Every major rental car loyalty program is free to join. That already answers the question most people think they're asking. The real question isn't whether to sign up — it's whether any of this changes anything for you, and when.
Ten brands run ten different programs, and they split cleanly into two kinds. Some hand you a real benefit on your first rental — skip the counter, pick your own car — before you've built up any history at all. Others are point systems that stay invisible until you've rented enough times in a year for the math to work. One brand doesn't have a program at all. Here's which is which, and what actually changes for you at each one.
| Fee | Typical charge | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Hertz Gold+ | Access + points | You want free counter-skip from rental one, or you rent Hertz 10+ times a year |
| National Emerald Club | Access | You want to pick your own car from the Emerald Aisle, every rental, from day one |
| Avis Preferred | Access + points | Avis is already your default and you want the counter-skip without chasing status |
| SIXT ONE | Access + points | You book Sixt for the fleet and want mobile check-in and member rates from day one |
| Enterprise Plus | Points | You rent locally or from neighborhood branches more than airports |
| Dollar Express | Points | You rent Dollar semi-regularly and don’t mind waiting for a free day to add up |
| Budget Fastbreak | Access only | You just want faster pickup and drop-off — there’s nothing else to chase here |
| Alamo Insiders | Flat discount | You want an automatic 5% off with zero tracking, no tiers, no thresholds |
| Thrifty Blue Chip | Flat discount | Same logic as Alamo Insiders — automatic 10% off, nothing to track |
| Nu | No program | Never — Nu doesn’t run a loyalty program. There’s nothing to join |
Program terms verified directly against each supplier's published loyalty pages. See sources below.
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Join now, there's no reason not to
None of these programs charge anything to join, and none require an upcoming rental to sign up. A few minutes with your name, license, and a payment method on file is the entire cost. That's also the whole reason not to overthink this section — enroll in all ten while you're at it, and let the ones that matter to you reveal themselves over time.
The only real decision left is which programs are worth your attention beyond that first five minutes. That's everything below.
What changes on your very first rental
A handful of programs hand you something real before you've rented a single car with them before. These are worth joining even if you rent once a year.
National Emerald Club and SIXT ONE
National's Emerald Club is the clearest example in the industry: join for free, and on your very first rental you can walk past the counter to the Emerald Aisle and choose any car there for the price of a midsize, no tier required. The full mechanics of how the Aisle works, and where it's available, live in the National review.
SIXT ONE works differently but lands in the same category. Silver status is automatic on enrollment, and it comes with mobile check-in that lets you skip the counter at eligible locations from day one, plus member-only rates you won't see as a logged-out shopper. The Sixt review covers the full tier structure, including what changes at Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.
Hertz Gold+ and Avis Preferred
Both work on the same logic: base membership is free, and it unlocks counter-skip at participating locations immediately — Hertz calls it Ultimate Choice, Avis just calls it skipping the line. Neither guarantees you a choice of vehicle the way National does at base tier; you're assigned a car, just without the counter wait. Full fee and location detail for each brand lives in the Hertz review and Avis review. If you're deciding between Hertz and Enterprise specifically, the Hertz vs Enterprise comparison covers how Gold Plus stacks up against Enterprise Plus on the counter experience.
The flat-discount programs: Alamo Insiders and Thrifty Blue Chip
These aren't access programs in the same sense — there's no counter-skip guarantee, no car selection. What they do instead is apply an automatic discount to every rental from the moment you join: 5% off at Alamo, 10% off at Thrifty. No tiers, no thresholds, no tracking required. If you rent from either brand for the price and nothing else, there's no reason to leave this money on the table. Details on each brand's fee structure are in the Alamo review and Thrifty review.
Budget Fastbreak
Budget Fastbreak is the narrowest program on this list — it speeds up pickup and drop-off and nothing else. No discount, no points, no upgrades. If faster counter time is all you want from Budget, it delivers that. If you're looking for anything beyond convenience, look elsewhere on this list.
What you get if you actually chase status
The remaining programs — Enterprise Plus and Dollar Express — are built around points that accumulate toward free rental days rather than an immediate perk. The math on these only starts to matter with real rental volume, roughly ten or more a year. Below that, you're enrolled, you're earning something, but it won't be enough to redeem for a while.
Enterprise Plus is worth calling out specifically for renters who mix airport and neighborhood locations — its network reaches well beyond airports, which the airport-anchored programs don't match. The Enterprise review and National vs Enterprise comparison cover how its tiers work in more depth, including the distinction between an access program like Emerald Club and a points program like this one.
Dollar Express follows the same points logic on a smaller scale — useful if Dollar is already your default supplier and you're willing to let a balance build toward a free day.
One thing worth knowing across every points program here: status match. If you already hold elite status with a competing rental brand, an airline, or a hotel program, several of these will match you to an equivalent tier without making you earn it from scratch. It's worth checking before you assume you're starting at zero with a new brand.
The one brand with nothing to join
Nu doesn't run a loyalty program at all. There's no membership, no points, no counter perk, no discount code tied to an account. If you're renting Nu for the price, that's simply not part of the deal — there's nothing to sign up for, and nothing you're missing by not doing it.
Which one actually fits how you travel
Rent once or twice a year, staying loyal to whichever brand has the best price: join the access-tier programs — National, Sixt, Hertz, Avis — and the flat-discount ones — Alamo, Thrifty. Every one of them pays off on a single rental with zero history required.
Rent 10+ times a year with a brand you keep coming back to: the points programs start to make sense here — Enterprise Plus if your rentals mix airport and neighborhood pickups, Dollar Express if you're Dollar-loyal, Hertz Five Star or Avis Preferred Plus if you're renting enough to clear those thresholds.
Booking whichever brand is cheapest each time, no brand loyalty at all: this is where status match earns its keep — build status once with whichever brand you happen to rent most, then match it sideways into the others instead of starting over each time you switch.
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Compare current rates across every supplier on this list — loyalty perks are worth having, but the base price still moves the needle most.
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- Points sitting inactive for 12 months (Hertz) can be wiped even before their multi-year expiration date
- Blackout dates and limited vehicle-class redemptions apply to point-based free days at every points program here
- Counter-skip benefits are listed as available at "select" or "participating" locations — confirm at smaller airports before counting on it
- Nu has no loyalty program of any kind — don’t search for a member number that doesn’t exist
- Status match programs require proof of existing elite status — have it ready before you apply, not after
Frequently asked questions
Are rental car loyalty programs actually free?
Yes, every program covered here is free to join, with no annual fee and no minimum rental commitment. The only cost is a couple of minutes filling out a form.
Which program is fastest to reach a meaningful status tier?
National Emerald Club and Sixt ONE deliver their headline perk — choosing your own car, or mobile check-in — at base membership, with no rentals required first. If you want a points-based elite tier, Sixt ONE Gold (2,000 status points) and Enterprise Silver (6 rentals) are the lowest thresholds among the programs here.
Can I status-match instead of starting over with a new brand?
Most of these programs will match elite status from a competing rental company, airline, or hotel program — Hertz, Sixt, and Enterprise all publish status-match pathways. You’ll need documented proof of your current status, and the matched tier is usually time-limited unless you requalify.
Does Nu have a loyalty program?
No. Nu doesn’t run any kind of membership, points, or counter perk. If you’re booking Nu, that’s not part of what you’re getting — the price is the whole offer.
Is it worth joining if I only rent once or twice a year?
Yes, for the access-tier programs — National, Sixt, Hertz, and Avis all hand you a real, immediate benefit (counter-skip, or choose-your-car) on your very first rental, with no rental history needed. The points-tier programs won’t do much for you at that frequency, but there’s no downside to being enrolled anyway.
Do rental car points expire?
It depends on the program and varies by brand — some expire after a fixed number of years regardless of activity, others expire only after a year or two of no rentals at all. Check the specific program’s terms before you plan a redemption around a points balance you haven’t touched in a while.
