Finding the perfect rental car company often comes down to more than just price; it’s about the overall value and the perks you can unlock. For frequent travelers, a robust National Rental Car Rewards Program can significantly enhance the rental experience, offering savings, convenience, and exclusive benefits. National Car Rental’s Emerald Club stands out as a prominent player in this space. Unlike some programs that focus solely on points, Emerald Club rewards loyalty with rental credits towards free rental days, coupled with elite status tiers that accelerate your journey to those valuable rewards.
This guide dives deep into the National Emerald Club program, providing everything you need to know to make the most of your rentals.
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Understanding the National Emerald Club Program
The core of the National Emerald Club program is its straightforward approach to rewards. Instead of a complex points system, National credits members with rental days. This simplicity is a key differentiator from programs like Hertz Gold Rewards or Avis Preferred.
Here’s how you accumulate credits within this national rental car rewards program:
- For rentals lasting between one and seven days, you earn one rental credit.
- For longer rentals of eight days or more, you receive one credit for every four rental days. For instance, an 8 to 11-day rental earns two credits, while a 12 to 15-day rental earns three.
This structure clearly favors frequent renters with shorter trip durations. Once you accrue seven credits, you unlock a free rental day, redeemable for up to a midsize vehicle.
National also enhances user convenience through its mobile app, offering contactless checkout. This feature is particularly beneficial at busy airports, especially those without an Emerald Aisle. The app allows you to pre-select your vehicle based on various preferences like year, make, model, and mileage, holding it for you for 15 minutes.
Being part of Enterprise Holdings, National extends its reach by allowing bookings at Enterprise locations via the National website. Crucially, rentals at participating Enterprise locations also contribute to your Emerald Club credits and elite status when you include your membership number in your reservation. However, it’s important to note that Emerald Club elite status benefits are exclusive to National rentals.
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Unlocking Elite Status in the National Rental Car Rewards Program
Emerald Club elevates the rental experience through its elite status tiers, offering increasingly valuable perks. From the moment you join, you’re entitled to benefits, but reaching Executive and Executive Elite levels unlocks even more significant advantages within this national rental car rewards program.
Entry-Level Emerald Club Benefits
Even at the entry level, Emerald Club provides compelling benefits:
- Earning Choices: Earn rental credits or opt for airline miles or hotel points through National’s extensive network of partner programs.
- Free Rental Days: Redeemable starting at seven credits.
- Emerald Aisle Access: Reserve a midsize car at Emerald Aisle locations, bypass the rental counter, and choose any car (midsize or higher) from the Emerald Aisle, paying only the midsize rate in the U.S. and Canada. This is a signature perk of the national rental car rewards program.
- Complimentary Upgrades: Enjoy a free one-car-class upgrade (subject to availability) at participating locations across the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, and Germany.
- No Second Driver Fees: Save on additional driver charges.
- Drop & Go Service: Expedite returns with emailed receipts.
- Priority Service: Access expedited service at participating airport locations in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Related: Bypass Rental Car Lines: Free Ways to Speed Up Your Pickup
Emerald Club Executive Status Perks
Achieving Executive status requires 12 paid rentals or 40 paid rental days within a calendar year. Executive status can also be obtained as a benefit through select premium travel rewards credit cards, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (enrollment required).
Executive members enjoy enhanced benefits on top of the standard Emerald Club perks:
- Faster Free Rental Days: Free rental days are attainable with just six credits.
- Executive Area Access: Choose any car (full-size or above) from the Executive Area at select U.S. and Canadian locations and pay only the midsize rate. This is an upgraded version of the Emerald Aisle, exclusive to this national rental car rewards program tier.
- Guaranteed Upgrades: Receive a guaranteed free upgrade when reserving full-size through luxury vehicles in the U.S. and Canada.
- Premier Selection Discounts: Access discounted pricing on upgrades to Premier Selection vehicles, featuring upscale models like Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, and Lexus IS 250.
Related: Credit Cards Offering Car Rental Elite Status
Emerald Club Executive Elite Status – The Pinnacle
Executive Elite, the highest tier in the national rental car rewards program, is reached after 25 paid rentals or 85 paid rental days in a calendar year. It encompasses all benefits of the lower tiers with added premium advantages:
- Quickest Free Rental Days: Free rental days require only five credits and can be used for any car class (excluding trucks and exotic vehicles) without blackout dates.
- Guaranteed Vehicle Availability: Guarantee a vehicle (up to full-size) when reserving at least 24 hours in advance at the midsize rate in the U.S. or Canada.
- Free Delivery to Private Airports: Enjoy complimentary delivery to most private airports within 50 miles of a National location in the U.S. or Canada.
Related: Car Rental Elite Status Matching: The Complete Guide
Convert Emerald Club Credits to Partner Points and Miles
Emerald Club provides flexibility by allowing members to convert earned credits into points or miles with 14 partner programs. A comprehensive list of partners is available here, featuring popular programs where you can accrue rewards.
To adjust your earning preference, simply log into your Emerald Club account, navigate to your profile settings, select “Rewards,” and click “Modify” next to “Rewards Preferences.”
It’s important to note that choosing to earn partner points or miles incurs a “frequent traveler surcharge,” which varies by program, typically ranging from 50 cents to $2 per rental day. Always evaluate whether earning rental credits or paying extra for partner points/miles aligns better with your travel goals.
Related: Beyond Credit Cards: 10 Alternative Ways to Earn Airline Miles
Maximizing Your National Rental Car Rewards Program Experience
To truly optimize your benefits with this national rental car rewards program, consider these strategies:
- Consolidate Rentals with National: Favor National for your rental needs to accumulate credits and elite status faster.
- Utilize Emerald Aisle and Executive Area: Take full advantage of the car selection and upgrade opportunities these perks offer.
- Consider Credit Card Elite Status: If you qualify for premium travel cards that offer complimentary Emerald Club status, leverage this shortcut to elite benefits.
- Evaluate Points vs. Credits: Periodically assess whether earning partner points/miles or sticking with rental credits is more advantageous based on your travel patterns.
- Book Directly with National: Ensure you are booking through official National channels and adding your Emerald Club number to guarantee credit accrual.
Finally, regardless of your chosen rental company, always pay with one of the best credit cards for rental car insurance. This can allow you to decline costly rental company insurance and save money.
Related: Redeeming Points and Miles for Car Rentals: A How-To Guide
Final Thoughts on the National Rental Car Rewards Program
National Emerald Club provides a valuable national rental car rewards program, particularly for frequent renters who prefer midsize or larger vehicles and shorter rental periods. With an extensive network of over 1,500 locations globally, National offers convenient rental options for most travel itineraries. By understanding and strategically utilizing the Emerald Club program, you can unlock significant savings and elevate your car rental experience.
