Hertz LAX operates from the LAX Rental Car Center at 5251 West 98th St., open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at (310) 568-5100. To get there, board the Hertz courtesy shuttle at the purple Rental Car Shuttles sign outside baggage claim on the Lower/Arrivals level.
SkyLink, the airport train that will link the terminals to the Rental Car Center, wasn't open to travelers when we checked LAX's SkyLink page on October 10, 2026, so the shuttle is the way in for now. Here's the flow from the terminal, what Hertz Gold+ status and the right credit card get you at pickup, and what to know before you take an EV.
Getting to Hertz at LAX: The Rental Car Center Shuttle
LAX says that since March 11, 2026, the rental car companies serving the airport work either from the LAX Rental Car Center (formerly known as the Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility, or ConRAC) or from sites off airport property. Hertz is one of the companies at the Rental Car Center, along with Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National and Sixt, among others. LAX says the companies based there pick up and drop off customers at the airline terminals using courtesy shuttles.
The flow from the moment you land:
- Deplane and collect your bags at baggage claim.
- Go outside to the Lower/Arrivals level and find the purple Rental Car Shuttles sign outside baggage claim.
- Board the Hertz courtesy shuttle to the LAX Rental Car Center.
- Pick up your car at Hertz, which lists this location as open 24 hours every day of the week.
You don't need LAX-it, the lot for taxis and ride apps. LAX's own LAX-it page says you still catch your designated rental car shuttle to reach your rental car.
As of October 10, 2026, LAX's SkyLink page says the elevated train that will connect the terminals to the Rental Car Center isn't open to travelers yet and is in its final testing and certification phase, with opening information to be posted on that page. Until it opens, LAX says to keep using shuttles and current signage to reach the rental cars.
The single most useful thing you can do before this trip is join Hertz Gold+, which is free, and make sure your member number is on the reservation. Hertz says Gold+ members can skip the line, choose their car and go, but skipping the counter is available only at select locations, so check how pickup works at LAX in your confirmation or the Hertz app.
The Hertz Status Play (via Credit Cards)
Hertz Gold+ has three tiers: Gold, Five Star and President's Circle. Hertz says that once you earn status, you keep it for the rest of the calendar year and the following year. Some credit cards grant Five Star or President's Circle, which is the quickest route for most readers.
Here's what the issuers' own pages say on October 10, 2026 (check your account before you rely on it, because issuers do change these benefits):
- The Platinum Card from American Express lists Car Rental Privileges with Avis, Hertz and National. Amex says that once you enroll in a program, you get upgrades when available, discounts and priority service at participating locations, and enrollment is required. Our guide to Amex Platinum car rental status covers how to enroll.
- Capital One Venture X grants Hertz President's Circle, and Capital One says the Venture, VentureOne, Savor and Quicksilver cards (and the Venture and VentureOne business cards) get Five Star. Enroll through Capital One: sign in, select the Explore rewards and benefits tile, choose your card and follow the prompts, and Capital One says the status arrives in 24 to 72 hours. Capital One says Hertz.com won't automatically identify you as eligible, so you only get the upgrade when you enroll through Capital One. More on Capital One's Hertz status and rental savings.
Hertz's Gold+ terms guarantee President's Circle members one car class upgrade, up to a full-size car (class F), and give Five Star members the same upgrade subject to availability. It doesn't apply to Manager's Special rentals.
If you're picking one card from this list specifically for the rental benefit, the Capital One Venture X is the call: Capital One lists Hertz President's Circle and says Venture X cards include primary rental car protection, on a card with a $395 annual fee. Our Venture X card page has the rest of its benefits.
Booking Strategy: Points, Portals and AAA
Hertz says Gold+ members earn one point for every dollar spent, on the base rental rate only, and free rental days start at 950 points. Our rental car loyalty program comparison shows how that stacks up against Avis, National and Enterprise.
For points-funded rentals, the credit card travel portals are another route. Amex Travel accepts Membership Rewards points for all or part of a prepaid car rental; compare the points it asks for with the cash price on Hertz direct before you redeem.
Capital One Travel earns 10X miles on rental cars booked with the Venture X, and Capital One says you can add your Hertz loyalty number when you book there. Capital One also says paying for the full rental with the card, or with rewards earned on it, keeps you eligible for its rental car protection.
For cash-paid rentals, Hertz's Gold+ page says AAA members save up to 20 percent on base rates and get one free day after their first Gold+ rental.
The general rule: book on Hertz direct with your AAA discount if you have one, link your Gold+ number, and let the card-linked status do the rest at pickup.
The CDW Decision: Check Your Card First
Hertz will offer its Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) at the counter. Its LAX location page says you can't change that choice once the rental has begun without returning the car and starting a new rental agreement, so decide before you reach the counter. If a card in your wallet already covers the rental, you may not need it.
Decline it if your card's own benefit covers collision damage on the rental:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Chase says to decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card, and that its Auto Rental Coverage is primary, with reimbursement up to $75,000 for theft and collision damage for most rental vehicles in the U.S. and abroad. For New York residents, Chase says coverage inside the United States is secondary to personal auto insurance.
- Capital One Venture X: Capital One says Venture X cards include primary rental car protection. To use it, decline the rental company's collision damage waiver and pay for the full rental with the card or rewards earned on it.
- Amex Platinum: Amex says the card's Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance provides secondary coverage when you reserve and pay for the entire rental with the card and decline the collision damage waiver. You can also enroll in Amex's Premium Car Rental Protection, which Amex says provides primary coverage for one flat fee per rental period: $19.95 for Basic or $24.95 for Plus, with lower prices for California and Florida residents. Coverage lasts for the rental, up to 42 days (30 days for Washington State residents).
Decline it cautiously if your card provides only secondary coverage. Capital One says the coverage on most of its covered cards is secondary, which means your personal auto insurance is applied first and your card's coverage may then reimburse your personal policy's deductible. Check your own card's benefits guide before you decide, and see our guide to credit cards with travel insurance for how the premium cards compare.
The move: book the rental on the card whose benefit covers it, and pay for the whole rental with that card. Print the card's benefits guide or save it as a PDF on your phone before the trip. If Hertz pushes the waiver at the counter, decline calmly.
Fees and Charges to Watch at Hertz LAX
A few things at the Hertz LAX counter that show up on bills more often than they should:
- The Fuel Purchase Option. Hertz's Fuel Purchase Option prepays the tank so you can return it at any level, with no refund for unused fuel. Skip it and bring the car back low, and Hertz refuels it at a per-gallon rate. Refill it yourself instead.
- Prepay vs. pay-on-return. Hertz says its Pay Now discount varies by location, length and date of rental and won't apply in all cases. Prepaid bookings are free to cancel within 24 hours of booking. After that, Hertz charges $100 (or time and mileage, if less) to cancel more than 24 hours before pickup and $200 (or time and mileage, if less) within 24 hours of pickup, never more than the prepaid amount, and a no-show forfeits the prepaid amount. Pay-later reservations cancel free before pickup. If your travel plans are firm, prepay. If there's any chance you'll cancel, take the pay-on-return rate and the flexibility. Our Hertz cancellation policy guide has the full rules.
- The 29-minute grace window. Hertz's Pay Now terms say rental days run in 24-hour periods from pickup and that additional days begin after a 29-minute grace period, billed at a higher rate. Set your return time generously when you book, not tightly.
- Fees on top of the rate. Hertz's Pay Now terms say its rates exclude the vehicle licensing recovery fee, the airport facility use fee or customer facility charge, other cost recovery fees, governmental surcharges and taxes. LAX's rental car page says the airport's board authorized an alternative Customer Facility Charge of $9.00 per day, for up to five days, on rental car transactions at LAX. Expect those on top of the quoted base rate.
The EV Fleet Reality at Hertz LAX
Hertz rents electric vehicles at LAX, and its EV rental terms add their own charging rules on top of the standard rental agreement.
The honest take on renting an EV out of LAX:
The good: you skip the gas station entirely, and parking at hotels with EV chargers is easier. If your hotel has a Level 2 plug, you can top up overnight instead of hunting for a charger before the return.
The bad: the charging rules take some reading. Hertz says it tries to hand over EVs with an 80 percent charge but doesn't always, and you never have to return one above 75 percent. Unless you buy its EV Purchase Option, return the car within 5 percent of the battery level at pickup, or Hertz adds its EV Service Charge, which it says will always cost more per kilowatt than the purchase option. Hertz says recharging yourself at a local charging station will generally cost less than either. If you use a Tesla Supercharger, Hertz says the cost is billed back to Hertz and added to your rental charges with a 2.8 percent convenience fee. Budget for it.
The return: whatever you drive, get a digital return receipt before you walk away from the car. Don't just leave it in the stall and hope.
The call: if you're staying around LA and have a hotel with charging or a clear plan, take the EV. If you're driving to Joshua Tree, San Diego, or Santa Barbara back-to-back, take the gas car.
What I'd Actually Do
Book on Hertz.com with my Hertz Gold+ number on the reservation, with President's Circle status enrolled through Capital One. Pay with my Capital One Venture X for its primary rental car protection. Take the courtesy shuttle from the purple Rental Car Shuttles sign to the LAX Rental Car Center, pick up the car, refill it yourself before drop-off, and get a digital return receipt when you return it.
Set it up that way and Hertz LAX is an easy airport rental. If you walk in expecting to ride a train to the rental cars, you'll lose time looking for a station that isn't open yet, so head straight for the purple Rental Car Shuttles sign.
Updated October 10, 2026: Hertz LAX location details.
