A number of new Amex Offers came out this week to kick off the new year, including one good for $75 back when you spend $350 or more on an Avis car rental directly through Avis.
The Deal
- A new Amex Offer is out that’s good for a one-time $75 statement credit after using your enrolled card to spend $350 or more in one or more purchases with Avis Car Rental (enrollment required)
Key Terms
- Expires 3/31/25
- Must rent directly with Avis Car Rental.
- Offer valid only for rentals made through US website avis.com, US mobile app, by calling US phone reservations, or at Avis locations in the US and US territories.
- Eligible rentals must be paid by 3/31/2025 in order to qualify.
- Must pick up at and return rental to an Avis location in the US or US territories.
- Not valid for bookings made through travel agents, third parties, or affiliate booking sites.
- Excludes Budget & Payless brands, Chauffeur Drive, Car Sales, Scooter rentals, e-Toll and purchases with travel partners for lodging, airfare, ground transportation, or parking.
- See offer for full terms
Quick Thoughts
Personally, I tend to avoid paying for rental cars with my Amex cards since many do not include rental car insurance and even the Platinum card’s rental car insurance is only secondary insurance, meaning that a claim would first have to go through my personal car insurance. I’d generally rather use a card that offers primary CDW coverage.
However, the savings here is certainly worth consideration, particularly for those who don’t own a car (and thus have non existing car insurance, making the Platinum card’s insurance primary). It’s also worth noting that just a few days ago, I clicked around the Avis website in a browser where I have the Capital One Shopping extension installed and the next day I got a targeted email offer for 30% back on Avis. The terms on that Capital One Shopping offer required a prepaid rental with no discount codes applied, so be sure to look at terms carefully if clicking through a portal. However, between that 30% back and the $75 for this offer, I’m considering Avis for another upcoming trip despite the secondary insurance as the combination of 30% back and $75 back would be about $180 back on $350, which might be about where I’d be willing to “risk it” with secondary insurance.
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So many of these credit card merchant offers are micro-targeted these days. We had this offer last year, but not this time. For what it’s worth, the Avis app allows you to change payment methods and split payments up until the time you return your car. So if you regularly use another credit card for, say, full insurance protection, you can switch it to this AMEX offer right before you return the vehicle. You could also make this change at the counter upon your return.
I thought the Amex platinum has a $20 rental fee to upgrade your secondary insurance to primary? Is that no longer the case?
Perfect timing – our daughter was reat-ended in late December (days before spendimg 10 days in Hawai’i with her SO family) they return on the 25th and she didn’t have to return to work till New Years.
So we rented her a car Monday for 7 days. They aren’t pickimg up her car till this Tuesday to get a repair estimate or total it – we bought a 2019 Hybrid from Avis Sales with 15K mile for $14K – a steal because of C19 fire sales).
I digress, if they total her car the rental coverage is only.good for 7 more days instead of 50 if its in the shop.
So in the interim she got pre-approved for $25K and our insurance coverage for a total adds 20% of ACV for replacement (or payoff if you owe more than its worth).
So she should be made close to whole for what we(she) paid for her car. Which is a rarity as normally you always lose when ot come to the vehicle and lifetime of reoccuring pain. But we are also going through Costco Auto program or at least checking for prices on new cars.
We placed the first rental on the SW Biz (working on CP) but will probably go with Amex on this next rental as we have an upgrade bonus were workimg on for an Amex Plat.
I have been renting through USAA when our adult kids travel with us – free additional driver and no surcharge for drivers under 25, also cover liability coverage over $5K (a small gamble) plus varying discounts.