Credit Cards By Issuer
Best Cards By Type
Credit Card Reviews
Popular Guides
Business Credit Cards By Type
Business Credit Card Reviews
Popular Business Credit Card Guides
Airlines
Airport Lounges
Hotels
Popular Travel Guides
Get Started
Credit Card Points
Airline Miles
Hotel Points
Advertiser Disclosure
Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.
Jarrod West
Senior Content Contributor
553 Published Articles
Countries Visited: 21U.S. States Visited: 24
Keri Stooksbury
Editor-in-Chief
61 Published Articles 3583 Edited Articles
Countries Visited: 54U.S. States Visited: 28
Kellie Jez
Director of Operations & Compliance
6 Published Articles 1287 Edited Articles
Countries Visited: 10U.S. States Visited: 20
We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.
Needing to rent a car can leave you with analysis paralysis, especially if you’re unfamiliar with many of the car rental options and have no idea where to begin! We’ve already covered complete guides on Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, and National, and this time, we’re covering the Alamo rental car program.
Alamo does not offer a typical elite program. It does not offer status tiers and you cannot earn points towards future rentals or even receive complimentary car upgrades. What it does offer is a membership program that is as easy to understand as it is to use. When you sign-up for the free Alamo Insiders program, you will receive a 5% discount off all of your Alamo rentals. Furthermore, there is no cap on how much money you can save with your discount. Hot Tip:If you would prefer a program with a more traditional loyalty program, where you can earn points and receive car upgrades for your elite status, then you might want to consider renting with a company that offers a more robust program, like National or Hertz. 
Even though you cannot earn points with Alamo Insiders, you should extend your savings by earning credit card points for each of your rentals. If you’re not already using a credit card that offers bonus points for car rental purchases, there are many great options. Earn 2x points/miles per $1 for car rentals on these cards:
Earn 3x points per $1 for car rentals on these cards:
Hot Tip: Points aren’t the only important thing — you’ll also want a credit card with rental car insurance to help keep you protected if you have an accident with your rental!
To join Alamo Insiders, all you need to do is sign up for an account online. Once you’ve filled out all the necessary details, you will receive your member number.
You’ll find that renting a car with Alamo is quite easy. First, sign in using your username and password, then enter your pick-up location, date, pick-up time, renter age, any corporate or discount codes you have, then click Continue.
On the next screen, you’ll notice that the results are given with a Drive Happy Deal first and the rest of the options sorted in order by price from low to high. From the top panel, you can filter your results by vehicle type and price. When you select a Drive Happy Deal, your car type is determined when you arrive to pick up the car. Drive Happy Deals are usually the cheapest option, so if you do not care what car you receive, this could be a great option. On the other hand, if you know you need a specific vehicle type like an SUV, we would not recommend selecting the Drive Happy Deal. When you select which car you’d like, you’ll notice that there are Pay Now and Pay Later options. The Pay Now option gives you a discount for paying the amount owed upfront, but your reservation will be non-refundable. However, the Pay Later option is usually a bit more expensive but allows you to cancel before checking-in if you need to change your plans.
After you’ve selected a vehicle type, you’ll then be able to add any extras that you’d like with your rental. These could include insurance and vehicle protections, along with any other equipment additions like SiriusXM, a navigation device, toll waiver, or fuel service option.
After you’ve selected any extras that you would like, you’ll be taken to the final screen where you can enter your driver’s license and flight details, both of which are optional but help you save time when you arrive. Finally, add your payment details to finalize the reservation.

This is always a tough question for people when renting a car. Do you actually need to purchase the extra insurance or is this just a cash grab? Whether or not you should purchase the extra insurance will depend on whether or not you pay for the reservation with a credit card that offers primary or secondary rental car insurance. What is the difference between primary and secondary insurance? Secondary rental insurance kicks in to help cover costs that your personal auto insurance won’t pick up. But this means if you have an accident in your rental car, you still need to file a claim with your personal insurance provider and pay the deductible before any secondary coverage kicks in — leaving you at risk for increased premiums. Primary rental coverage, on the other hand, kicks in before your personal auto insurance so you do not need to notify your personal auto insurance company if you have an accident — meaning there is no risk to your premiums increasing. Furthermore, primary rental car coverage usually covers much more than secondary insurance and is much more likely to cover the entire cost of your rental car in the unfortunate case of the car begin stolen or total loss to the car from flood or fire. Here are some great card options that offer primary rental car insurance as one of their benefits:
Advertisement
Alamo has over 1,500 locations worldwide across 78 countries. To find a location, click on Locations in the top-right menu. To search for a location, simply enter the city or airport you intend to rent from in the Find a Specific Location search box and hit enter.
Since you are not able to earn points with Alamo for your rentals towards future rentals, Alamo allows you to earn airline miles or hotel points for your rentals with 19 different partners.
Partner
Miles Earned
Partner
Miles Earned
Partner
Miles Earned
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Copa Airlines ConnectMiles
Earn 50 miles per rental day on every qualifying rental
Lufthansa Miles and More
Earn 500 miles per qualifying rental
American Airlines AAdvantage
Earn 50 miles per rental day on every qualifying rental
Delta SkyMiles
Earn 500 miles per qualifying rental
Radisson Rewards Americas
Earn 300 points per qualifying rental
All Nippon Airways Mileage Club
Earn 300 miles per qualifying rental
Eva Miles
Earn 500 miles per qualifying rental
Southwest Rapid Rewards
Earn 600 points per qualifying rental
Asia Miles
Earn 500 miles per qualifying rental
Frontier Miles
1 Day — 50 miles 2 Days — 100 miles 3 Days — 150 miles 4 Days — 200 miles 5 Days or Longer — 500  miles
Sun Country Rewards 
Earn 300 points per qualifying rental
Asiana Airlines Asiana Club 
Earn 500 miles per qualifying rental
Hilton Honors
Earn 3 points for every qualifying $1 spent
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
1000 miles per rental booked through Alamo’s dedicated Virgin Atlantic website
Avianca LifeMiles
Earn 2 miles for every qualifying $1 spent
Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank
Earn 300 miles per qualifying rental
 
 
Best Western Rewards
Earn 3 points for every qualifying $1 spent
Korean Air SKYPASS
Earn 500 miles per qualifying rental
 
 
Opting to earn airline or hotel points can be a great option for your rentals, but keep in mind that when you choose to earn points from certain hotels or airlines, you will be charged a fee. The fees for each program are as follows:
Bottom Line: These fees vary in cost, so be certain to determine how much value you will receive from the points, compared to how much extra you will pay, and then decide if it’s worth it.
In addition to your 5% Alamo Insider discount, Alamo also runs rotating featured deals to help save you money on your next rental. You’ll find specials like last-minute deals, one-way specials, free single car upgrades, and even discounts on international rentals.
Advertisement
At this time, Alamo does not offer any sort of business rental program. However, those interested in a business rental program can sign-up with one of its partners, Enterprise or National.
Alamo offers special rates for organizations of all sizes that plan meetings, conventions, annual conferences, educational forums, or just about any event that needs 11 or more cars. The benefits of the meetings and conventions program include unlimited mileage, vehicle selection including luxury cars, 24-hour emergency roadside assistance, and frequent traveler rewards with most major airlines.
Federal government employees and military personnel receive special car rental rates and benefits for official business travel as well as off-duty leisure travel. Those on official government travel receive the following benefits:
Alamo partners with the Enterprise Car purchase program to offer used cars to those looking for a new ride. Most of the cars sold come from either the Enterprise or Alamo fleet, and you can choose from more than 7,000 low-mileage vehicles of over 250 makes and models of cars, SUVs, trucks, and vans. 75% of these vehicles are available for below the Kelley Blue Book typical listing price. All vehicles pass an inspection performed by an ASE-certified technician and come with a 12-month/12,000-mile limited powertrain warranty and 7-day buyback.

If you need assistance with anything related to Alamo’s services, you can find customer service information under the Customer Support tab in the bottom right menu. From there you can view FAQs for a plethora of different topics you may need assistance with, access the lost and found, or send in an email to the support team. Want to speak with someone directly? Here are some helpful phone numbers depending on your needs:
Curious how Alamo stacks up against its competitors?  To find out, we’ve pitted them against Avis, Hertz, National, and Enterprise for a random weekend rental in Chicago. Here were the nightly quotes from each company – excluding any membership discounts:
Rental Car
Alamo
National
Avis
Hertz
Enterprise
Compact
$176
$213
$86
$92
$177
Mid-Sized
$179
$218
$91
$100
$182
SUV
$138
$235
$138
$109
$157
In this search, Avis happened to offer the best prices at the Compact and Mid-Sized cars, and Hertz offered the lowest SUV price. Alamo faired decently well at each level, beating out its partners National and Enterprise at the first 2 car sizes, and tying for second for an SUV. Again, keep in mind that these prices do not include any membership, credit card, or corporate discounts, so be certain to account for those when doing your own price comparisons. Hot Tip: For more, check out these tips to help you save money on car rentals.
There is no shortage of rental car options on the market, and Alamo can be a compelling option for those looking for a company with competitive prices and a straightforward membership program that offers a discount on each rental. Before deciding who to rent with, always do your own research and make sure to compare prices of competing programs to be certain that you’re not overpaying!
Alamo can be a great choice for your car rental if the price is right! Many rental car programs are similar in the cars they offer and fees that they charge. So generally speaking, it’s always a good bet to go with the company that offers you the best deal.
Yes, the Alamo Insiders program is free to join.
Enterprise and Alamo are separate rental car companies, but both are owned by the same parent company — Enterprise Holdings. Enterprise Holdings also owns National.
Signing up for the Alamo Insiders program is easy, just head to this link.
Alamo offers a 5% discount on every rental to anyone who signs up for its free Alamo Insiders program
Alamo also publishes a Deals page on its website where it regularly runs promotions like last-minute deals, one-way specials, free single car upgrades, and even discounts on international rentals.
The information regarding the United Club℠ Business Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the United Club℠ Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Citi^® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard^® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. 
Was this page helpful?
Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 8 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year, and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.
INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE^™
Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts…
Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.
We respect your privacy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy  and terms of service  apply.
Top Partner Offers
Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card
The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express
The Platinum Card^® from American Express
Advertisement
Related Posts
Upgrade your travel experience
Privacy Policy | All Guides | Terms & Conditions | Web Accessibility Policy | Cookie Policy
© 2025 Upgraded Points™, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer: Upgraded Points, LLC and its website, UpgradedPoints.com, provides information on credit cards, reward programs, travel information and ancillary information concerning travel and credit cards. The information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, tax or legal advice.
Upgraded Points, LLC uses reasonable efforts to maintain accurate information on the site — and prior to applying for any credit card offers found on UpgradedPoints.com, all visitors should review other features of such credit cards including but not limited to interest rates, annual fees and transaction fees, and should determine the suitability of such credit cards considering their own individual financial position.
Advertiser Disclosure: Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. For more information on our advertisers and how we make money, see our advertising policy here. In addition, as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Editorial Disclosure: The content featured on UpgradedPoints.com has not been influenced, provided, or reviewed by the credit card companies mentioned. Any and all options, reviews, comments and analyses are the responsibility of the author(s) and not any Advertiser or credit card issuer.

source