As one of the largest car rental agencies in the world, you’ve likely encountered Avis during your online searches or seen their desks at airports. With more than 5,500 locations across 165 countries, Avis is primarily known for its extensive global presence, loyalty program, and valuable partnerships with major airline and hotel loyalty programs.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about earning and redeeming rewards to maximize your car rental experience. We’ll also look at how you can leverage your status with select airlines to gain greater recognition within the Avis Preferred program.
Earning Avis Preferred Points
The only way to earn Avis Preferred points is by spending on rental cars and accessories at Avis locations. The number of Avis Preferred points you earn depends on your current status level within the Avis Preferred program.
Book Rental Cars with Avis
Members earn at least 1 point for every dollar spent on car rentals and 2 points for every dollar spent on accessories. Members who achieve a higher status within the program will earn at an accelerated rate.
The earning rates are broken down into two categories: car rentals and add-on accessories, which include items like infant car seats, bike racks, and ski racks.
| Avis Preferred Status | Earning Rate on Car Rentals | Earning Rate on 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 |
All rentals earn a minimum of 100 points and must be paid for and completed at a participating Avis location to qualify as an eligible purchase.
Earning Airline & Hotel Points Instead of Avis Preferred Points
Avis gives members the option to earn frequent flyer miles/points or hotel loyalty points from dozens of airline and hotel partners, instead of Avis Preferred points, when renting cars and accessories. For some members, earning airline or hotel points may be more beneficial, as these currencies can often be more valuable than Avis Preferred points.
To earn airline or hotel points instead of Avis Preferred points on your Avis car rentals, go to the “Rewards” tab on your profile page on the Avis website. Toggle “Earn Avis Preferred Points and Discounts” to NO. Then, choose your preferred airline or hotel program from the drop-down menu and enter your membership number. Click “Save” and your account will be set to earn points or miles with your chosen airline or hotel program.
The precise earning rates for airline and hotel loyalty programs vary from one program to another. For instance, some programs award miles or points based on your spending on a car rental, while others may only offer a fixed number of points or miles per rental.
Avis maintains a complete list of airline partners and hotel partners, along with their associated earning rates, on its website.
It’s worth noting that Avis may impose a “Frequent Traveler Program Excise Tax” on select airline and hotel loyalty programs based on miles earned through a reservation. For rentals in the U.S., Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix, and Canada, when a renter opts to receive frequent flyer miles or hotel points from certain U.S. airline and hotel programs, Avis will charge a frequent flyer tax ranging from US$0.75 to US$1.00 per day.
Taking this surcharge into account, you may want to avoid crediting your rental to the following programs:
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- Best Western Hotels & Resorts Rewards
- Choice Hotels Privileges
- Copa Airlines ConnectMiles
- FRONTIER Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
- World of Hyatt
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Southwest Rapid Rewards
- Spirit Airlines
- Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Redeeming Avis Preferred Points
Rental Cars
Avis Preferred points can be redeemed for car rentals and accessories. For car rentals, Avis categorizes reward days into four tiers, each corresponding to a price range that reflects the standard daily base rate.
The rental cost is based on the cash price listed in the chart below. The Reward Level is determined solely by the standard base rate and does not take into account any discounts, special rates, or other offers.
To redeem your points, simply log into your Avis account and input your search details directly from the Avis.com homepage.
You can sort and filter the search results by options like vehicle type, size, and daily price.
Avis offers members the flexibility to either pay for their rental upon pickup or choose to pay in advance at a discounted rate.
Using the Pay Now option can save you anywhere from 15% to 30% off the daily base rate; however, you will incur a fee when canceling a prepaid reservation.
- Cancellations more than 24 hours prior to the rental pickup time will be refunded the full prepaid amount minus a $50 processing fee
- Cancellations within 24 hours of the rental pickup time will be refunded the full prepaid amount minus a $150 processing fee
- If you fail to cancel a prepaid rental before the scheduled pickup time and do not collect the vehicle, no part of the payment will be refunded.
After making your selection, if you have enough Avis Preferred points in your account to cover the rental cost, you can apply them toward the rental as well as any additional services or equipment.
Accessories & Extras
Accessories and add-ons like infant car seats, bike racks, ski racks, satellite radio, and roadside assistance are available at select locations. Each accessory rental is priced at a fixed rate of 250 Avis Preferred points per day.
Avis Preferred Elite Status
The Avis Preferred program consists of 3 levels of elite status — Avis Preferred, Avis Preferred Plus, and Avis President’s Club. Earning a higher status level requires completing a specified number of rentals or reaching a certain spending threshold within a calendar year.
Avis Preferred Status
Avis Preferred is the entry-level tier of the program, available to all members upon joining. It requires no minimum spend or rentals completed to maintain status. As a welcome incentive, new members will earn 100 Avis Preferred points after completing a rental within the first three months of joining. The benefits of Avis Preferred status are as follows:
- Redeem points for rentals and accessories
- Expedited service and go straight to your car at most locations
- Receive exclusive monthly email offers
Avis Preferred Plus Status
Avis Preferred Plus status requires completing 10 rentals or $4,000 spent in a calendar year. It includes all of the benefits of the preceding status tier, plus:
- Free one-car class upgrade when reserving a midsize or above
Avis President’s Club Status
Earning Avis President’s Club status requires completing 20 rentals or $6,000 spent in a calendar year. It includes all of the benefits of the preceding status tiers, plus:
- Free two car class upgrade when reserving a midsize or above
- Guaranteed car up to a full size with a confirmed 24-hour advanced reservation
- Dedicated support phone number
Elevate your Avis Preferred Status with Aeroplan
Avis provides a special status match offer for Air Canada Aeroplan Elite members and primary cardholders of an Aeroplan co-branded credit card. Based on your Aeroplan status or the specific Aeroplan co-branded credit card you hold, you can receive instant recognition as either an Avis Preferred Plus or Avis President’s Club member.
Aeroplan Elite 75K and Super Elite members, as well as co-branded Aeroplan Premium credit card holders, will be granted automatic Avis President’s Club status. This benefit remains active as long as the member maintains their required status level or keeps their credit card account open.
Related: The Complete Air Canada Aeroplan Status Guide
Furthermore, Aeroplan 25K, 35K, and 50K Elite members, along with holders of Aeroplan co-branded core credit cards, are extended complimentary Avis Preferred status, provided they maintain their Elite status or keep their credit card active.
Related: The Complete Guide to Aeroplan 50K Status
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Avis Preferred points are valid for 60 months from when they were earned. If an Avis Preferred member doesn’t redeem their earned points within a 60-month period, the points will be forfeited.
Additionally, all Avis Preferred points will expire if a member’s account becomes inactive, meaning the member hasn’t completed an eligible rental or earned or redeemed any Avis Preferred points within a 12-month period.
Avis Preferred points cannot be sold, traded, or transferred to another person’s account.
Since Avis redemptions follow a fixed-rate award chart, you can generally expect to receive about 5 cents per Avis Preferred point when redeeming.
Avis Preferred benefits include faster checkout, access to exclusive offers, complimentary upgrades (when available), and the ability to skip the rental counter at select locations.
You can redeem Avis Preferred points through your Avis account online for free rental days, as well as accessories like GPS devices, and bike or ski racks.