Originally Posted by AutoSlash

If it's an UC location then you can just grab any vehicle from the regular Gold UC section assuming you booked an intermediate car or higher and drive to the exit booth. They will scan your credit card at the exit booth. If it's a non-UC location you may have to go to the counter if your name is not on the board with an assigned space. That said, you should be able to get on the line for Gold members which hopefully will be shorter than the "regular" line.

Supposedly it's possible to stop in at an HLE (Hertz Local Edition) location and have them swipe your card there, but YMMV as you found.