One of the most important things to do when renting a car from any company is to register for their frequent renter program. I’ve provided links to each program and what they offer to members in this post. Most importantly, by signing up for programs, you’ll get to give your preferences for questions about insurance coverages and refueling options. You’ll also get to provide your information if you want to earn miles or points in a different program instead of the rental car’s own loyalty program.
By forgetting to update this information in my profile the last time I rented from Dollar, I ended up with 56 points in the Dollar Express program. That’s a mistake I didn’t plan on making again.
I went to the Dollar website and logged into my Dollar Express Rewards account.
Right away, it was evident that it had been quite a time since I updated my account information. Both my primary and secondary credit cards had expired. Might as update those before any other changes. I made sure to use my Sapphire Reserve as my primary card since it provides primary rental LDW coverage.
With that done, I made sure that I wasn’t signed up for any of the other options. If you’re wondering what any of these options are:
- Here’s more information on the Loss Damage Waiver
- What is Liability Insurance Supplement and Personal Protection coverage?
- Here’s why you shouldn’t take the prepaid fuel option
This is where I messed up before. Notice how I have Dollar Express Rewards as my first option? You can tell it’s been a while since I updated my account because United is listed second, and we’re not even flying with them right now.
After a few changes, I was good to go. I picked Southwest as my primary choice because you earn 600 points for most rentals. With other airlines, you usually earn 50 points a day.
That’s all it took to update my account. About five minutes of effort.
I’d recommend going into your account and making sure everything is up to date if you haven’t rented from a company in a while. Of course, you’ll have to change your profile when you get a new driver’s license or new credit card. Not doing so might mean you’ll have to stand in line at the counter to provide your updated ID, and avoiding that line was the reason you signed up for the program in the first place.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
