Enterprise Plus: points, status and which rentals qualify
Which Enterprise rentals earn Enterprise Plus points and tier credit, what the points are based on, and when to use your National number instead.
Say you’re booking a four-day Enterprise rental for a work trip. One quote is a prepaid rate on a travel site; another is a pay-later rate on Enterprise’s own site. You’re an Enterprise Plus member, and you also have a National Emerald Club number. Which booking earns anything, and which number should go on it?
The short answer from Enterprise’s terms: the travel-site prepaid rate earns no Enterprise Plus points, the direct booking can earn points if your member number is on it, and you can choose to have a participating Enterprise rental credited to Emerald Club instead. You shouldn’t count on both.
This guide covers Enterprise Plus for US renters. It’s based on Enterprise’s published terms and FAQ, not on a test of any branch.
Which rentals count
Enterprise’s terms define a qualifying rental as one at a participating Enterprise location where you paid time and mileage (the base rate), or qualifying add-on charges, for at least one day. A rental that uses free days still counts if at least one day is paid. Your member number has to be on the reservation; the US qualifying-rentals FAQ applies that requirement regardless of booking channel.
The terms then exclude specific kinds of rental:
- insurance, dealer, body shop or fleet replacement rates, whoever pays;
- rentals included in a tour or travel package;
- prepaid rentals booked through a third party, such as an online travel agency;
- a few specialist services (Exotic Car Collection, CarShare and Car Club, and Truck or Flex-E-Rent on commercial or government accounts).
Points also don’t post on corporate IDs whose account doesn’t allow employees to earn rewards. Eligible employee-discount rentals for Enterprise-group employees and their eligible family or friends are excluded too.
| Booking | Enterprise Plus earning | Source condition |
|---|---|---|
| Pay-later rate on Enterprise’s site or app, member number added, paid base days | Can qualify if the location and rate are eligible | Paid base or qualifying add-on charges for 1+ day, at a participating location |
| Prepaid rate booked through a third-party travel site | Doesn’t qualify | Excluded by name in the terms and FAQ |
| Insurance replacement rate | Doesn’t qualify | Excluded, “regardless of who pays” |
| Participating Enterprise rental with your Emerald Club number instead | Earns National credit, not shown here as Enterprise Plus | National’s FAQ; see below |
Notice what isn’t on the excluded list: a booking made outside Enterprise’s website isn’t excluded just for that reason. Prepaid third-party bookings are specifically excluded. The other exclusions still apply, so check the rate type and participating location when using a portal or agency.
What the points are based on
You earn one point per qualifying US dollar spent. “Qualifying” means the base rate, paid upgrades and add-ons such as GPS or a ski rack, less discounts or credits. It excludes taxes and surcharges, vehicle license fees, airport-related fees, insurance costs, the fuel purchase option and refueling. Points round up to the nearest whole number.
Elite members earn a bonus on the same qualifying spend: 10% for Silver, 15% for Gold and 20% for Platinum.
Worked example (invented figures)
These numbers are made up to show the arithmetic. They are not an Enterprise quote.
| Line on the bill | Amount | Counts for points? |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate, 4 days | $190.00 | Yes |
| GPS add-on | $20.00 | Yes |
| Coupon discount | −$10.00 | Yes (reduces qualifying spend) |
| Qualifying spend | $200.00 | |
| Taxes and surcharges | $24.60 | No |
| Airport-related fee | $20.35 | No |
| Vehicle license fee | $3.80 | No |
| Fuel purchase option | $48.00 | No |
| Total paid | $296.75 |
Assuming an otherwise eligible rental, points on this bill: 200 at the base level, 220 as Silver, 230 as Gold and 240 as Platinum. The $96.75 of excluded charges earns nothing. The same trip booked as a prepaid third-party rate would earn 0.
We don’t put a dollar value on a point. Enterprise says the points needed for a free day vary with the pickup location, car class and dates.
Tiers and how long they last
Section 7 of the terms counts qualifying activity per calendar year:
| Tier | Qualifying rentals | Or qualifying rental days |
|---|---|---|
| Plus | 1–5 | — |
| Silver | 6–11 | — |
| Gold | 12–23 | 40–84 |
| Platinum | 24+ | 85+ |
Plus is the entry membership; you do not need a completed rental just to join. The table reports the terms’ activity bands. Hourly or partial-day charges don’t count as rental days.
If your rental mixes paid and free days: the terms count redeemed days toward tier qualification when attached to a qualifying rental, but the FAQ describes qualifying days as paid days. Both agree that at least one paid day can make the rental qualifying. Confirm the day credit with Enterprise before relying on award days to reach a tier. Once you reach Silver or above, the benefits run through February of the next year plus 12 more months. Enterprise’s example: reach Gold on October 1 and you keep it for 17 months.
Elite members also receive one-car-class upgrade certificates each program year: one for Silver, two for Gold and four for Platinum. They go up to a full-size car, you redeem them at the counter by printing them from your account, and they depend on availability. They aren’t a guaranteed car.
Redeeming points for free days
- Book the free day in advance on Enterprise’s website or app. Branch, agency and phone bookings can’t redeem.
- Prepaid rates can’t use free days, including prepaid rates booked directly with Enterprise.
- You can use up to seven free days on one rental.
- A free day covers the base rate only. Taxes, airport and license fees, the damage waiver, fuel, upgrades, underage-driver fees and extras stay payable.
For US residents, the terms say points expire after 36 consecutive months of inactivity, or when the membership ends.
Enterprise Plus or Emerald Club?
National’s rental-credit FAQ says participating Enterprise rentals with your Emerald Club number on the reservation earn Emerald Club tier credit and rental credits. That isn’t the same as receiving National’s benefits at an Enterprise counter. Our Emerald Club guide explains National’s credits and Emerald Aisle.
The sources we read don’t say one Enterprise rental earns in both programs. Decide which balance you’re building, put that number on the reservation, and check your account after the rental.
It also works the other way: Enterprise’s terms count a paid National rental in the US or Canada toward Enterprise Plus if your Emerald Club profile names your Enterprise Plus number as its partner rewards program.
Before you book
- Is the rate prepaid, and if so, who sold it?
- Is your member number on the reservation, and is it the program you want credited?
- Is the location participating? Check the branch, not just the brand.
- If you plan to redeem, is the rate pay-later and booked on Enterprise’s site or app?
For comparing the price itself, our booking guide covers pay-later and prepaid terms. For other programs, see the program comparison.
Common questions
Do Enterprise Plus points expire? For US residents, after 36 consecutive months without activity, or if the membership ends.
Does a prepaid booking earn? A prepaid rate bought through a third party doesn’t. The terms don’t list Enterprise-direct prepaid rates as excluded from earning, but those rates can’t be used to redeem free days.
Is a tier upgrade guaranteed? No. Certificates are one car class, up to full size, subject to availability.
Sources reviewed November 8, 2026: Enterprise Plus terms, Enterprise qualifying-rentals FAQ and National rental-credit FAQ. Check the current terms for your own booking and account.