If you are a recent college graduate under 25 and seeking a rental car or moving truck, it’s your lucky day. Hertz just announced they’re waving their “Under 25” daily rental fee for Hertz Gold members.

How old do you have to be to rent a car?

The minimum age to rent a care depends entirely on where you live. In most states you must be 20 years old. In Michichan, New York, and Quebec you can rent at 18. In Alabama and Nebraska you can rent at 19.

The rental car companies that do rent to drivers under 25 may subject young drivers to additional restrictions and fees. Some rental companies have a young driver surcharge as high as $52 per day.

Hertz, for example, charges young renters a fee of $19 per day. The company also does not offer young drivers any vehicles from its high end “Dream Cars,” “Prestige” or “Adrenaline” collections. It does off them all classes of regular rental cars and moving vans.

For the summer of 2022, Hertz is rolling out a special promotion for young drivers.

How can you get the young driver rental car fee waived?

During the summer of 2022, Hertz is offering a special promotion to young drivers. Recent college graduates who have signed up for Gold Plus Rewards are eligible to rent Hertz vehicles without paying the $19/day young driver fee.

Hertz announced its special offer is designed to celebrate the class of 2022.  Laura Smith, Hertz Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Customer Experience said, “Introducing younger customers to our brand is vital as we create a new Hertz and become a leader in the future of mobility and travel.”

This special offer comes at the same time Hertz launches a fleet of moving trucks. And it’s no coincidence. Until recently, Enterprise Trucks and uHaul dominate the moving truck market. But now Hertz is entering the fray with a fleet of 12 and 16-foot box trucks. Hertz’s modern trucks offer parking sensors and rearview cameras. The rental company also offers dollies, hand trucks, tie-down straps, and padlocks. Hertz makes it clear that its graduation promotion makes it cheaper for young people to move.

Hertz is reinventing itself

The COVID-19 pandemic hit rental car companies hard. During the quarantines, car rentals plummeted. A Hertz bankruptcy loomed until two large investment groups invested $5.5 billion in the company–according to Barron’s.

Then these investors set about transforming Hertz into a cutting-edge mobility company. To this end, Hertz ordered 100,000 Tesla Model 3 electric sedans. When Elon Musk said he would accept Hertz’s order, but not bump the company up his waiting list, Hertz also ordered 65,000 Polestar electric vehicles.

While electric cars may charge too slowly to be a popular rental among roadtrippers, they certainly have appeal to folks who have never driven an EV and would like to try one out. Only time will tell whether Hertz’s move toward electric brings in a new demographic.

In addition, Hertz seems to be going after a new demographic with its recent graduates promotion. Will this make Hertz the rental car of choice for Generation Z? Again, we’ll have to wait to find out.