National Car Rental has announced it is extending its loyalty benefits by a full year, meaning that Emerald Club Program Free Days won't expire until December 31, 2021.

The benefits were previously due to expire at the end of this year. With the move, the Missouri-based Enterprise Holdings subsidiary becomes the first in the industry to extend loyalty benefits by an entire year.

"We are committed to standing with our customers, and especially our most loyal customers, to let them know we appreciate and support them, even when they are unable to travel with us," said Randal Narike, Executive Vice President, Global Mobility and Customer Experience at Enterprise Holdings, in a statement.

"Extending Emerald Club Program Free Days a full year will provide them with more opportunity to use the rewards that they’ve earned. We hope that this allows them the flexibility to rent a vehicle down the road for that much-anticipated business or leisure trip when they are comfortable and able."

The extended loyalty benefits build on a handful of recent extensions and rollovers introduced in the months since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in mid-March. For example, it was announced in the spring that Emerald Club members can redeem their earned free days at any participating U.S. Enterprise Rent-A-Car neighborhood location, in addition to National locations, when they book reservations by December 31, 2020, for pick up by January 31, 2021.

Additionally, both Emerald Club and Enterprise Plus have extended their elite tiers for another year, moving expirations back from February 28, 2021, to February 28, 2022. Both programs are also rolling over any qualifying rentals and rental days above those needed to get the member to the next tier.

Meanwhile, this past summer, the expiration date on free days accrued from Emerald Club’s One Two Free (U.S.) and Rent Rent Reward (Canada) promotion was extended by more than six months from June 15, 2020, to December 31, 2020.