Europcar is offering status matches again after this has been unavailable for some time provided the customers account is registered in Germany.
The process is very simple and usually processed within a few hours and matches new customers to their second tier level called ‘Privilege Executive’.
Europcar has very decent rates at times and is a good alternative to my usual favorite (Sixt) in Germany especially since rates have risen in the last few years. In fact I nowadays mostly reserve the cars through Orbitz or Expedia and get exactly the same benefits as direct bookings since I can enter my loyalty card number during the reservation process.
Elite status with car rental companies is useful in many ways including upgrades, simplified rental procedures and to jump the queue during peak times.
Europcar used to match all the way to their First status many years ago but then revamped their program and stopped matching altogether. Now they brought it back for customers residing (as per account address) in Germany.
These are the Elite levels of Europcar Privilege:
The Europcar Privilege Executive Status really isn’t all that exciting. The only thing it offers is a one category upgrade based on availability. What’s nice is the complimentary weekend rental after the third rental once per year. If you obtain the status through the regular qualification there will also be a complimentary weekend credited to the account, however this doesn’t apply for the status matches.
In order to process a match you have to sign up for The Privilege program and then submit a request to Europcar via email to privilege-card@europcar.com.
The following status levels can be matched to Europcar:
- Sixt Platinum
- Sixt Diamond
- Hertz President Circle
- Hertz Five Star
- AVIS Presidents Club
I sent the credentials (Sixt Diamond) to the email above and received a reply roughly three hours after:
Herzlich Willkommen bei Europcar.
Schön, dass Sie sich für Europcar und das Privilege Loyalitätsprogramm interessieren. Gern habe ich Sie soeben in den Privilege Executive Status eingestuft.
Grundsätzlich bieten wir ein Statusmatch in die nächst höhere Kategorie Ihres aktuellen Privilege Status an (nicht auf Privilege Elite VIP). Nach Registrierung werden Sie in den Privilege Club Status eingestuft und erhalten daher von uns den Executive Status.
Sie erhalten Ihre neue Privilege Karte in momentan ca. 4 – 6 Wochen per Post. Freuen Sie sich auf viele exklusive, internationale Vorteile.
Bitte beachten Sie, dass das ansonsten mit dem Statusupgrade einhergehende kostenlose Mietwochenende beim Statusmatch nicht zum Tragen kommt.
Um den Privilege Elite Status zu erreichen benötigen Sie weiterhin 25 Anmietungen (85 Miettage). Ab Registrierung haben Sie zwei Jahre Zeit, diese Mieten zu sammeln.
Wir wünschen Ihnen eine gute Fahrt mit Europcar.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen|Privilege Team |
The confirmation email outlines that the status match program will upgrade a customers account maximal to the next level above the current tier which means if you’d be a current Privilege Executive you can be upgraded to Privilege Elite as well.
Keep in mind that this promotion is only available if your account is located in Germany. What you do with your address afterwards is of course entirely up to you.
Conclusion
While not the most lucrative program out there (you don’t earn any points and only receive a one category upgrade) it’s a good option to try out Europcar and see how they perform.
As so often the performance of a car rental agency can vary and personally I pick my provider differently based on the experience I had in the past at different stations. Generally I found Sixt to be the most consistent across the board while also being the most expensive. Europcar has decent prices and could be worth a shot. Hertz in Germany is a complete and utter disaster. So it’s always good to keep yourself flexible and maintain as many status levels as possible.
