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Chase Sapphire Reserve Rental Car Benefits: Avis, National, and Hertz Status Guide (2026)
July 1, 2025
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The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® includes rental car benefits that most cardholders never set up. Primary rental car insurance, elite status with three major rental brands, and a path to two more through status matching. Here is how to actually use them, and how they stack up against the American Express Platinum Card® and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
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What Rental Car Benefits Does the Chase Sapphire Reserve Include?
The card comes with four distinct rental car benefits that work on top of each other:
- Primary rental car insurance (collision damage waiver coverage that pays before your personal auto insurance)
- National Car Rental Executive Elite status
- Avis Preferred Plus status
- Hertz Five Star status (unlocked through IHG Platinum Elite, covered below)
The insurance is automatic when you pay with your card and decline the rental agency's CDW. The status benefits require a one-time setup, and that is exactly where most cardholders drop the ball.
Why Avis Preferred Plus Is Worth Setting Up Before Your Next Trip
A recent thread in r/ChaseSapphire put this benefit in real terms. A cardholder flew into Salt Lake City with kids, had a long drive ahead, and walked into an Avis counter with a 15-person line. Because they had Preferred Plus status, they went straight to the counter, got their keys in three minutes, and received a free upgrade from a standard sedan to a midsize SUV. They had brought a full-size stroller. It would not have fit in the sedan.
That kind of outcome is not a fluke. Preferred Plus skips the counter line, includes complimentary second driver coverage on most rentals, and offers discounts off base rates.
One important catch: Preferred Plus is not automatic. When you first enroll through Chase, you get standard Preferred status. To upgrade to Preferred Plus, you fill out the form on the Avis Visa Infinite page:
https://www.avis.com/en/bridge/partner/visa/visa-infinite-preferred-plus
Click the link next to "Already have a Wizard Number?" and Avis will email you to confirm the upgrade. Do this a few business days before your rental since it requires a human review.
National Executive Elite: The Easiest Status to Use
National Executive Elite is the most straightforward of the three. You walk directly to the Executive Aisle, pick any available vehicle at your reserved midsize rate (including larger categories), and leave. No counter stop, no negotiating, no line.
Most cardholders who use it regularly say National is their default for this reason. You just pick a car and go.
How to activate: Chase Mobile, then Card Benefits, then "Get More With Your Card," then Special Car Rental Privileges. National enrollment is instant.
Hertz Five Star: The One That Takes Two Steps
Hertz Five Star is available through the card, but the path is less obvious.
The CSR includes IHG Platinum Elite status automatically through December 31, 2027, which unlocks Hertz Five Star when you link your IHG account to Hertz. The order is:
- Activate IHG Platinum Elite through Chase Mobile (Card Benefits, "Get More With Your Card")
- Log in to the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards portal and link your IHG account
Five Star includes counter bypass at most locations and complimentary upgrades when available. Worth doing even if you never stay at IHG hotels, since the Hertz benefit is the point.
The Status Match Angle: Sixt and Enterprise
Once you have Avis Preferred Plus or National Executive Elite through your CSR, you can status match to Sixt and Enterprise at no cost.
For Sixt, search "Sixt status match," upload proof of your existing status, and Sixt typically processes it within minutes. The status sticks on renewal so you do not need to re-earn it by spending with Sixt. Enterprise accepts status matches as well.
That means five rental brands are covered from a single card setup.
Primary Rental Car Insurance: What "Primary" Actually Means
Most credit cards offer secondary rental car coverage. Your personal auto insurance pays first, the card picks up whatever is left, and you risk a rate increase on your own policy.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve's coverage is primary. When you pay for the full rental with your card and decline the CDW at the counter, the card pays before your personal insurance. No claim on your own policy, no daily insurance add-on from the rental agency.
How to use it: Pay for the rental in full with your CSR, decline the CDW when offered, and save your rental agreement. If there is an incident, contact the Chase benefits administrator using the number in your Guide to Benefits.
How the CSR Compares to the Amex Platinum and Capital One Venture X
All three premium cards include rental car elite status, but the level of status differs across brands.
Hertz: This is where the cards split. The Amex Platinum and Capital One Venture X both include Hertz President's Circle, the top tier of the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program. The President's Circle includes guaranteed upgrades, the widest vehicle selection, a dedicated phone line, and counter bypass. The Chase Sapphire Reserve only includes Hertz Five Star, the second-highest tier, which you unlock indirectly through IHG Platinum Elite. If Hertz is your primary rental brand, the Amex Platinum and Venture X give you a higher starting point.
National: All three cards include National Executive Elite status. Same benefit, same aisle access, same pick-any-car experience.
Avis: All three cards include Avis Preferred Plus. Same status level across the board.
Rental car insurance: The CSR and Venture X both include primary CDW coverage automatically when you pay with the card and decline the counter insurance. The Amex Platinum's rental coverage is different: it offers Premium Car Rental Protection, which is primary and covers up to $75,000 on eligible vehicles, but it is not automatic. You have to opt in for each rental by calling the number on the back of your card, and there is a small per-rental fee. Stronger coverage ceiling, more friction to use it.
The short version: For Hertz specifically, the Amex Platinum and Venture X give you a higher status tier. For National and Avis, all three cards are equal. For insurance, the CSR and Venture X are easier to use day-to-day since coverage is automatic.
How to Activate All Three Statuses at Once
Everything starts in the same place:
Chase Mobile, then Card Benefits, then "Get More With Your Card," then Special Car Rental Privileges.
From there:
- National: instant enrollment through the in-app link
- Avis: enroll through the app link, then complete the Preferred Plus upgrade at the Avis Visa Infinite page listed above (email confirmation required, allow a few business days)
- Hertz: first activate IHG Platinum Elite through the same benefits section, then link your IHG account through the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards portal
Set aside 15 minutes before your next trip. It is a one-time setup and the benefits carry through every rental after that.
Bottom Line
The rental car benefits on the Chase Sapphire Reserve are some of the most consistently useful perks on the card. Primary CDW coverage, three elite statuses out of the box, and a path to two more through status matching add up to real time and money saved on every trip.
The catch is that none of it happens automatically. You have to activate it.
Want to make sure you are always using the right card at checkout? Kudos automatically recommends the best card in your wallet so you never leave rewards on the table.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level vary by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
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