More control, less counter time: Hertz Gold Plus Rewards app sharpens the rental experience

Edited by ad hoc news Flagship & Bestseller Desk. Reviewed before publication on 06/15/2026 at 11:56 AM ET. Details in the imprint.

Faster check-out, clearer loyalty tracking and fewer surprises at the lot - that is the pitch behind the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards mobile app, which the rental group continues to position as the digital front door to its core car rental business. The app, available for iOS and Android, ties together reservations, vehicle pick-up options and Hertz’s points-based rewards program so frequent renters can often bypass the counter at many airport locations. For Hertz, nudging more customers into the app is not just about convenience, but also about lowering staffing needs at branches and creating more cross-selling opportunities inside a tightly controlled digital channel.

How the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards app is built around loyalty and speed

At its core, the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards app acts as a companion to the company’s loyalty program, showing a customer’s current point balance, status tier and upcoming reservations in one dashboard. Members can earn points on qualifying rentals and then redeem those points for free rental days directly inside the app, which supports both standard and AnyDay rewards depending on availability and tier. The software also surfaces tier-specific perks, such as potential upgrades and dedicated Gold and Five Star zones at participating locations, to nudge users toward higher annual spending thresholds.

One of the app’s headline features is the ability for eligible members to skip the main rental counter at many major airports, going straight to their pre-assigned car in the Gold or Presidents Circle area and simply driving out after showing identification at the exit gate. This “counter bypass” behavior is especially relevant for business travelers and frequent leisure renters who value predictable timing and want to minimize queues after long flights. From Hertz’s perspective, every renter who completes most of the journey inside the app reduces pressure on front-desk staff and helps smooth out peak-time congestion at high-volume locations.

On the booking side, the app mirrors much of the functionality of the desktop site, allowing users to search for cars by location, date and time, filter by vehicle category and apply discount codes or corporate rates where relevant. Customers can view estimated totals, select optional extras such as child seats or roadside assistance and save preferences like preferred fuel or insurance options to speed up repeat bookings. Hertz has also integrated push notifications to flag reservation changes, remind customers of drop-off times and highlight promotional rates or limited-time point bonuses to drive incremental rentals.

The Gold Plus Rewards app ties into Hertz’s broader push to embed electric vehicles and specialty models into its fleet, highlighting categories such as EVs, premium sedans and SUVs when available at a given location. While not every branch offers the full range of vehicles, the app helps funnel demand toward locations that stock higher-margin or strategically important segments, such as electric cars that support the company’s longer-term electrification narrative. That visibility can matter for consumers trying to locate specific models and for Hertz as it attempts to balance utilization across traditional combustion and newer EV inventory.

Security and account management features have become more prominent as Hertz has upgraded its digital infrastructure in recent years, with the app supporting biometric log-in on compatible phones, secure payment storage for credit cards and the ability to update driver’s license details and contact information without a branch visit. The company emphasizes that users should keep account credentials and license data current in the app to avoid delays at the lot, especially for international rentals where verification requirements can be stricter. Although the app does not fully eliminate the need for identity checks on site, streamlining data entry ahead of time reduces friction for both staff and renters.

For all the emphasis on digital, the Gold Plus Rewards app still works alongside traditional channels rather than replacing them entirely. Customers can start a booking on the website and finish it in the app, or vice versa, and call center or branch staff can see reservations regardless of the entry point. That hybrid approach reflects the realities of airport and neighborhood rentals, where a portion of customers will continue to walk in without prior reservations or may prefer assisted service, while frequent users migrate more steadily toward self-service via the app.

Hertz presents the Gold Plus Rewards platform as a strategic asset intended to deepen customer loyalty and extract more value per renter over time. The app and loyalty ecosystem help the company collect granular data on booking behavior, preferred vehicle types, trip length and responsiveness to promotions, which can feed into fleet planning and pricing decisions. At the same time, concentrating engagement in the app gives Hertz a channel to promote newer offerings, from electric vehicles to premium tiers, without relying solely on third-party travel portals or price-comparison sites.

Shares of Hertz Global Holdings (US42809H1077) traded on NASDAQ at $3.12 on 06/14/2026.

This article was a.i.-assisted and editorially reviewed. Product information without warranty; prices and availability may change at short notice. Not investment advice and not a buy or sell recommendation. Trading involves risk up to and including the total loss of invested capital.