Published: 7 June 2026
How to Maximise Your Avios When Hiring a Car
Most major car hire companies partner with one or more Avios programmes, but the airline you credit your rental to can make a large difference to the number of Avios you earn.
In this guide we compare Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar and Sixt to show where you should credit your next rental to maximise your return.
As Avios are transferable and can be relatively easily moved between programmes, Avios collectors can take advantage of the many opportunities to earn across the airline programmes that use Avios as a currency, and then afterwards transfer them into the airline programme that suits them best for a redemption.
Why should I bother doing this?
Earnings vary significantly depending on where you credit your car rental. For example, a £70 rental at Avis would earn:
- 500 Avios if credited to Finnair Plus
- 210 Avios at BA Club
- 187 Avios with Qatar Privilege Club
Also, whilst earning Avios with Avis and Budget is fairly straightforward, BA, Iberia and Aer Lingus members will not get anything by hiring from Hertz, Europcar or Sixt. Fortunately rentals can be credited to either Qatar or Finnair – albeit at varying rates.
Avis Earning Rates per Car Rental Company
Here are the Avios earning rates for each car hire firm for each Avios issuing airline programme:
| British Airways Club | Iberia Club | Aer Lingus AerClub | Qatar Privilege Club | Finnair Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avis | 3 Avios per £ | Leisure: 5 Avios per € or £, 3 Avios per $ | 5 Avios per € | 2 Avios per $ | 500 Avios per rental |
| Min 500 Avios per rental | Corporate: 2 Avios per € or £, 1 Avios per $ | - | - | - | |
| Budget | 2 Avios per £ | 2 Avios per € | 2 Avios per € | 2 Avios per $ | 350 Avios per rental |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| Hertz | n/a | n/a | n/a | Leisure: 500 Avios per rental | 500 Avios per rental |
| - | - | - | Corporate: 250 Avios per rental | - | |
| Europcar | n/a | n/a | n/a | 500 Avios per rental | 5 Avios per € |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| Sixt | n/a | n/a | n/a | 500 Avios per rental | 350 Avios per rental (Mini to Full-size) |
| - | - | - | - | 700 Avios per rental (Premium, Luxury & Extraordinary) |
Where should I credit my car hire in order to get Avios?
Earning is a little complicated so we have produced a simplified guide in order to maximise your Avios:
Earning Avios with Avis
- Need an additional driver? – credit to Aer Lingus AerClub (free additional driver & 5 Avios per £)
- Spending under £88 – credit to Finnair Plus (500 Avios per rental)
- Spending more than £88 – credit to Aer Lingus AerClub (5 Avios per €)
Earning Avios with Budget
- Need an additional driver? – credit to British Airways Club (free additional driver & 500 Avios per rental)
- Spending under £135 – credit to British Airways Club (500 Avios per rental)
- Spending more than £135 – credit to Qatar Airways Privilege Club (2 Avios per $)
Earning Avios with Hertz
- Always credit to Finnair Plus (500 Avios per rental)
Earning Avios with Europcar
- Spending under £88 – credit to Qatar Airways Privilege Club (500 Avios per rental)
- Spending more than £88 – credit to Finnair Plus (5 Avios per €)
Earning Avios with Sixt
- Renting a category Mini to Full-size car – credit to Qatar Airways Privilege Club (500 Avios per rental)
- Renting a category Premium, Luxury or Extraordinary car – credit to Finnair Plus (700 Avios per rental in these categories)
A few notes
- All prices and policies checked on 8 June 2026. Check the latest Ts&Cs for each scheme before booking as policies do change
- You will generally not get Avios if your company has an agreed corporate rate or if you have booked via a 3rd party travel agent (although most corporate travel agents such as Egencia or Concur should be OK).
- If you have status in Qatar Privilege Club, there may be some circumstances where it may be better to credit your Avis, Budget or Europcar rental there so check these for details.
- Prices given have been converted to sterling at the rate GBP/EUR 1:1.14 and GBP/USD 1:1.34
- Certain corporate rates will not qualify. Qualifying spend is typically based on the rental excluding VAT or equivalent
- Loganair uses Avios as their frequent flyer currency but presently does not have any relationships with car rental companies
Our take
Car hire is unlikely to be the largest source of Avios in your collection, but it is one of the easiest opportunities to overlook. A few minutes spent selecting the right loyalty programme can often double the number of Avios earned from a rental.
As Avios can be transferred between British Airways Club, Aer Lingus AerClub, Iberia Club, Qatar Privilege Club and Finnair Plus, there is little reason to automatically credit every rental to the same programme. Instead, take advantage of the strongest earning rate for each booking and move the Avios later if required.
The differences can be particularly significant on very cheap or higher-value rentals, making car hire another useful way to boost your balance and get a little closer to your next reward flight.
