Amex Platinum Car Rental Status: Hertz, Avis and Sixt Compared

Which statuses the Platinum actually unlocks

As of November 2026, American Express lists these three tiers for the personal Platinum Card:

• Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Five Star. According to Amex's description of the Hertz benefit, automatic, with no minimum spend or rental count. Five Star is the middle tier in the Hertz program, not the top one (that would be President's Circle).
• Avis President's Club. This is the highest tier in the Avis Preferred program. The Amex page on Avis describes enrollment through the online card account using the organization passcode "Platinum".
• SIXT ONE Platinum. After joining the free SIXT ONE program through your Amex account, with no minimum rental count according to the Amex page on the Sixt benefit. Normally Sixt requires 4,000 status points per year for this tier.

To set expectations: none of these statuses lands in your rental profile fully automatically. You have to enroll or link once with each provider through your Amex account. Sixt has an extra wrinkle: according to Amex, existing members must re-register once through the Amex Experience app by 31 December 2026, or they risk losing both the status and the SIXT ride credit.

One note for context: in other countries American Express has already dropped or restructured the Avis benefit for the Platinum. The German Amex page names no end date. Still, check before a bigger trip that the status is still on your Avis profile.

Hertz Five Star: solid, but nothing guaranteed

Amex lists these benefits for Hertz Five Star:

• Preferred service at Gold Plus Rewards counters
• Upgrade to the next car class, subject to availability
• 25 percent bonus on Gold Plus points
• Up to 15 percent off standard rates, up to 25 percent off the Prestige Collection in some countries
• Up to 4 hours grace period on returns, also only in some countries
• One free additional driver, limited to a spouse or registered partner

The practical core is the Gold counter. At many larger locations, especially in the US, a Gold member with a complete profile can go straight to the car without visiting the regular counter. That is a feature of Gold Plus Rewards itself, though, not of Five Star. You would not need the Platinum for it, because basic membership is free.

The upgrade is subject to availability. At a fully booked location you get what you reserved. For bookings you usually need the CDP number from your Hertz profile, otherwise discount and status benefits do not apply.

Avis President's Club: the most binding of the three

On paper Avis is the strongest package, because here an upgrade is actually promised. According to Amex, President's Club includes:

• Minimum discount of 10 percent, up to 25 percent
• Guaranteed one-class upgrade at airport and train station locations
• Double upgrade on weekends, subject to availability
• Free additional driver
• Priority service at the counter
• One-time weekend voucher after the third rental

The catch is the booking channel. Amex states explicitly that discounts and extras apply only when you book through avisworld.com/amex or the Avis app. A booking through a comparison site or broker often arrives at the location without a linked profile. Then you are a regular customer at the counter.

The guaranteed upgrade applies only at airports and train stations. City locations stay subject to availability. For most travelers that is not an issue, since most rentals start at the airport anyway. A plus for couples: according to Amex, holders of a Platinum supplementary card can enroll in President's Club on their own.

SIXT ONE Platinum: useful in Germany, but not Diamond

For readers in Germany, Sixt is often the most relevant provider because its station network is densest there. Amex lists for SIXT ONE Platinum:

• Upgrade to the next class, subject to availability
• Up to 15 percent off SIXT rent and SIXT van & truck
• Skip the Counter at selected locations
• Preferred vehicle provision and a 4-hour mobility guarantee
• Discount on the limousine service

Here too the upgrade is not guaranteed. Skip the Counter only works at stations that offer it, and only with a complete profile including driver's license and payment method.

The difference from the Centurion often gets blurred. The Centurion comes with Sixt Diamond, the tier above Platinum. When comparing the two cards, do not count Sixt Platinum as "almost Diamond". And if all you want is a Sixt discount, the Sixt shareholder rate is a cheap alternative, though it does not replace status.

What actually reaches you at the counter

Reduce the three packages to what shows up reliably and this is what remains:

• Time saved. The real main benefit. A status profile on file shortens pickup, especially at large airports. That holds for all three providers, most of all where there are dedicated counters or direct access to the car.
• Additional driver. At Avis generally, at Hertz for partners. That is a concrete amount you would otherwise pay per day, and it does not depend on availability.
• Upgrade. Binding only at Avis at airports and train stations. At Hertz and Sixt it is a bonus you can hope for when the location has spare cars, not something to plan around.

What is mostly marketing

• "Up to" discounts. The 15 or 25 percent apply to standard rates. Rental prices are dynamic, and a prepaid rate or a broker deal is often below the discounted standard price. Always compare the final price, not the discount.
• Bonus points. 25 percent more Hertz or Avis points hardly matter for occasional renters. If you pay with the Platinum, you earn Membership Rewards anyway.
• Three statuses at once. Sounds like a lot, but you usually rent from one provider at a time. The value of the combination is that you can pick the provider with the best network for each destination, not that the benefits add up.

Do not confuse status with insurance

Rental status and the credit card rental car insurance are two separate benefits. Status is tied to your profile, insurance to the payment. According to Amex, the cover only applies if you pay with the Platinum and are on a trip, meaning a rental abroad, or a domestic rental connected to a flight or a booked overnight stay. The details are in the insurance overview. Use the status but pay with another card and you lose the cover.

When it is not worth it

If you rent a car two or three times a year, the statuses are a pleasant side effect, not a reason to get the card. They do not justify the annual fee on their own. Whether the Platinum fits overall depends on lounges, hotel status and points, see Is the Amex Platinum worth it. As with hotel status through credit cards: a gifted status is worth only as much as the bookings you would make anyway.

If you generally book through comparison sites because that is where the price is right, the status does little for you. It usually only applies to direct bookings with a linked profile.