Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
Top picks for Thrifty Car Rental from our scoring engine.
Rankings are generated by our algorithm based on earn rates, point valuations, fees, and benefits — not paid placement. We don't accept compensation to rank cards higher. How we rank
Ranked by earn rate and redemption value, statement credits minus annual fees (weighted against a typical $30,000/year in total card spend), shopping portal bonuses when we recognize the merchant, matched benefits and promotional earn boosts, co-brand fit for this brand. The ¢ per dollar column is the reward rate at Thrifty Car Rental. Order can differ from that column because ranking adds the adjustments above.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns the top spot for Thrifty Car Rental purchases at 18.5¢ per dollar on car rentals — a $395 annual fee. We ranked every card in our database against Thrifty Car Rental purchases using the same scoring engine that powers our search. See the note above the list for what drives order versus the ¢ per dollar column. Cards 4–10 are still solid picks; they just trade off some headline earn rate for fewer fees, broader networks, or simpler redemptions.
Capital One
Citi
Citi
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 18.5¢ per dollar on car rentals when you shop at Thrifty Car Rental, the highest marginal rate in our list for this brand. At 18.5¢ per dollar, rewards cover the $395 fee after about $2,140 a year in Thrifty Car Rental spending. To come out ahead of Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card (9.3¢), you'd need about $4,270 a year here. It's the right pick if you want maximum earn rate on this category and don't mind paying for a premium card.
Side-by-side view of the ranked picks.
| Card | Car Rentals Rate | Effective Value | Annual Fee | Fee Offset | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 10x Venture Miles | 18.5¢/$ | $395 | — | visa |
| Citi Strata Premier CardCiti | 10x ThankYou Points | 16.0¢/$ | $95 | — | mastercard |
| Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite MastercardCiti | 12x AAdvantage | 12.0¢/$ | $695 | $60 | mastercard |
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 5x Venture Miles | 9.3¢/$ | $0 | — | mastercard |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 5x Venture Miles | 9.3¢/$ | $95 | — | mastercard |
| U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature CardUsbank | 5x Usbank Altitude Rewards | 5.0¢/$ | $0 | — | visa |
| Bilt Palladium CardCardless | 2x Bilt Rewards | 4.4¢/$ | $495 | $100 | mastercard |
| SavorOne Rewards from Capital OneCapital One | 5% cash back | 5.0¢/$ | $39 | — | mastercard |
| Hilton Honors American Express Aspire CardAmex | 7x Hilton Honors | 2.8¢/$ | $550 | $100 | amex |
| U.S. Bank Shield Visa CardUsbank | 4% cash back | 4.0¢/$ | $0 | $10 | visa |
Other brands in Car Rentals where the top picks above also earn well.
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