getting 5* or PC
 

is it 10 rentals within the past year for 5* or 10 rentals between jan and dec?

who do i email to update my status?

I just made 5* myself this year. It's 10 rentals per calendar year. No need to call (but you can call the reservations number and they'll point you in the right direction). It was automatic for me and my new card showed up 3 weeks later. At my current pace, I will make PC this year.

As tpasol noted, it's ten (for 5-Star) or forty (for PC) rentals in a calendar year (01/01-12/31). Officially, the status starts on January 1st of the year following qualification. So if you qualify in 2004, your status becomes effective on January 1st, 2005 and lasts through December 31, 2005.

However, call or write Gold Customer Service and they will activate it immediately, so you can "enjoy" the benefits with your next rental (I say "enjoy" somewhat tongue and cheek cause as a 5-Star, I have noted no differences from being a plain Gold. I might actually make PC this year, so we shall see what that gets me - at SEA, not much, I know, but perhaps at other stations I will get lucky).

Same here.

HOWEVER, recently @ SMF I was using a free rental day cert and was upgraded to a Cadillac (with 28,000 miles). Still, the upgrade was nice.