at Avis; Emerald Club credits stay at National. The one exception is the Amex Platinum card, which gives you status at both brands simultaneously through its car rental benefits — but the programs themselves remain independent.
My Amex Platinum card — does it give me status at both?
Yes. The Amex Platinum gives Avis Preferred Plus status and National Emerald Club Executive status, each requiring separate enrollment in your card's benefits dashboard at americanexpress.com. Preferred Plus at Avis includes counter bypass and a free car class upgrade. Executive at National gives you counter bypass, Emerald Aisle access, and the ability to pick full-size and above from the Aisle at the midsize rate. Both are worth activating before any rental — even if you only occasionally use each brand.
I already booked Avis — what should I do before pickup?
Two things are worth doing before you arrive: confirm your credit card's rental collision coverage so you know whether you need the LDW, and read through your booking confirmation to check nothing has been pre-selected that you didn't ask for. At pickup, the sign-off happens on a tablet with a countdown timer — read every line before initialing. See our Avis review for the full fee breakdown.
I already booked National — what should I do before pickup?
Check whether your specific airport location has Emerald Aisle service — not all do. If you have Emerald Club status, add your member number to the reservation before arrival. If you're an Amex Platinum cardholder and haven't enrolled in the National benefit, do that now through your card's benefits dashboard. See our National review for full details on how the Aisle works by airport.
Something went wrong after I returned — what are my options?
Start with the booking platform if that's how you booked — they carry leverage the supplier pays attention to. Then contact Avis or National directly in writing, with your rental agreement and any photos from pickup. Give it one week. If it stays unresolved, your card issuer can walk you through a chargeback.
