For frequent travelers navigating the often stressful landscape of ground transportation, joining a car rental loyalty program can significantly streamline the journey. For those who frequently rent vehicles with Avis, signing up for the Avis Preferred loyalty program offers a straightforward path to saving time at busy airport terminals and accumulating rewards for future travel. Beyond basic membership perks, frequent flyers and holders of premium travel rewards cards may find themselves uniquely positioned to fast-track their way to elite status levels without having to meet the traditional, often demanding rental frequency or annual spending thresholds typically required by the program.
Understanding the mechanics of Avis Preferred—ranging from the foundational benefits of base membership to the nuances of earning and redeeming points, qualifying for higher tier statuses, and extracting genuine value from the ecosystem—can transform an ordinary rental experience into a much more rewarding endeavor.
What is Avis Preferred?
At its core, Avis Preferred is a free-to-join rental car loyalty program designed to enhance the customer experience by reducing friction during the vehicle pickup process. For residents of the United States, its territories including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as Canada, prospective members generally must be at least 25 years old to enroll, though age requirements may vary for individuals residing in other international regions.
The primary operational advantage of joining the program lies in the ability to bypass the traditional rental counter entirely. Instead of waiting in long queues upon arrival at a destination, members can often head directly to their assigned vehicle at participating locations, significantly accelerating the transition from the airport terminal to the open road. In addition to these time-saving logistical perks, program participants gain access to member-only discounts and the ability to earn points on qualifying rentals.
Avis Preferred Elite Status Tiers
The program is structured around a base membership tier—simply called Avis Preferred—alongside two distinct, published elite tiers known as Avis Preferred Plus and Avis President’s Club.
For those pursuing status organically through travel activity, the requirements scale according to engagement. Attaining Avis Preferred Plus status within a single calendar year traditionally requires completing 10 qualifying rentals or accumulating $4,000 in spending. Moving up to the top-tier Avis President’s Club demands 20 qualifying rentals or $6,000 in annual spending. Members who successfully earn these elite tiers through rental or spending activity retain their status through the end of the calendar year following the one in which it was earned.
Earning rates also improve with each tier. Base members earn 1 point per dollar spent on rentals and 2 points per dollar spent on eligible accessories. Avis Preferred Plus members receive an elevated rate of 1.25 points per dollar on rentals and 2.5 points per dollar on accessories. At the top of the hierarchy, Avis President’s Club members earn 1.5 points per dollar on rentals and 3 points per dollar on accessories.
Beyond spending and rental counts, perks vary significantly by tier. Standard members enjoy the ability to skip the line at most locations. Avis Preferred Plus members unlock a one-car class upgrade when reserving a midsize vehicle or above, subject to availability. Avis President’s Club members receive a two-car class upgrade under the same vehicle category restrictions, access to a dedicated support phone number, and guaranteed vehicle availability for up to a full-size car when reservations are made at least 24 hours in advance.
Crucially, travelers do not always need to complete dozens of rentals to enjoy these advanced benefits. Complimentary Avis Preferred status can often be obtained automatically through select elite status tiers or specific milestones within airline and hotel loyalty programs, as well as through the cardholder benefits of various premium travel credit cards. Certain airline cobranded credit cards even grant cardholders automatic enrollment into the highest tier, Avis President’s Club, providing immediate access to top-level privileges. Frequent travelers who achieve status through corporate milestones or partner programs often find that the elevated earning rates and complimentary upgrade opportunities—such as the ability to select a preferred vehicle via a smartphone application—deliver substantial practical value during routine trips.
How to Earn Avis Preferred Points
For members who opt in to earning loyalty rewards rather than airline miles or hotel points, generating Avis Preferred points is a straightforward process tied to participating locations worldwide. However, the calculation of these earnings requires careful attention. Points are awarded exclusively on base rental charges, commonly referred to as time-and-mileage charges. Surcharges, local fees, and government taxes associated with a transaction do not contribute to point accrual.
Furthermore, members cannot earn Avis Preferred points on rentals that are simultaneously earning frequent flyer miles, hotel credits, or points with another loyalty program. In fact, for rentals originating in the U.S., Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix, and Canada, Avis may assess a frequent traveler surcharge ranging from 75 cents to $1.50 per day if the renter chooses to credit rewards to an external program instead of the native Avis Preferred account.
Maintaining an active balance is equally important. Avis Preferred points expire 60 months after the date they are earned, with an exception for residents of Ontario, Canada. Additionally, Avis reserves the right to forfeit a member’s entire point balance after 12 consecutive months of account inactivity. To protect against point forfeiture, members must ensure they rent a vehicle, earn points, or successfully redeem points through Avis at least once every twelve months.
How to Redeem Avis Preferred Points
Redeeming accumulated Avis Preferred points is an option available for rentals and select accessories or services across the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada. Standard reward rental days begin at 700 points, while optional accessories can be redeemed for 250 points each per day. There are strict duration parameters governing reward stays, as points cannot be redeemed for rentals lasting less than 24 hours or exceeding 28 consecutive days.
Avis organizes reward days into distinct pricing levels determined by the standard base rate of the vehicle. Level one covers rentals with a standard base rate of up to $50 per day, costing 700 points. Level two spans standard base rates from $50.01 to $85 per day, requiring 1,400 points. Level three applies to rates between $85.01 and $125 per day at a cost of 2,100 points, while level four encompasses rates from $125.01 to $225 per day, priced at 3,500 points.
A significant point of complexity for travelers lies in how these standard base rates are calculated. The standard base rate excludes all promotional discounts, corporate codes, standard member discounts, and special promotional offers. Consequently, the standard base rate is frequently much higher than the actual cash rate a traveler would pay out of pocket using standard discounts or corporate agreements.
For instance, examining a sample one-day intermediate car rental at a major hub like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport illustrates the valuation challenge. A corporate personal-use code might yield a cash rate well below the standard retail price, while a logged-in member rate might also offer a substantial discount over unauthenticated public searches. Because reward pricing anchors strictly to the high standard base rate, the actual monetary value extracted per point can fluctuate significantly. Even when successfully redeeming points for a free rental day, travelers remain responsible for out-of-pocket taxes, fees, and surcharges, meaning that careful comparison between paid cash rates and point redemptions is essential before finalizing a booking.
Getting the Most Value from the Program
Navigating the Avis Preferred program effectively requires a strategic approach, particularly when pairing personal or corporate discount codes with loyalty redemptions. Because corporate codes and member discounts often unlock the most competitive cash rates, travelers should always calculate whether paying cash or spending points yields a better return on investment.
To safeguard against unforeseen liabilities on the road, experienced renters generally utilize a credit card that offers robust primary rental car insurance coverage when paying for cash transactions. Declining the rental company’s optional collision damage waiver and loss damage waiver at the counter—while paying for the entire rental with an eligible premium travel credit card—allows travelers to activate primary coverage, protecting their personal auto insurance policies from potential claims in the event of an accident.
Ultimately, joining Avis Preferred is a practical step for anyone who rents vehicles even semi-regularly through the company, given that membership is entirely free and routinely eliminates the need to stand in counter lines. The program becomes significantly more advantageous for those who can secure elite status upgrades through partner loyalty networks or credit card portfolios. However, because point valuations are tied to standard base rates rather than discounted promotional rates, travelers must weigh their options carefully to determine whether accumulating Avis points or crediting travel activity to an airline or hotel partner delivers the optimal overall value.
