Car Rental Discounts: 9 Canadian Banks and Their Codes

Click a card's name to see all its benefits.

Credit cards offering benefits or discounts on car rentals

American Express Credit Cards

American Express Platinum Card (Personal and Business)

The American Express Platinum Card and the Business Platinum Card from American Express give you privileged access to two rental programs. With the business version, you also get 5% to 25% off at Avis in Canada and the United States with code C076700.

• Complimentary Avis status: faster counter service and upgrades subject to availability.
• Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Five Star status: a one-class upgrade, subject to availability, when you book directly with Hertz or through Platinum Travel Service.

The American Express Platinum Card also includes car rental theft and damage insurance: it covers vehicles with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of up to $85,000, for rentals of up to 48 consecutive days. It does not cover third-party liability, which you need to get from the rental company or your own auto insurance.

To know when to decline the rental company's CDW, read our guide to credit card car rental insurance.

American Express^® Gold Rewards Card

The American Express Gold Rewards Card, more affordable than the American Express Platinum Card, gives you membership in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program. You get a one-class upgrade on rentals of 5 days or more, subject to availability, and one additional driver at no extra cost.

Scotiabank Credit Cards

Scotiabank credit cards give you up to 30% off at Avis and Budget when you pay at booking, and the Passport card adds Avis Preferred Plus status. Each card has its own code: here is which one to use.

Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card

With the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card, you get up to 30% off Pay Now rates at participating Avis and Budget locations in Canada and the United States. Here is how:

To rent with Avis:

• Book online at avis.com/scotiabankscene or call 1-800-321-3652.
• Use Avis discount code C030303, valid in Canada and the United States.

To rent with Budget:

• Book online at budget.com/scotiabankscene or call 1-800-268-8970.
• Use Budget discount code A363312 to get the best rates.

Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+* Card

With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ Card, you can join the Avis Preferred Plus program for free and get benefits such as:

• Free upgrades: a higher car class, subject to availability, for more comfort on the road.
• Dedicated customer service: a phone line reserved for Avis Preferred Plus members, for your bookings and any help you need.
• Discounts: up to 30% off Pay Now rates in Canada and the United States, with Avis code C030506 at avis.com/scotiabankpassport. This card offers no discount at Budget.

Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card

With the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you save up to 30% off Pay Now rates at participating Avis and Budget locations in Canada and the United States when you pay with your card.

For reservations with Avis:

• Make your reservations online at avis.com/scotiabankgoldAMEX or by phone at 1-800-TRY AVIS (879-2847).
• Mention the Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number C231401 to enjoy the discount.

For reservations with Budget:

• Book online at budget.com/scotiabankgoldAMEX or call 1-800-268-8900.
• Be sure to use the Budget Corporate Discount (BCD) number A363307.

Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite* Card

With the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card, you get up to 30% off Pay Now rates at participating Avis and Budget locations in Canada and the United States. The Scotia Momentum Visa Card (Avis code C030401 and Budget code A363301) and the Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa Card (Avis code C030402 and Budget code A363303) offer the same discount.

For your reservations with Avis:

• Book easily online at avis.com/scotiabankmomentuminfinite or call 1-800-TRY AVIS (879-2847).
• Don’t forget to mention the Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number C030400 to benefit from the savings.

For your reservations with Budget:

• Make your reservation online via Budget.com/scotiabankmomentuminfinite or by phone at 1-800-268-8900.
• Quote the Budget Corporate Discount (BCD) number A363302.

With a Scotiabank card, you save up to 30% at Avis and Budget when you pay at booking, as long as you enter your card's code when you book.

CIBC Credit Cards

CIBC credit cards give you access to two programs, at Budget and at Avis. At Budget:

• Up to 35% off the base rate when you choose Pay Now at participating locations in Canada and the United States.
• One additional driver at no extra cost, if they are also a CIBC cardholder or your spouse or co-worker.
• Money-saving coupons and a complimentary Fastbreak membership, so you go straight to your car.

At Avis, you get up to 30% off the base rate with Pay Now, one additional driver at no extra cost and a complimentary Avis Preferred membership. GPS, roadside assistance, fuel options and child seats remain available for a fee, as for all customers.

Book at budget.ca/cibc with code A748700, or with Avis at 1-800-879-2847 with code C277500. All the details are on CIBC's Budget and Avis pages.

BMO Credit Cards

​BMO credit cards give you access to two rental programs. At National and Alamo, you get up to 20% off the base rate, and up to 5% at Enterprise, worldwide. At Avis and Budget, you get 10% to 25% off the base rate in Canada and the United States, and up to 30% at Avis or 35% at Budget when you pay at booking. At Avis, you still get at least 5% off elsewhere in the world.

For National, Alamo and Enterprise, book at partners.rentalcar.com/bmo at least 24 hours ahead: no code to enter, the discount shows in the price, as long as you pay with your BMO card at the counter. For Avis, go through avis.com/en/association/C516800 with code C516800; for Budget, through budget.ca/bmo with code B021100.

Here are some examples of cards that offer car rental benefits:

• BMO CashBack Mastercard
• BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard
• BMO Blue Rewards Mastercard
• BMO Blue Rewards World Elite Mastercard

Aeroplan Credit Cards

Primary Aeroplan credit cardholders get Avis status based on their card. Premium cards (TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege, CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege, American Express Aeroplan Reserve) give you President’s Club status, with a two-category upgrade. Entry cards, such as the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite or the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite, give you Preferred Plus status, with a one-category upgrade. These upgrades apply in Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, on an intermediate or higher car class, subject to availability.

You also earn one Aeroplan point for every dollar spent with Avis. For all the details on the Aeroplan and Avis partnership, see this page.

TD Credit Cards

The TD program works in a specific way by offering a minimum saving:

• 10% to 25% off the base rate for rentals in Canada and the United States, at both Avis and Budget.
• At least 5% off international rentals.

The discount applies to all TD credit cards issued in Canada. Book at avis.com/tdcreditcards with Avis code C078400, or at budget.ca/tdcreditcards with Budget code A331700. TD cards that also include travel insurance:

• TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card
• TD Cash Back Visa Infinite Card
• TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card

MBNA Credit Cards

MBNA offers a simplified approach similar to TD for car rentals with the following benefits:

• Minimum 10% discount on the base rate for rentals in Canada and the United States, and up to 30% at Avis on Pay Now rates.
• 5% discount on the base rate for international rentals.

MBNA uses one link and one code for all its cards: avis.com/en/association/C078405 with Avis code C078405, and budget.com/en/association/A331704 with Budget code A331704. Charge the full rental to your MBNA card.

RBC Credit Cards

RBC Avion cardholders, including the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, save at Hertz: up to 20% off the base rate at participating locations in Canada and the United States. To get it:

• Book on the Hertz page for Avion Rewards Premium members at least 24 hours in advance, entering the first six digits of your eligible Avion card in the CDP field.

Avion Rewards Premium members also get 10% off the price per litre when they buy a full tank of fuel from Hertz, plus one additional driver at no extra cost.

With an RBC Avion Visa card (Platinum, Infinite or Infinite Privilege), you are automatically an Avion Elite member. When you rent from Hertz with that card, you get Five Star status in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program and up to 20% off the base rate. Until December 31, 2026, you also earn 3X Avion points at corporate Hertz locations, once you load the offer in your Avion Rewards account. To get Five Star status, add CDP 451401 to your Gold Plus Rewards profile from the Hertz page for Avion Elite members: it gives you a one-class upgrade when available, a 25% bonus on Gold Plus Rewards points and counter-free pickup and drop-off.

Desjardins Credit Cards

With a Desjardins credit card like the Desjardins Odyssey Gold Visa Card, you pay less for your car rentals and skip some extra fees.

Here are the benefits you can enjoy at Hertz, Thrifty, and Dollar:

At Hertz:

• Up to 25% off at participating Hertz locations in Canada with the Odyssey Gold Visa, Odyssey World Elite Mastercard, Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege and Cash Back World Elite Mastercard cards, with code CDP 1629632; up to 15% with the Bonus Visa, Flexi Visa, Cash Back Visa and Cash Back Mastercard cards, with code CDP 295983.
• No young driver fees for drivers aged 20 to 24 in Canada and the United States.
• One additional driver at no extra cost.
• With the four premium cards: Five Star status in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program, 20% off the Prestige Collection and 10% off the fuel purchase option.
• With the four premium cards, until January 31, 2027: $75 off a rental of 5 days or more that includes a Saturday night, in a compact car class or higher. Enter code PC 212203 along with the CDP code.

To take advantage of these offers, contact Hertz at 1-800-654-3131, or visit their website for more details.

At Thrifty and Dollar:

• Up to 10% discount on rates, a good boost for your travel budget.
• No additional fees for young drivers.
• You can add a driver at no extra cost.

To book, enter code CDP 3060029 at Thrifty (1-800-847-4389) and code CDP 3060466 at Dollar (1-800-800-4000). These codes apply to all Desjardins cards.

Renting all winter in Florida or Arizona

Heading south for several months? Check how long your card covers you before you book: the American Express Platinum Card and TD Visa Infinite cards cover at most 48 consecutive days. Beyond that, you lose coverage from day one, not just for the extra days.

• Return the car before day 48 and rent a different vehicle under a new contract: the TD benefits guide caps the rental of the same vehicle at 48 consecutive days. Ask your card's insurer to confirm this split before you leave.
• Add your card's code: up to 20% at Hertz with an RBC Avion card, up to 35% at Budget with a CIBC card.
• At Hertz, premium Desjardins cards give you $75 off a rental of 5 days or more (code PC 212203, pickup by January 31, 2027).

Are you 65 or older? Check your card's travel medical insurance too before you leave for the winter: several cards cut the number of days covered, or drop this insurance altogether, from age 65. Our guide to credit card travel insurance helps you see what is still covered.

For coverage details, read our guide to credit card car rental insurance.

Summary of credit card benefits or discounts on car rentals

Renting from individuals and earning Avios

Traditional agencies are not your only option. Turo, the peer-to-peer car rental platform, has partnered with the Qatar Airways Privilege Club: rentals in Canada earn 1 to 4 Avios per dollar spent, depending on your status tier. Keep in mind, though, that credit card insurance rarely covers this type of rental.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Pick your card based on the rental company you use most. At Avis and Budget, a CIBC card gets you up to 35% off, a Scotiabank card up to 30%. At Hertz, an RBC Avion or Desjardins card saves you up to 25%. At National and Alamo, BMO cards give you up to 20%. Before you book, always enter your card's code: that is what triggers the discount.