Why Do Car Rental Companies Use SIPP Codes?

What are SIPP Codes?

SIPP codes (Standard Interline Passenger Procedure) are abbreviations made up of four letters used to identify the main characteristics of a rental vehicle. These codes are used by rental agencies to simplify the classification and comparison of available cars based on factors like size, number of doors, transmission, fuel type, and air conditioning.

Why Do Rental Agencies Use SIPP Codes?

With such a wide variety of vehicles available, it's essential to have a standardized system for organizing and classifying cars. SIPP codes make this task easier by offering a way to filter vehicles according to their key features. This allows customers to easily compare cars based on criteria like vehicle size, transmission type, fuel type, and air conditioning.

Structure of a SIPP Code

A SIPP code consists of four letters, each with a specific meaning:

First letter (Vehicle Size):
- Y: Two-Wheel Drive
- C: Compact
- D: Compact Elite
- E: Economy
- F: Fullsize
- G: Fullsize Elite
- H: Economy Elite
- I: Intermediate
- J: Intermediate Elite
- L: Luxury
- M: Mini
- N: Mini Elite
- O: Oversize
- P: Premium
- R: Standard Elite
- S: Standard
- U: Premium Elite
- W: Luxury Elite
- X: Special
Second letter (Number of Doors):
- B: 2/3 Doors
- C: 2/4 Doors
- D: 4/5 Doors
- E: Coupe
- F: SUV
- G: Crossover
- H: Recreational Vehicle
- J: Open-Air All Terrain
- K: Commercial Van/Truck
- L: Limousine/Sedan
- M: Monospace
- N: Roadster
- P: Pickup (2-Door Single/Extended Cab)
- Q: Pickup (4-Door Double Cab)
- R: Recreational Vehicle
- S: Sport
- T: Convertible
- V: Passenger Van
- W: Wagon/Estate
- Y: Two-Wheel Drive
- Z: Special Offer Car
Third letter (Transmission and Drive Type):
- A: Automatic Unspecified Drive
- B: Automatic Four-Wheel Drive
- C: Manual All-Wheel Drive
- D: Automatic All-Wheel Drive
- M: Manual Unspecified Drive
- N: Manual Four-Wheel Drive
Fourth letter (Fuel and Air Conditioning):
- N: Unspecified Fuel/Power, No A/C
- R: Unspecified Fuel/Power, A/C
- V: Petrol, A/C
- Z: Petrol, No A/C
- D: Diesel, A/C
- Q: Diesel, No A/C
- E: Electric (Range < 250>
- C: ElectricPlus (Range ≥ 250 mi / 400 km), A/C
- H: Hybrid, A/C
- I: Plug-in Hybrid, A/C
- L: LPG/Compressed Gas, A/C
- S: LPG/Compressed Gas, No A/C
- M: Multi Fuel/Power, A/C
- F: Multi Fuel/Power, No A/C
- A: Hydrogen, A/C
- B: Hydrogen, No A/C
- U: Ethanol, A/C
- X: Ethanol, No A/C

How to Use a SIPP Code

SIPP codes are used to quickly describe a vehicle based on its four characteristics: size, number of doors, transmission, and fuel/air conditioning type. For example, the code CBMR stands for a compact, 2-door car with a manual transmission and air conditioning. By understanding these codes, customers can compare vehicles based on these standardized features without needing to know every detail about each model.

Popular Examples of SIPP Codes

CBMR: Compact, 2-door, manual transmission, with air conditioning.
IDAR: Intermediate, 4-door, automatic transmission, with air conditioning.
FVAV: Full-size van, automatic transmission, with air conditioning, fuelled by petrol.
FVAD: Full-size van, automatic transmission, with air conditioning, fuelled by diesel.
FDAD: Full-size, 4-door, automatic transmission, with air conditioning, fuelled by diesel.

SIPP and Car Reservations

Rental agencies typically guarantee the category of the car (defined by the SIPP code) but not the specific model. If the reserved vehicle is unavailable (e.g., due to an accident), the agency may offer an upgrade, meaning a car from the same or a higher SIPP category. This ensures that the customer will receive a vehicle of similar or better quality, even if the exact model isn't available.

Conclusion

SIPP codes are a valuable tool for rental agencies, as they help manage and compare the available vehicles. While the system may seem complex at first, consumers don't need to understand every detail of the codes to book a car. Most rental sites, like VroomVroomVroom or Vamos Rent-A-Car, list vehicle features on their booking pages, making it easier for customers to focus on the important information without needing to decipher SIPP codes.