Avis Preferred Plus Benefits: What You Actually Get and How It Compares

If you've rented through Avis more than once, you've probably noticed the loyalty tier system. Avis Preferred Plus sits in the middle of that structure — above the entry-level Preferred tier but below the top-tier Chairman's status. Understanding exactly what comes with Preferred Plus, and how credit card benefits can accelerate or enhance that status, helps you make smarter decisions about both your rental habits and your travel card choices.

What Is Avis Preferred Plus?

Avis Preferred Plus is a mid-tier status within the Avis Preferred loyalty program. Members earn it by completing a qualifying number of rentals or rental days within a calendar year — the exact thresholds can shift, but the program has historically required somewhere in the range of 12 or more qualifying rentals or a set number of rental days to reach this tier.

The status isn't just a badge. It comes with a set of operational perks that reduce friction when you rent, plus some financial benefits that add up over time.

Core Benefits of Avis Preferred Plus Status

Faster Pickup and Returns

One of the most practical benefits is expedited service. Preferred Plus members can bypass the counter at most locations and go directly to their assigned vehicle. The car is waiting, paperwork is pre-loaded, and the process is faster than standing in line.

Guaranteed Car Class Upgrades 🚗

Preferred Plus members are eligible for complimentary upgrades when vehicles in a higher class are available. This isn't guaranteed on every rental — availability matters — but the tier does come with a better upgrade priority than base Preferred members. If you book a compact and a mid-size is sitting available, you're more likely to drive off in it.

Points on Every Rental

Rentals accrue Avis Preferred points, which can be redeemed for free rental days. Preferred Plus members typically earn at a higher rate per dollar spent than base-level members, though the exact multiplier varies by promotion and geographic region.

Wider Vehicle Selection

At participating locations, Preferred Plus members get access to a broader range of vehicles pre-selected for their reservation — meaning more choice in the lot rather than just what's left over after higher tiers have selected.

No Second Driver Fee (in Many Cases)

Many Preferred Plus members receive a waiver for the additional driver fee when the second driver is also a Preferred member. This can represent real savings on longer trips where you're sharing driving duties.

How Travel Credit Cards Connect to Avis Preferred Plus

Here's where the picture becomes more layered. Several travel rewards credit cards include Avis Preferred Plus status as an automatic cardholder benefit — no rentals required to earn it. Instead of working your way up through rental history, you simply hold the card and the status is matched to your membership.

This matters because it changes who this status is actually accessible to. You don't need to be a frequent renter to unlock these perks — you need the right card.

What to Look for in a Travel Card with Rental Benefits

Not every travel card that mentions Avis includes the same tier. Some provide base Preferred status; others extend Preferred Plus. That distinction — one tier up — translates to the upgrade eligibility, the broader vehicle selection, and the points earning rate difference. Reading the benefits guide carefully matters here.

The Variables That Determine Your Situation

Whether any of this is accessible to you through a travel card depends on the card you hold or can qualify for. And that comes back to your credit profile.

Travel cards with premium rental perks generally sit in the mid-to-premium tier of the credit card market. Issuers evaluating applications for these cards typically weigh:

• Credit score range — Most cards with meaningful travel benefits are aimed at applicants in the good-to-excellent range, generally considered to start around 670–700 and above, though this is a benchmark, not a threshold guarantee
• Credit utilization — Lower utilization ratios signal responsible credit use and strengthen applications
• Length of credit history — Longer histories with consistent on-time payment reduce perceived risk
• Income and debt load — Issuers look at your capacity to carry a balance or pay monthly charges relative to existing obligations
• Recent hard inquiries — Multiple recent applications can signal financial stress and temporarily weigh on approval odds

Two people both interested in accessing Avis Preferred Plus through a travel card can be in meaningfully different positions depending on where they land on each of these factors. Someone with a long credit history, low utilization, and no recent inquiries is in a different application conversation than someone newer to credit or recovering from past issues.

The Benefit Stacks Differently by Profile 🎯

It's also worth noting that how much you benefit from Preferred Plus depends on how often you rent. If you rent cars frequently for business travel, the upgrade priority and expedited service have real compounding value. If you rent occasionally for vacations, the no-counter-wait and potential upgrade are nice but not transformational.

For cardholders who earn points on rental spend and then redeem those alongside Avis Preferred points, the value stacks. But that stacking only works if the card's earning structure aligns with how you actually spend.

What the Gap Looks Like for You

The mechanics of Avis Preferred Plus are consistent: expedited pickup, upgrade eligibility, points acceleration, potential second driver waiver, and broader vehicle access. What varies is how you get there — through rental activity or through a travel card — and what it costs you to hold the card that delivers it.

That second question is the one that only your credit profile can answer. The card that unlocks Preferred Plus status for one person may not be the card another person qualifies for or gets the most value from, and the right fit depends on what's actually in your credit file right now.