Thrifty Car Rental is a subsidiary of The Hertz Corporation, sister company to Dollar Car Rental, with more than 4,000 locations worldwide catering to cost-conscious business and leisure travelers. It runs two separate real discounts worth knowing about, and they aren’t the same offer, so it’s worth being clear about which one actually applies to you before you book a specific rental.
How To Get The Thrifty First Responder Discount
GOVX runs a real, dedicated Thrifty listing: “Thrifty Military & First Responder Discount… First Responder, Medical and Government discounts. Save Over 10%.” That’s a specific, named line item on GOVX’s own marketplace, open to anyone who verifies as a first responder, not gated to union membership.
Separately, Thrifty runs a Union Plus discount for union members: “Union members, spend less on your next adventure and save everyday on rental rates when booking with CDP 3042238.” That’s a real, first-party program too, but it requires belonging to a participating union, such as a police or firefighters union that carries Union Plus, rather than simply working as a first responder. The two discounts don’t require each other, and the GOVX one is the broader path if you aren’t a union member with access to Union Plus through your own workplace.
ID.me’s own dedicated question page for Thrifty says the opposite of GOVX: “We’re not aware that Thrifty Rent-A-Car offers First Responders discounts.” That’s a real, direct conflict between two verification platforms, worth naming plainly rather than picking whichever answer sounds better. Since GOVX’s listing names first responders specifically with a stated percentage, while ID.me’s answer is a general disclaimer inviting Thrifty to partner with it rather than a checked fact about what Thrifty actually offers, GOVX is the stronger signal here, but it’s worth verifying directly with GOVX before booking on the strength of either platform alone.
Q&A
Q: Does Thrifty have a first responder discount?
A: Yes, through GOVX, which runs a dedicated listing offering over 10% off for First Responders, Medical, and Government employees, verified with a free GOVX membership.
Q: Why does ID.me say Thrifty doesn’t have one?
A: ID.me and GOVX are separate verification platforms with separate merchant agreements, and Thrifty apparently hasn’t partnered with ID.me the way it has with GOVX. GOVX has a real, specific Thrifty listing naming first responders; ID.me’s answer is a general disclaimer, not a first-party denial from Thrifty itself.
Q: Which discount saves more?
A: It depends on the location and dates, since GOVX doesn’t publish an exact percentage above 10% and Union Plus varies by rental. Compare both against the current base rate before booking.
Q: Is the Union Plus discount the same thing?
A: No. Union Plus is a separate program gated to union membership, using CDP code 3042238, saving on the base rate at participating locations. It doesn’t require being a first responder, and it’s not required to use the GOVX discount either.
More Information:
Confirmed directly against GOVX’s own Thrifty listing, Thrifty’s own Union Plus page, and ID.me’s dedicated Thrifty question page. Rates and terms can change by location and date, so confirm the current offer with GOVX before booking a specific rental.
