"At its own airports, Hertz is one of the most reliable options in the market — Gold lane, strong fleet, and an efficiency that justifies the price. The complication is that some locations displaying the Hertz logo are franchise operations: independently managed, with their own staffing and standards — and often priced lower for it. You're paying for Hertz. At a franchise location, you're not always getting it."
Hertz has been at the airport longer than most airlines. Founded in 1918, it spent a century as the default answer to the question of where to rent a car. Then in 2020 it filed for bankruptcy. It emerged in 2021 and has been operating normally since — but the reviews tell a complicated story, and that question is worth understanding before you book.
At the airports Hertz runs itself, yes. Miami, Amsterdam, Cape Town, Orlando, the UK network — these come back outstanding in independent reviews, some of the highest-scoring locations of any major supplier at those airports. Gold members skip the counter entirely, choose their vehicle, and leave. The fleet is well-maintained and the operation runs efficiently. That's what the Hertz price buys. The complication is that some locations displaying the Hertz logo are franchise operations — independently managed, without the Gold infrastructure, and often priced lower for exactly that reason. You're paying for Hertz. At a franchise location, you're not always getting it. The score for your specific airport tells you which one you're booking.
What does Hertz charge at the counter?
Most of what Hertz presents online and at the counter is optional and varies by location. The deposit hold is the one exception. Two decisions are worth sorting before you arrive: insurance and tolls. Both come up early at the desk, and both are simpler when you've already decided.
| Fee | Typical charge | Risk | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) | Varies by vehicle class and location — confirm at booking | High | You can decline this. Hertz's counter is calmer than budget suppliers and the LDW conversation is straightforward — but the amounts are significant. Check whether your credit card includes rental coverage before you arrive. If it does, the conversation at the desk takes thirty seconds. |
| PlatePass toll service | $9.99/day a toll is incurred, plus the toll itself | High | You can decline this. One thing specific to Hertz: opening the transponder box in the vehicle activates the service, even if you declined at the counter. Leave it closed if you're using your own transponder. |
| Security deposit hold | Up to $200 hold on credit cards; up to $500 on debit cards — per Hertz published rental terms | High | Can't avoid this one. It's a hold, not a charge — released after return, but faster on a credit card than a debit card. Hertz-owned locations process this more quickly than franchise locations. |
| Young driver surcharge | $19/day at most US locations for drivers under 25; waived for AAA and USAA members | Medium | Can't avoid this if you're under 25, unless you hold AAA membership — in which case it's waived entirely, along with the additional driver fee. |
| Additional driver fee | $15/day standard; waived for AAA members | Medium | You can decline this by keeping one named driver on the contract. AAA membership waives it for up to four additional drivers — worth knowing if you're sharing a long drive. |
| Post-return damage claim | Up to the full vehicle deductible — reported by travellers | High | Avoidable with documentation. Hertz uses AI scanning at select airports — it's precise but the scanner occasionally flags marks that were present at pickup. Photograph the car before you move it. |
Fee amounts from Hertz published rental conditions and AAA partnership terms. Post-return damage and deposit patterns reported by travellers via BBB. Accessed May 2026.
The complaints that appear most consistently across the BBB record — post-return damage charges, unexpected toll bills — are nearly all cases where the traveller reached the desk without a clear answer to questions they could have resolved the day before. The counter experience at a Hertz-owned airport is measured. That doesn't mean unprepared — it means the conversation moves at a pace where preparation matters.
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The insurance decision
The Loss Damage Waiver is always optional. Declining it means carrying the financial risk for damage yourself — either personally or through a credit card that includes rental collision coverage. Most major travel cards do cover this, with conditions: you need to pay for the rental with that card and decline the counter insurance. Worth checking before you travel, because knowing your answer in advance means the desk conversation takes thirty seconds instead of five minutes.
PlatePass and the transponder box
In toll states, Hertz vehicles come with a PlatePass transponder box on the windshield. Opening that box — even to inspect it — activates the toll service, regardless of what you said at the counter. If you're bringing your own transponder, leave the box closed for the entire rental. If you'd rather not manage it, opt into PlatePass at the counter and leave your own device at home — that removes the question entirely. Toll charges that appear after return dispute directly with PlatePass, not Hertz.
Deposit hold
A hold is placed at pickup and released after return — typically $200–500 depending on vehicle class and location. It clears faster on a credit card than a debit card, and faster at Hertz-owned airports than at franchise locations. If you need those funds available soon after you're back, ask about the expected timeline at pickup.
Photographing the car
Hertz is rolling out AI scanning at select US airports — it documents vehicle condition automatically before and after each rental. It's more precise than a manual walkaround, but the scanner occasionally flags marks that were present at pickup. Your own photos at pickup are your reference point if that happens.
Young driver and additional driver fees
The young driver surcharge is $19 per day at most US locations for anyone under 25 — per Hertz's published rental conditions. The additional driver fee runs $15 per day. Both are waived entirely for AAA members, which on a week-long family trip can save more than the annual membership costs. Worth checking before the counter if either applies.
How do Hertz's locations compare?
The locations Hertz runs itself and the locations it licenses to franchisees don't perform the same way — and the gap is wide enough to matter when you're booking. Miami, Amsterdam, Cape Town, and most of the UK and German network sit in the Very Good to Outstanding range. Cancun sits in Acceptable. The difference isn't the brand — it's who's behind the counter.
| Airport | State / Region | DiscoverCars score | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancun (CUN) | Mexico | 6.9 | 165 | Acceptable |
| Barcelona (BCN) | Spain | 7.8 | 71 | Good |
| California statewide | US | 7.9 | 62 | Good |
| Toronto (YYZ) | Canada | 8.3 | 25 | Very good |
| Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) | US | 8.3 | 13 | Very good |
| Dublin (DUB) | Ireland | 8.5 | 92 | Very good |
| Orlando (MCO) | US | 8.6 | 46 | Very good |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | US | 8.6 | 14 | Very good |
| Germany (BER/MUC) | Germany | 8.6 | 205 | Very good |
| United Kingdom | UK | 8.7 | 484 | Very good |
| Miami (MIA) | US | 9.0 | 31 | Outstanding |
| Amsterdam (AMS) | Netherlands | 9.0 | 127 | Outstanding |
| Cape Town (CPT) | South Africa | 9.1 | 432 | Outstanding |
Hertz airport locations by DiscoverCars rating, lowest to highest. Locations with 15+ reviews included. Source: DiscoverCars, accessed May 2026.
If you're picking up in California, LAX has its own page covering the pickup process and surcharges in full: Hertz LAX review. Picking up at Dallas Fort Worth? The Hertz DFW review covers the Skylink train pickup, the on-airport Rental Car Center, and the Texas-specific surcharges. These scores reflect what the average traveller experienced — arriving at the counter without having sorted their insurance or made a decision on tolls. Someone who's handled both before pickup is starting from a different position at the same desk. The score tells you what to expect. The preparation determines how much of that expectation you actually feel.
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Is Hertz worth booking?
Florida, the UK, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands? Yes, clearly. These are Hertz-run operations that consistently sit at the top of the location table. Gold members skip the counter entirely here. If the price is competitive, this is a straightforward booking.
US airports outside Florida — DFW, California, the broader network — are solid. Not Outstanding, but reliably Good to Very Good. Sort your insurance before you arrive and have a position on PlatePass. That's the full preparation.
Mexico? Worth a comparison before you commit. Cancun is a franchise operation and it shows in the score. A supplier with a stronger location score at the same airport is worth five minutes of checking.
Spain and parts of Southern Europe? More variable than the rest of the European network. Look up your specific airport — the regional picture hides more variation than the score suggests.
Already booked? The preparation in the verdict below is all you need.
The verdict
If you haven't booked yet: Hertz is a reliable choice at the airports it operates itself — and that's most of the major US and Western European network. Two things are worth checking before you commit: the location score for your specific airport, and whether you're enrolled in Gold Plus Rewards. A strong score at a Hertz-operated airport with Gold active is one of the smoother rental experiences available. A weaker score at a franchise location without Gold — compare alternatives before deciding.
If you're already booked: Before pickup, find out what coverage you're arriving with — your credit card may include rental collision protection, or it may not. For a longer trip or unfamiliar roads, coverage is worth having whatever the source. Make your PlatePass decision now: if you're using your own transponder, don't open the box in the car. At pickup, photograph the car fully before you drive off. If you're enrolled in Gold Plus Rewards, confirm your membership is active before you travel — at Hertz-owned airports it bypasses the counter entirely.
If you've already returned the car and have a question about a charge: If you booked through a third-party platform, raise it there first. Then contact Hertz in writing with your rental agreement and photos — PlatePass charges dispute directly with PlatePass, not Hertz. Give it one week. If it doesn't move, a credit card chargeback with your documentation is the next step.
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- PlatePass transponder box: opening it activates the toll service regardless of what was agreed at the counter. Leave it closed if you're using your own transponder.
- Hertz uses AI scanning at select US airports to document vehicle condition — it's precise but the BBB record shows it has flagged ambiguous marks as new damage. Your pickup photos are your reference.
- The BBB A+ rating measures how consistently Hertz responds to complaints, not how often they resolve them in the customer's favour.
- Not every location displaying the Hertz logo is run by Hertz — all Cancun locations, for example, are operated by an independent franchisee. Hertz US cannot resolve disputes at franchise locations.
- Debit card holds take longer to release than credit card holds, and longer at franchise locations than at Hertz-owned airports.
- Fee amounts vary by location, vehicle class, and rental duration. Published amounts from Hertz rental conditions; other amounts reported by travellers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hertz still a reliable car rental company?
Yes. Hertz emerged from bankruptcy in 2021 and continues to operate normally across its full network of more than 10,000 locations in 145 countries. The bankruptcy was a financial restructuring, not an operational collapse — fleets, staff, and reservations were unaffected throughout. At its own airports, Hertz now scores among the highest of any major supplier in independent reviews. The complication is franchise locations, which operate under the Hertz name but are independently managed — and that's where most complaints concentrate.
I already booked Hertz — what should I do before pickup?
Find out what coverage you're arriving with before you get to the counter — your credit card may include rental collision protection, or it may not. Knowing in advance means the LDW conversation at the desk is a confirmation, not a decision under pressure. On tolls: decide before pickup whether you'll use PlatePass or your own transponder. If it's your own, don't open the box in the car. At pickup, photograph all four sides and the interior before you drive off. If you're enrolled in Gold Plus Rewards, confirm your membership is active — at Hertz-owned airports it changes the pickup experience entirely.
Hertz charged me after I returned the car — what are my options?
If you booked through a third-party platform, raise it there first — they have direct leverage. Then contact Hertz in writing with your rental agreement and photos. PlatePass charges that appear after return dispute directly with PlatePass, not Hertz customer service. Give it one week. If nothing moves, a credit card chargeback with your documentation is the next step.
Is Hertz worth it if the price is similar to Enterprise or Avis?
At a Hertz-owned airport, yes — the counter experience, fleet quality, and Gold bypass lane are all mid-tier at minimum and often better. The one thing that changes the comparison: if you're a Gold Plus member, Hertz is genuinely differentiated — you skip the counter entirely, which no price comparison captures. If you're not enrolled and the price is similar, check the DiscoverCars score for your specific airport and go with whichever scores higher.
Which Hertz locations have the best reviews?
Cape Town (9.1), Miami (9.0), and Amsterdam (9.0) are the standout locations. Florida airports broadly are Hertz's strongest US market — Orlando and Fort Lauderdale both sit at 8.6. In Europe, the UK, Germany, and Ireland are consistently strong. Cancun (6.9) is the weakest major location in the reviews, reflecting the franchise-operated counter rather than a Hertz-run operation.
Is Hertz Gold Plus Rewards worth enrolling in?
If you're renting at a major Hertz-owned airport, yes — it's free to join and the skip-the-counter benefit is real. Gold members go directly to the lot, choose their vehicle, and drive off without queuing — at Hertz-operated airports. On a busy travel day that's a 20 to 40 minute difference. At franchise locations the benefit may be limited or unavailable, and points cannot be redeemed at all franchise markets including Mexico. AAA members who enroll also get the young driver surcharge and additional driver fee waived, which on a week-long rental can easily exceed the annual AAA membership cost.
