Estate planning as a Gold+ account holder

Hertz Gold+ (formerly Hertz Gold Plus Rewards) is the loyalty program for Hertz rental cars, with points redeemable for free rental days at participating Hertz locations. The published Gold+ FAQ allows a member to transfer points to an immediate family member who is also a Gold+ member once per calendar year, and states that additional transfers may be allowed in special cases such as death or divorce with appropriate documentation. Points cannot be left to an estate and are not transferable to non-family members, and Hertz processes any transfer at its discretion.

Gold+ offers a no-cost transfer of points to family members after the account holder's death.

Members can transfer points to other Gold+ participants while their account is active. Fees generally apply, but this is the most direct way to move points to family members.

What happens at death

Hertz publishes no deceased-member page and the Hertz Gold+ Terms and Conditions contain no death clause at all. What the program does publish, in the Gold+ FAQ, is a member-to-member transfer path plus a death carve-out: a member "may transfer or receive Gold+ points to an immediate family member who is also a member, once per calendar year," the receiving family member "must have had rental activity in the prior 12 months (earning or redeeming points through a completed rental) to complete the transfer," and "additional transfers may be allowed in special cases, such as death or divorce, with appropriate documentation." The same FAQ states that "point transfers must be initiated by the member who owns the points" and that "requests made by the receiving member cannot be processed" — so a survivor-initiated transfer after a death falls outside the routine path and is handled by the Rewards Desk at Hertz's discretion on the documentation provided. Points do not move to an estate or a trust: the Hertz Gold+ Terms and Conditions state that "neither participation in the Program, nor Hertz Gold+ Points are transferable" and that "participants may not combine, barter or otherwise transfer Points with or to other persons."

Frequently asked questions