I’ve kept the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card for several years now because it’s been my favorite premium travel credit card for many reasons.
In all that time, I never once bothered to activate one of its perks: the complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status.
President’s Circle is the top published tier of the Hertz Gold+ loyalty program, and earning it the traditional way means completing 15 rentals or spending $3,000 with Hertz in a calendar year.
The reason I overlooked it is that I rent a car maybe a couple of times a year and usually shop around for the best deal, with little brand loyalty.
But with a full day ahead of me recently to explore the spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, I wanted to put this elite status to the test to see whether it was a valuable credit card benefit.
What is Hertz President’s Circle?
President’s Circle is the highest published elite tier in Hertz Gold+ Rewards, the rental company’s loyalty program, which costs nothing to join. It sits above the entry-level Gold tier and the mid-tier Five Star elite status.
President’s Circle members receive:
- A guaranteed one-car-class upgrade at participating locations, with a maximum upgrade to a full-size car
- The widest selection of vehicles at Hertz Ultimate Choice locations, where you can choose any car in the President’s Circle section
- The ability to skip the counter at select locations
- 1.5 Hertz Gold+ Rewards points per dollar spent on qualifying base rental charges, a 50% bonus over the base earning rate
- No additional driver fee for a spouse or domestic partner who has a credit card in their own name and meets Hertz’s standard rental qualifications
- A dedicated President’s Circle customer service line
It’s worth remembering that Ultimate Choice is available only at select Hertz airport locations, and you’ll need to reserve a midsize or larger vehicle. The guaranteed upgrade requires a reservation made at least 48 hours in advance at a participating location, is capped at a full-size vehicle and does not apply to Manager’s Special rentals or certain premium vehicle collections.
Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
Which credit cards offer complimentary President’s Circle status?
The following premium credit cards offer complimentary President’s Circle status:
- American Express Platinum Card® and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Enrollment is required; terms apply. U.S. consumer and business Platinum cardmembers who enrolled before July 9, 2026, must re-enroll through the Car Rental Privileges tile in their Amex benefits by Dec. 31, 2026. Allow up to 72 hours for processing.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Business: Enrollment is required through the benefits tab of their Capital One account on the Capital One website or mobile app. Eligible cardholders can also enroll authorized users through this process. Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note that enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold+ enrollment process (e.g., at hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program, and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card or the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Enrollment is required; terms apply. Basic cardmembers must add their U.S. Hertz Gold+ account number to the Other Loyalty Programs section of their SkyMiles profile, then enroll on Delta’s Hertz promotion page. Delta says the status can take up to eight weeks to appear in your Hertz account, so this isn’t one to leave until the week before a trip. Delta SkyMiles Platinum Medallion and Diamond Medallion elite members are eligible for complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status following this same process.
How to make a President’s Circle booking
To receive the President’s Circle status benefits, it’s important to follow the correct booking process, which is not onerous:
- Join Hertz Gold+ if you aren’t already a member, as every route to complimentary President’s Circle status requires it.
- Enroll through the specific card issuer or Delta process described above rather than relying on Hertz’s standard enrollment page to recognize your eligibility.
- Check that the President’s Circle status shows in your Hertz account before you make a reservation.
- Make sure your driver’s license details are saved in your Hertz profile so you’re set up to skip the counter.
- Book a midsize car or larger at a location with Ultimate Choice, which mostly means airport locations.
- At pickup, look for your name on the President’s Circle board and, if you need help, head to the Five Star and President’s Circle desk rather than the main counter.
The President’s Circle benefits I actually received
As a solo driver, there was no need for me to add a complimentary second driver, and I didn’t need to call Hertz in advance, so I couldn’t test the dedicated President’s Circle line.
I received 1.5 Hertz Gold+ Rewards points per dollar spent on the rental, as advertised, but the real perks I was interested in were the pickup experience and the type of car I received.
Skipping the counter
When I arrived at the pickup location, my name was on the President’s Circle board with a note to “see desk.” This was my first Hertz Gold+ rental, and first-time members may need to verify their driver’s license and payment card at the Gold desk before they can bypass the counter on subsequent rentals.
Make sure you go to the Five Star/President’s Circle desk, rather than the main building desk. At larger locations like Denver International Airport (DEN), where I was, these are two separate buildings.
Being unsure, I went to the main building desk and had an utterly bizarre interaction with the staff there, who found my reservation, insisted my President’s Circle status had expired, despite me only activating it a month earlier, refused to activate it and insisted that if I reactivated myself, I would have to cancel the booking and rebook if I wanted any status benefits, which would likely be much more expensive to do last minute. This is despite my showing them my live Hertz account, including the booking confirmation, and my President’s Circle status level was clearly visible.
Fortunately, I sought a second opinion at the Five Star and President’s Circle desk, where the staff could not have been more helpful, found my reservation, could immediately see my President’s Circle status and had me on my way to the President’s Circle lot within minutes.
Choosing my car from the President’s Circle section
This was the highlight of the day. More than 50 cars were waiting in the President’s Circle section. I don’t pretend to be an expert on cars (I don’t currently own one), so I just chose the one that looked the most luxurious.
Walking up and down the rows and picking out exactly what I wanted to drive was great fun, and I settled on a shiny new 2026 Wrangler Sahara 4WD with just a few thousand miles on the clock, which I thought would be awesome for tackling the winding roads of the Rocky Mountain National Park.
The guaranteed upgrade
Having originally booked a midsize-category Kia K4, driving off the lot in a Jeep Wrangler Sahara sure felt like a superior car, but I subsequently checked the sticker price for each car, new. At more than twice the Kia’s retail price, the Jeep was definitely an upgrade.
With the keys already inside, I drove my chosen car to the exit, showed the attendant my receipt with the large “PC” status written on it and headed out the exit to the mountains.
Bottom line
After years of ignoring the Hertz President’s Circle status that comes with my Venture X card, I’m a little sheepish about not using it sooner.
Despite the initial confusion at the main counter, Hertz ultimately delivered on the status benefits I valued most, and for someone who doesn’t know much about cars, I felt like a television game show winner, wandering the lot and choosing any car I wished.
The rental wasn’t the cheapest from any agency in the area, so if an upgrade doesn’t interest you, you still may wish to shop around. Ultimate Choice is available only at certain locations, so a downtown Hertz branch may not have a President’s Circle section at all.
It’s probably not a perk I’d open a new credit card for on its own, but if you already hold one of the cards above, submitting the enrollment only takes a few minutes, and it turned what would have been a forgettable rental into one of the highlights of my trip. For special occasions like exploring one of the country’s best national parks, I would definitely give my President’s Circle status a spin again.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Source: thepointsguy.com
