"Same parent, same fleet, same fees at the desk. What's different is the pickup experience — and it only kicks in when you book National specifically. Emerald Club is free to join and earns at both brands, but the counter bypass and car selection are National-only. Join before you book anything, then let the price decide which brand you're on."
Two tabs open, two prices — National sitting noticeably higher, and a loyalty program name you may have seen before but never quite looked into. Both are run by the same parent company, along with Alamo, and at most airports they share the same fleet, the same fee structure at the counter, and the same Emerald Club loyalty program. The name on your booking matters less than most comparison articles suggest.
What actually differs is the experience the two brands are built around. In our own booking check at LAX, the same Compact SUV cost $229 at Enterprise and $370 at National for a three-day midweek rental — National costs more, consistently, and that premium only makes sense if you understand what it's buying. Enterprise is designed for the general traveler: straightforward counter pickup, wider location network, lower price. National is built around Emerald Club — bypass the counter, pick your own car from the aisle, drive out. That experience is genuinely different, but it only activates when you book National directly, and only at participating airport locations. This article explains exactly when that matters, and what to do whether you're still deciding or have already booked.
Quick comparison
Same parent, same fleet, same counter fees. The gaps that matter are price, pickup experience, and what each loyalty program delivers from day one.
| Category | Enterprise | National |
|---|---|---|
| Parent company | Enterprise Holdings | Enterprise Holdings |
| DiscoverCars overall | 8.4 / 10 | 8.3 / 10 |
| J.D. Power 2025 | #1 of 13 (734 / 1,000) | #2 of 13 (721 / 1,000) |
| Base price | Typically lower | Typically higher |
| Loyalty program | Enterprise Plus | Emerald Club |
| Counter bypass at pickup | No — counter required at all locations | Yes — Emerald members, participating National airports only |
| Choose your own car | No | Yes — Emerald Aisle, midsize and above |
| Loyalty benefit from first rental | Points accumulation toward free days | Counter bypass + car selection immediately |
| Earn Emerald credits at other brand | Yes — add Emerald number at booking | Yes |
| Neighborhood locations | Extensive — 5,500+ in North America | Airport-focused |
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What's the same — worth knowing upfront
At shared airport locations both brands offer the same fleet. The counter fee structure is identical — LDW, deposit hold, supplemental liability, roadside assistance, additional driver — same products, same prices, presented the same way at both brands. Nothing diverges at the add-on stage.
Emerald Club spans both brands too — credits earn on Enterprise rentals when you add your member number at booking, and free days redeem at National. Worth knowing: Enterprise's checkout page has an "Add Emerald Club" field alongside Enterprise Plus sign-in, easy to miss if you're moving quickly. That said, the credits are the only thing that travels with your number across brands. The counter bypass and the Emerald Aisle are a different matter — those only apply at National locations, and only when you've booked National directly.
The price gap
National is the premium option and prices accordingly. The gap is consistent in direction — Enterprise comes in lower — but it's not fixed. Midweek rentals tend to show a wider spread than weekends, so the size of the premium depends on when you're travelling. The taxes at both brands are structurally identical, so the total gap tracks the base rate directly. There's no separate fee divergence to watch for.
In our own check, the midweek gap ran around 60% on the same car at the same airport — the weekend spread was closer to 20%. Both figures are illustrative rather than fixed; pricing is dynamic enough that your trip will land somewhere of its own. Check both brands at your specific airport and dates before booking.
Emerald Club vs Enterprise Plus
These programs look similar from the outside — both free, both tied to the same parent company — but they solve different problems. Emerald Club is an access program: counter bypass, car selection from the Emerald Aisle, free additional driver, all from your very first rental. Enterprise Plus is a points program: earn per dollar spent, redeem for free days, with upgrade perks unlocking at Gold and Platinum tier after enough rentals. At base level — where most occasional renters stay — Enterprise Plus doesn't change how pickup works at all.
The Emerald Aisle is what makes National's experience genuinely different. At participating airports, Emerald members bypass the desk entirely, walk to the aisle, pick any midsize or above, and drive out. The return is the same — drop the keys and leave. For anyone who rents often enough that the counter has become the friction point, that difference is real. It's designed for frequent travelers, but leisure renters who value picking their own car get exactly the same benefit.
The move worth knowing: join Emerald Club free at nationalcar.com before you book anything. It takes a few minutes and earns credits on Enterprise rentals too. But if the counter bypass is what you're after, you need to book National — adding your Emerald number to an Enterprise reservation earns credits and gets you expedited counter service, not the Aisle.
What happens at the counter
For non-Emerald members, both brands run the same sequence. Protection products and extras appear as a dedicated add-ons page during online booking and again at pickup. Most of what's presented is optional. The deposit hold is not — it applies at both brands regardless of loyalty status.
| Fee | Typical charge | Risk | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) | Varies by location and vehicle class | Medium | You can decline this. Identical at both brands. Know what coverage you're arriving with before you reach the desk — your credit card may include rental collision protection. |
| Security deposit hold | Varies — higher on debit cards | Medium | Can't avoid this at either brand. A hold, not a charge — released within a few days of return. |
| Supplemental Liability Protection | Varies by location | Medium | You can decline this. Check whether your own auto insurance extends to rentals before the counter conversation starts. |
| Roadside Assistance | Varies by location | Low | You can decline this. Most credit cards and auto insurance policies include some roadside coverage. Verify before pickup. |
| Additional driver | Per day at most US locations — capped per rental | Medium | You can decline if travelling alone. Emerald Club members add a second driver free at National. Waived for spouses at some locations — worth asking at either brand. |
| Young driver (under 25) | Per day — not optional | High | Can't avoid this at either brand. Run the real total with it included before comparing prices. |
Counter fees at Enterprise and National — identical structure at both brands. Sourced from published rental conditions, accessed May 2026.
For Emerald members at participating National locations, the insurance conversation happens at profile setup before you travel — not live at the desk. That's the structural difference the Aisle creates: not that the decisions disappear, but that they move to a lower-pressure context. At Enterprise, and at National for non-members, the sequence plays out at the counter with an agent waiting.
The LDW is the decision that matters most. It can add a meaningful amount to a multi-day rental — enough to narrow any price gap between the two brands. Around $25/day is a common rate at US airports, though it varies by location and vehicle class. If your travel credit card covers rental collision damage, you don't need it. Knowing that before you reach the desk is the difference between a smooth counter experience and a pressured one.
Which one should you actually book?
You haven't joined Emerald Club yet. Do that first. Then compare prices at your specific airport. If Enterprise is meaningfully cheaper, book Enterprise and add your Emerald number — you earn credits either way. When National is competitive or cheaper, book National and use the Aisle.
Enterprise is cheaper and you want the Aisle experience. You can earn credits toward it at Enterprise, but the bypass only activates when you book National. If the Aisle matters to you, that's the brand to be on — even at a higher price, depending on how much the counter experience costs you in time and friction.
National is cheaper or prices are close. Book National. Emerald members get the Aisle; non-members get a counter pickup equivalent to Enterprise. At that point it's a pure price decision.
You need a neighborhood, hotel, or local branch. Enterprise. National is primarily airport-focused. Outside major airports the choice is often made for you.
You rent frequently for work and your employer covers it. National's Emerald Club was designed for exactly this situation. The time saved per rental compounds across a year of trips in a way that makes the premium worth evaluating. See our Enterprise review for a full breakdown of Enterprise Plus if you're deciding which program to build status in.
How the brands compare by market
The overall scores — Enterprise 8.4, National 8.3 — are close enough that the aggregate doesn't tell the full story. What they don't show is how much the picture changes by location. The same brand that scores well in one market can look very different at a specific airport, which is where the decision actually plays out. The scores below come from DiscoverCars, a booking comparison platform, and cover hundreds of thousands of rentals worldwide.
| Airport | Enterprise | National | Best pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancun (CUN) Mexico | 8.5 | 8.1 | Enterprise |
| France (overall) Europe | 8.3 | 7.7 | Enterprise |
| Germany (overall) Europe | 8.4 | 8.2 | Either |
| Spain (overall) Europe | 8.0 | 8.3 | National |
| UK (overall) Europe | 8.8 | 8.4 | Either |
DiscoverCars scores by market, accessed May 2026. Country-level scores aggregate multiple locations.
Enterprise leads in France and Cancun by a meaningful margin. National edges it in Spain. Germany and the UK are close enough that price should decide. Two markets where National performs strongly and Enterprise has limited presence: Canada (National 9.0, 118 reviews) and Costa Rica (9.0, 60 reviews) — worth noting if either is on your itinerary.
The verdict
If you haven't booked yet: Join Emerald Club before you do anything else — it's free, takes minutes, and earns on both brands. Then check both brands at your specific airport and dates. Enterprise will usually be cheaper. When it is, book it and add your Emerald number for the credits. When National is competitive, book National — Emerald members get the Aisle, non-members get an equivalent counter experience at a price that's closer to Enterprise.
If you're already booked: Same counter experience at both brands for non-Emerald members. Before pickup: confirm your coverage source, add your Emerald number to the reservation if you haven't, screenshot your confirmation. If you're booked with National, check whether your specific airport has Emerald Aisle service. At the counter, ask for a full line-item breakdown before signing.
If something came up after you returned: Start with the booking platform if that's how you booked. Then the brand directly in writing, with your rental agreement and any photos from pickup. Give it a week. If it stays unresolved, your card issuer can walk you through a dispute.
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- Emerald Aisle counter bypass applies at participating National airport locations only — confirm before you count on it.
- Adding your Emerald Club number to an Enterprise booking earns credits but does not give you counter bypass or car selection — those only work at National.
- National's price premium is wider midweek than on weekends — check both brands at your specific airport and dates before booking.
- Free rental days earned via Emerald Club must be redeemed at National. Credits earn at both brands but redeem at one.
- The deposit hold applies at both brands regardless of loyalty status — plan for it on your card before pickup.
- Young driver surcharges are identical at both brands and are not optional.
Frequently asked questions
Are National and Enterprise the same company?
Yes — both are owned by Enterprise Holdings, along with Alamo. They share the same fleet at many airports and an identical fee structure at the counter. Emerald Club spans both brands. The differences that matter are price, the Emerald Aisle pickup experience at National, and network footprint.
Which is cheaper — National or Enterprise?
Enterprise, typically. The gap tends to be wider on midweek rentals than on weekends — the base rate difference is real but not fixed. Check both at your specific airport and dates before booking.
What is the Emerald Club and is it worth joining?
Emerald Club is National's free loyalty program. At base level it gets you counter bypass and car selection from the Emerald Aisle at participating airports, a free additional driver, and credits toward free rental days from your first rental. It's worth joining before any rental — Emerald credits earn on Enterprise bookings too, though the counter bypass and Aisle only apply when you book National.
If I book through Enterprise using my Emerald Club number, do I still get to skip the counter?
No. The counter bypass and Emerald Aisle are exclusive to participating National airport locations. When you use your Emerald number on an Enterprise booking, you get expedited counter service and credits toward free days — but not the skip. To get the Aisle experience, book National directly.
What is the difference between Emerald Club and Enterprise Plus?
They solve different problems. Emerald Club delivers operational benefits from your first rental — counter bypass, car selection from the aisle, free additional driver. Enterprise Plus is a points program: earn per dollar spent, redeem for free days, with upgrade perks unlocking at Gold and Platinum tier after 12 or 24 rentals. Emerald Club changes the pickup experience immediately. Enterprise Plus builds financial value over time.
I found a better price on a comparison site — can I still use my Emerald Club or Enterprise Plus number?
Usually yes, but it depends on the platform. Some booking sites include a loyalty number field at checkout; others don't. If yours didn't, contact the brand directly with your reservation number before pickup — most National and Enterprise locations can add a membership number to an existing booking. Credits will earn from that rental as normal.
I already booked — what should I do before pickup?
The counter experience is the same at both brands for non-Emerald members. Before you go: confirm what coverage your credit card provides for rental collision damage. Add your Emerald Club number to the reservation if you haven't already. If you're booked with National, check whether your airport has Emerald Aisle service. Screenshot your booking confirmation.
Something came up after I returned the car — what are my options?
If you booked through a third-party platform, start there — they carry more leverage with the supplier. Then contact the brand directly in writing with your rental agreement and any pickup photos. Give it one week. If it stays unresolved, your card issuer can walk you through a chargeback.
