Emerald Club points still post here, even at Punta Cana (PUJ)
The National Car Rental counter sits in the arrivals car rental zone serving Terminals A and B at PUJ, with a short walk or shuttle ride to the lot depending on which terminal you land at. Desk hours track the flight schedule daily, so late-night and early-morning arrivals usually still find staff on duty. Expect a more old-school counter interaction than at many U.S. National locations, with full paperwork and inspection before you ever see the keys.
Pricing online often omits a key line item: local third-party liability insurance, which many renters report as mandatory and charged per day, sometimes doubling the quoted rate on a 5–7 day booking. One TripAdvisor review notes National honored the base reservation price but added liability coverage at the counter that pushed the bill far above the original confirmation. Build that into your budget before you compare against taxis or private transfers from PUJ to Bávaro or Uvero Alto.
Reviews from March and July 2023 mention staff “trying hard to sell extra insurance” even when the renter had printed proof of coverage from a Visa or Mastercard. In the Dominican Republic, National locations often treat credit card CDW differently than in the U.S., and agents may push windshield, tire, and theft add-ons by the day. Plan an extra 20–30 minutes at pickup for the insurance script plus contract explanations if you’re speaking in English instead of Spanish.
The fleet at PUJ leans heavily toward compact sedans like Hyundai Accent–class and smaller SUVs such as Kia Sportage or similar; several renters reported full-size and 4x4 categories sold out during Christmas and Easter weeks. National loyalists often book one class higher than needed, hoping to land at least a true midsize SUV for resort roads and pothole-heavy areas off Highway 3. Showing up on a Saturday afternoon with a last-minute reservation is the easiest way to get downgraded.
Damage checks run strict here: one reviewer describes a return where staff used a flashlight to scan for small scratches on both bumper corners and each wheel. Regulars respond by taking 30–40 photos and a short walkaround video at pickup, including roof, windshield edges, and existing curb rash. Some insist on a signed damage form before leaving the lot and keep the fuel receipt from the final top-up at a station within 5–10 km of PUJ.
Service speed draws mixed reviews, with some Google comments flagging 30–45 minutes from reaching the counter to driving out, especially when two or three flights land at once. Unlike Emerald Aisle in the U.S., there’s no grab-and-go row here; every rental runs through the desk and a manual contract. If your resort transfer pickup is tight, tell your driver you may need an extra 20 minutes at return for inspection and paperwork.
One tip: bring printed proof of your credit card insurance, your National confirmation with the quoted base rate, and arrive with at least one extra hour of daylight the first day so you can photograph the car properly before you head toward Bávaro or Cap Cana.