Avis Preferred guide: How to earn and redeem points and get elite status
Editor's Note
If you ever rent cars with Avis, joining the Avis Preferred loyalty program can save you time and let you earn rewards. Best of all, if you have airline elite status or a premium travel rewards card, you might qualify for Avis elite status without meeting the usual rental or spending requirements.
Here's what you need to know about Avis Preferred, including how to earn and redeem points, qualify for elite status and get the most value from the program.
What is Avis Preferred?
Avis Preferred is a free-to-join rental car loyalty program. However, if you reside in the U.S., a U.S. territory like Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, or Canada, you must be at least 25 years old to join Avis Preferred. (The program may have different age requirements for residents of other regions.)
By joining the program, you can often bypass the rental counter when picking up an Avis rental car. Plus, you can enjoy discounts and earn rewards on Avis rentals.
Related: Hitting the road on your vacation? Everything you need to know about rental car elite status
Avis Preferred elite status
Avis Preferred offers its base member tier, which is somewhat confusingly called Avis Preferred, as well as two published elite tiers.
| Avis Preferred | Avis Preferred Plus | Avis President's Club | |
|---|---|---|---|
Requirements per calendar year | None | 10 rentals or $4,000 spent | 20 rentals or $6,000 spent |
Earning rates on rentals | 1 point per dollar spent | 1.25 points per dollar spent | 1.5 points per dollar spent |
Earning rates on accessories | 2 points per dollar spent | 2.5 points per dollar spent | 3 points per dollar spent |
Primary perks | Skip the line and head directly to your car at most rental locations | One-car class upgrade when you reserve a midsize or above (when available) | Two-car class upgrade when you reserve a midsize or above (when available), a dedicated support phone number and guaranteed availability to book up to a full size when you book at least 24 hours in advance |
When you earn Avis Preferred status through rental or spending activity, you'll keep it through the end of the calendar year following the one in which you earned it.
However, you can also obtain complimentary Avis Preferred status through having select elite status tiers with, or meeting specific milestones in, the following loyalty programs:
| Avis Preferred Plus | Avis President's Club | |
|---|---|---|
Aeroplan 25K, 35K and 50K members | Aeroplan 75K and higher members | |
60,000 Loyalty Point Rewards threshold | 100,000 Loyalty Point Rewards threshold | |
Atmos Silver and Gold members | Atmos Platinum and higher members | |
Mosaic 1 members | Mosaic 2 and higher members | |
Premier Silver and Gold members | Premier Platinum and higher members |
Additionally, cardholders of the following cards can enroll in complimentary Avis Preferred Plus status:
- American Express Platinum Card®
- Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card (see rates and fees)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees)
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Select Visa Infinite cards
Plus, cardholders of the United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees) and the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Legend Mastercard® (see rates and fees) can enroll in complimentary Avis President's Club status. However, Citi / AAdvantage Executive cardholders are only eligible to enroll through Aug. 31, 2028.
I have Avis President's Club status as a perk of reaching the 100,000 Loyalty Point Rewards threshold with American Airlines AAdvantage. Based on my rentals, the most valuable benefits of President's Club status have been the elevated earning rate and the opportunity to occasionally select a vehicle I prefer through the app as a complimentary upgrade.
Related: How to get complimentary Avis President's Club status with a credit card
How to earn Avis Preferred points
Once you opt in to earning Avis Preferred points, you can earn points on rentals and accessories at participating Avis locations worldwide. Here's how earnings vary by status tier:
| Member tier | Rentals | Accessories |
|---|---|---|
Avis Preferred | 1 point per dollar spent | 2 points per dollar spent |
Avis Preferred Plus | 1.25 points per dollar spent | 2.5 points per dollar spent |
Avis President's Club | 1.5 points per dollar spent | 3 points per dollar spent |
For rentals, you'll only earn points on base rental charges, which are known as time-and-mileage charges. You won't earn any points on surcharges, fees and taxes associated with a rental.
You also won't earn Avis Preferred points on rentals that earn miles, credits or points with another frequent traveler program. Plus, on rentals in the U.S., Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix and Canada, Avis may assess a frequent traveler surcharge of 75 cents to $1.50 per day if you opt to earn rewards with another program instead of Avis Preferred points.
Avis Preferred points expire 60 months after you earn them (unless you reside in Ontario, Canada). Avis can also forfeit your points after 12 months of inactivity. So, be sure to rent, earn points or redeem points with Avis at least once every 12 months.
Related: Save money on your next trip: Use these tips to never pay full price for a rental car
How to redeem Avis Preferred points
You can redeem Avis points for rentals and select accessories or services in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. Rental days start at 700 points, while accessories are 250 points each per day. You can't redeem points for a rental of less than 24 hours or greater than 28 days.
Avis groups reward days into the following levels based on the standard base rate:
| Level | Standard base rate per day | Avis Preferred points per day | Redemption rate |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Up to $50 | 700 | Up to 7.14 cents per point |
2 | $50.01 to $85 | 1,400 | 3.57 to 6.07 cents per point |
3 | $85.01 to $125 | 2,100 | 4.05 to 5.95 cents per point |
4 | $125.01 to $225 | 3,500 | 3.57 to 6.43 cents per point |
However, the standard base rate excludes all discounts (including standard member discounts), special rates and other offers. So, in practice, your comparable paid rate will likely be much lower than the standard base rate.
For example, consider a sample one-day intermediate car rental in January 2027 from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). With my company's personal-use corporate code, I could rent for $66.74 (base rate of $44). Logged in to my account without the corporate code, I could book a member rate of $80.38 (base rate of $54.99), but if I log out and search without the member rate, I'd need to pay $121.36 (base rate of $87.99).
Because the standard base rate for this sample one-day rental is in the $85.01 to $125 range, I'd need to redeem 2,100 points. But, even when redeeming Avis points, I'd still need to pay $22.74 in taxes and fees.
Using $66.74 as the comparable rate, my redemption rate drops to a disappointing 2.10 cents per point. Even if I use the member rate as my comparable rate, my redemption rate would still only be 2.74 cents per point.
How to get the most value from Avis Preferred
I use the Avis Preferred program because my company's corporate code for personal travel with Avis frequently yields the best rates I can find. So, here are some of my tips on how to get the most value from the Avis Preferred program:
- Leverage complimentary status. Check whether you're eligible for Avis Preferred Plus or Avis President's Club status through one of your travel rewards cards or your elite status in another program.
- Check eligibility for discount codes. See whether you're eligible for a discount code through your employer, credit card, loyalty program or another organization (and if you're eligible for multiple, compare the rates they give for each rental). But keep in mind that you may need to prove at pickup that you're eligible for the code you're using.
- Decide whether to earn partner miles or Avis points. In some cases, you may get more value by paying a small surcharge to earn partner miles instead of Avis points.
- Carefully decide when to redeem Avis points. You'll generally get the most value on rentals where the daily base rate is near the upper end of a level's range. Be sure to check redemption values when deciding when to redeem points and when to book a paid rate.
Finally, be sure to use a card that offers rental car insurance when paying for your rental. I usually use my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which provides primary collision damage waiver insurance on eligible rentals when I decline the rental company's collision damage waiver and loss damage waiver at pickup and pay for the entire rental with my card.
Related: Your car rental company has a 'do not rent' list. Here's how to steer clear of it
Bottom line
Avis Preferred is worth joining if you rent with Avis, especially since membership is free and often lets you skip the rental counter. The program is even more useful if you can qualify for Avis Preferred Plus or Avis President's Club status through another loyalty program or a credit card.
However, Avis Preferred points can be difficult to maximize since reward pricing is based on the standard base rate rather than the discounted rate you'd likely actually pay. Compare paid and award rates carefully before booking, and consider whether earning airline miles or hotel points, rather than Avis points, on rentals could make sense for you.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Frequently asked questions
Avis Preferred is free to join, and members can enjoy perks such as expedited service at many locations and the ability to earn Avis Preferred points on qualifying rentals. In the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada, you must be at least 25 years old to join.
You can earn Avis Preferred Plus status by completing 10 rentals or spending $4,000 with Avis in a calendar year. You can also get complimentary Preferred Plus status if you have select airline elite statuses or hold specific premium credit cards.
You can earn Avis President's Club status by completing 20 rentals or spending $6,000 with Avis in a calendar year. Select airline elite statuses and credit cards also offer complimentary President's Club status.
Avis Preferred points generally expire 60 months after they're earned, although points earned by residents of Ontario, Canada, don't expire on this timeline. Avis can also forfeit your points after 12 months of account inactivity.
The value of Avis Preferred points varies but is usually in the 2 to 5 cents-per-point range. To calculate your redemption value, divide the cash price you’d otherwise pay, minus any taxes and fees you'd pay when redeeming points, by the number of points you'd need to redeem.
Avis reward days start at 700 points. But depending on the rental's standard base rate, a reward day will cost 700, 1,400, 2,100, or 3,500 Avis Preferred points.