Free loyalty programs in the rental car industry don't get enough attention. Unlike airline miles programs that require tens of thousands of miles before you see a free flight, rental loyalty programs deliver tangible benefits from the very first rental. The short answer: yes, they're worth it. Here's the full picture.

Avis Preferred

Avis Preferred is the loyalty program for Avis rentals — including rentals booked through AntVal's Avis-powered locations. It's free to join and activates immediately.

Core benefits

  • Counter bypass. At participating locations, your car is pre-selected and waiting in the Preferred aisle. Skip the line, grab the keys, drive. At a busy airport on a Friday evening, this alone is worth the 2 minutes to sign up.
  • Avis Points. Earn points on every rental, redeemable for free rental days. Typical earning rate is around 10 points per dollar spent.
  • Free upgrades. Preferred Plus and above members receive complimentary upgrades when higher-class vehicles are available at pickup.
  • Exclusive deals. Member-only discount codes delivered by email, typically 15–25% off base rates.

Tier structure

Preferred → Preferred Plus (10+ rentals/year) → President's Club (25+ rentals/year). Each tier adds benefits: faster points earning, guaranteed upgrades, and dedicated customer service lines.

Budget FastBreak

Budget FastBreak mirrors Avis Preferred in structure but runs on the Budget brand — useful if you rent from Budget locations more frequently or want a second program to earn through.

  • Counter bypass at most major locations
  • FastBreak points on every rental, redeemable for free days
  • Member-exclusive rates throughout the year
  • FastBreak Rewards status tiers with increasing benefits

Which One to Choose?

Since both programs are free, the best answer is: join both. Use Avis Preferred for Avis reservations and Budget FastBreak for Budget reservations. There's no reason to leave points on the table from either side of the Avis Budget Group family.

If you had to pick one to prioritize: Avis Preferred has a slightly more developed points redemption system and the counter bypass works more consistently across a wider range of locations.

Maximizing Your Points

  • Always enter your number at booking, not at pickup. Points applied after the fact are inconsistent.
  • Book direct for full points. Rentals booked through third-party sites (Expedia, Priceline) sometimes earn reduced or zero points. Book at avis.com or budget.com for full earning.
  • Look for bonus point promotions. Both programs run double/triple points promotions regularly — usually tied to seasons or specific vehicle classes.
  • Redeem for long rentals. Free rental day redemptions have the best value on multi-day trips where the base rate is higher.
  • Link your airline program. Both Avis and Budget partner with major airlines — you can often credit rental points toward airline miles instead, which may have higher redemption value depending on the airline.