If Avis is your go-to rental company, its free Avis Preferred program is an easy win: members skip the counter at most locations and can head straight to their car. But the real value — and the real fine print — sits in the elite tiers and how award redemptions are priced.
There are three levels. Base membership earns 1 point per dollar on rentals (2x on accessories). Preferred Plus, unlocked with 10 rentals or $4,000 spent in a calendar year, bumps that to 1.25x and adds a one-class upgrade when available on midsize-and-above bookings. President's Club — 20 rentals or $6,000 — earns 1.5x, offers a two-class upgrade, a dedicated phone line and guaranteed availability on full-size cars booked 24 hours ahead. Status earned through rentals lasts through the end of the following calendar year.
The shortcut most travellers miss: you can get elite status without renting at all. Holders of the Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Business Platinum and select Visa Infinite cards can enrol in Preferred Plus for free. The United Club Card and the Citi/AAdvantage Executive Mastercard (enrolment open until Aug. 31, 2028) even grant President's Club. Airline status works too — Aeroplan 25K and up, JetBlue Mosaic 1 and up, United Premier Silver and up and others all map to Avis tiers.
Points expire 60 months after earning, and accounts can be zeroed out after just 12 months of inactivity, so one rental or redemption a year keeps you safe. Note that points only accrue on base time-and-mileage charges — not taxes or fees — and if you opt to earn airline miles instead, Avis may add a 75-cent to $1.50 daily surcharge in the US and Canada.
Redemptions are where it gets tricky. Reward days start at 700 points, but Avis prices them off the standard base rate, not the discounted rate you'd realistically pay. An Atlanta airport example in the source analysis showed a rental costing $66.74 in cash but requiring 2,100 points plus $22.74 in taxes — a meagre 2.1 cents per point of value. Realistic returns typically land between 2 and 5 cents per point. The sweet spot: redeem on rentals where the daily base rate sits near the top of a pricing band, and always compare the award cost against the actual cash rate before committing.
Two more ways to pay less: check whether your employer, card or another loyalty program gives you a discount code (bring proof of eligibility to pickup), and pay with a card that includes rental car insurance — something like a primary collision damage waiver can save you the pricey counter upsell.
Who's this for? Anyone who rents a car even occasionally. Membership costs nothing, saves time at pickup, and a quick check of your wallet or airline status might hand you upgrades and faster earning for free. Just treat Avis points as a bonus rather than a savings strategy, and do the math before each redemption.
