The pad is as much for the rug as it is for the floor it is sitting on. Rug pads extend the life of the rug as well as keep them in place. Over time the rug backing can put fine scratches in any hard surface floor whether it's wood, laminate, or tile. Even area rugs with furniture on it can move a little bit. That's why they make a special pad for area rugs over wall to wall carpet application to prevent "walking" of the rug.

Here is a pic of the area of my oak floors (real oak) that is directly in front of my sink, dishwasher to the right. I refinished them 14 years ago, but have not touched them since. No rug there - that would be one more thing for me to clean, and I will say that my sister has one for her sink, and it gets pretty grungy before she can get around to getting it cleaned. I'd rather just take a towel and wipe up drips from the floor than have a rug in front of the sink absorb the drips until I can get to wash it. Also, my house is a no-shoes house. I am not saying you need to be whatsoever. I am saying I suspect it to be a contributing factor to my floors' good appearance. I do have several pets with nails that scramble around.

Of course if the faux wood looking synthetic planks are VINYL (they fit your description as well) then the type of rug you describe is probably OK...Again...you have vinyl flooring planks, then you will need to look for the "Safe for Vinyl Floors" in the description.

The problem is we can't see what pad you are considering. I always suggest purchasing a pad that CLEARLY STATES "Safe for Hardwood Floors". If it doesn't SAY IT, then it doesn't MEAN it. If you have a link to the rug pad you want to use, please load it. We can have a look at the link to check for the wording "Safe for Hardwood Floors". If in doubt, visit www.rugpadusa.com They may be expensive but they are worth every penny when it comes to hardwood floor protection. Personally, I would not wish to use an indoor-outdoor rug over hardwood, but it is a personal choice and it has already been purchased. You now need to remedy the situation by finding the appropriate rug pad to protect the hardwood from the area rug. Suggestion: "Safe For Hardwood Floors" is the bare minimum you can use.