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If you are planning on renting a car from Hertz and want to save some money, read this article. Hertz is a premium rental car company and with that comes premium prices. That is, unless you know how to get a much better deal by understanding rental car discount codes and how they work. Hertz has three primary discount code types to be aware of: Hertz CDP Codes, Hertz PC Codes, and Hertz RQ Codes.
All the major car rental companies offer deals, promotions, and discounts. But they all do it a little different and they don’t make the best discounts publicly available.
Don’t worry, we did a little research to help you out. Here is your guide to saving a lot of money on your next Hertz Car Rental.
What is a Hertz CDP Code?
The Hertz CDP code is one of four different types of codes you will see with Hertz. They all offer various types of discounts or offers, but the CDP code typically provides the largest discount. As with other rental car discounts, you can often “stack” them to yield the best overall value. Here is a description of the different Hertz offer codes:
1. CDP Code – Counter Discount Program:
The CDP code is a contract that has been established in cooperation with a company or organization (a Corporate Discount Code) to provide discounts beyond what is provided to the public. Examples of CDP codes include corporate rate plans and credit card and travel club discount programs. A CDP Number consists of numerical values and is between 1 and 10 digits long. This number can also be used in conjunction with a PC (Promotion Code), RQ (Rate Code) or CV (Convention Number) if the special offer or promotion requires additional information is included in the reservation.
2. PC Code – Promotional Coupon:
The PC code is a six-digit number that is associated with a special offer or promotion. This number can also be used in conjunction with a CDP (Discount Program) or RQ (Rate Code) if the special offer or promotion requires additional information be included in the reservation.
3. RQ Code – Rate Code:
The RQ code is a four to six digit code that is used to trigger discounts off of standard leisure rates. This number is often displayed in a special offer with the text “I was told to ask for”. An RQ can also be used in conjunction with a CDP (Discount Program) or PC (Promotion Code) if the special offer or promotion requires additional information be included in the reservation.
4. CV Code – Convention Number
The CV code is a unique meeting number for a group that will generate pre-negotiated, discounted meeting rates and benefits. Insert the code in the CV field when making a reservation to receive pre-negotiated meeting rates. A CV number can only be used in conjunction with a CDP (Discount Program) or RQ (Rate Code) if the negotiated meeting rate allows additional information be included in the reservation.
5. IT Code – Voucher Code
These codes are less common and are tied to your reward documentation. You don’t need to pay much attention to this code type.
Hertz Corporate Codes
Here is a list of some popular Hertz Corporate and CDP codes. The discounts vary depending on type of car, rental car location and if you are renting during the week or on the weekend. The discount examples below are from a sample set pulled of a 1 day mid-week rental from Chicago O’Hare airport.
Please make sure you are eligible for the corporate codes before using them. Risks associated with using a code that you do not qualify for. You may be asked for identification to prove you are associated with the company and if you get into an accident you could have an issue with the insurance if it is tied to a corporate employee account.
Company Name | Hertz CDP Code | Average Discount |
American Red Cross | 472871 | -18% |
Amex Open Savings | 306613 | -20% |
Amex Platinum Card Savings | 211762 | -23% |
BearingPoint | 1238193 | -53% |
Car & Driver | 1757580 | -29% |
CHABAD | 1221692 | -54% |
Corporate Shopping Code | 1742729 | -10% |
Deloitte | 1409996 | -37% |
Ernst & Young Getaway | 2026979 | -66% |
1336178 | -66% | |
KPMG | 56301 | -61% |
Mastercard SME | 795092 | -15% |
Military Discount | 2159159 | -10% |
National Broadcasting Company | 50013 | -57% |
National Guard (Enlisted) | 81555 | -4% |
Non-Affiliated Discount | 40000 | -27% |
PwC (PriceWaterhouseCoopers) | 57400 | 0% |
Student Discount | 2159163 | -10% |
Teacher Discount | 2159165 | -10% |
Veteran Discount | 2159161 | -10% |
Go to the Hertz Booking Page to apply the discount code that applies to you. Detailed instructions for entering the code are below.
Student and Alumni Discounts
Another way to get a discounted corporate code with Enterprise is to check and see if your College or University has either an alumni deals page or student benefits page that offer car rental discounts. As an MSU Spartan alumni, I have access to discounts with Avis, Enterprise, Hertz and National – the discounts can range from 10-30%.
In this case, the MSU Corporate code for Hertz is CDP# 2159157 and it provides a of up to 25%. Do a quick google search on your university and see what discounts you can come up with.
Before using one of these codes, double check and make sure you are allowed to use these University Discount Codes on personal rentals. Some codes are published for business travel only, while others can be used for personal rentals. In some cases, the rental car company provides a separate code for personal use and business use.
How to Apply a Hertz Discount Code
There are two different ways a Hertz discount code can be applied. Auto-populated the code from clicking on a discount link or manually enter the codes yourself.
Option 1: Code is Auto-Populated
Option 2 – Code is manually entered
This one takes a few more steps:
Step 1: Go to the Hertz Booking Page and enter you location and dates. Click Continue.
Step 2: Click on the “Discounts Applied” arrow to reveal the discount code options
Step 3: Enter your Hertz CDP Code or other discount code and click Apply to get the deal.
Other Ways to Save on Your Next Hertz Car Rental
Car Rental Discount Codes are not the only way to save when you rent a car. Here are a couple of other tips to consider when renting your next car.
Join the Loyalty Club
This is a no-brainer. Joining the Hertz loyalty program is free and only takes a couple of minutes to sign up. Once you are a member, you can get great perks, free rental days and free upgrades.
Rental with a Premium Credit Card
Premier credit cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve card, have rental car insurance benefits include which will allow you to bypass the added insurance fees the car companies will try to get you to purchase. Make sure your credit card offers “primary” rental car insurance coverage. My Sapphire Preferred Card saved me when I had an accident in Italy.
Rent Off Airport
I am not a huge fan of this option, since it can be quite inconvenience. However, you can save quite a bit by rental outside of the airport and avoiding all of the added fees that come with renting at the airport.
Don’t prepay for Gas
It’s easy to get sucked into thinking that the lower priced prepaid gas is a good deal. It isn’t. When you prepay for gas you are paying for a full tank. The odds of you using every last bit of gas before you return is very low. Fill the tank up several miles outside the airport and you will be better off.
Consider booking through an airline portal
Many major airlines have partnerships with rental car companies, offering drivers discounts, the ability to earn miles and more when you book the car rental through their portal.
You can also book a vacation package through your airline. Any time you can package your flight with a car rental and/or hotel stay, there is the opportunity for additional savings.
Hertz Rental Car “Rack Rates” are extremely expensive. Hopefully this article gave you some good ideas to save on your next trip.
Ways to Save with Other Rental Car Companies
If you don’t want to rent from Hertz, here are some ways to save with the other major rental car companies: