Glossary
ACRISS codes
An ACRISS code is a four-letter code for a rental car's category, body type, transmission and fuel or air con. How to read one, with examples.
An ACRISS code is a four-letter code that describes a rental car: its size category, body type, transmission and drive, and fuel and air conditioning. The car hire industry uses it so a "compact automatic" means the same thing at every desk and broker.
How to read one
Each position is one letter. These come from the ACRISS expanded matrix.
| Position | Means | Common letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Category | M Mini, E Economy, C Compact, I Intermediate, S Standard, F Fullsize, P Premium, L Luxury, X Special |
| 2 | Type | B 2 to 3 door, D 4 to 5 door, W Wagon or estate, V Passenger van, F SUV, G Crossover, Q Double-cab pick-up |
| 3 | Transmission and drive | M Manual, A Auto, B Auto 4WD, D Auto AWD, N Manual 4WD |
| 4 | Fuel and air con | R Unspecified fuel with air, D Diesel with air, H Hybrid with air, I Plug-in hybrid, E Electric, V Petrol with air |
The category letters also have "elite" versions, such as D for Compact Elite. Check the matrix rather than guessing.
Worked examples
- CDAR: Compact, 4 to 5 door, automatic, air con with fuel unspecified. A typical small hatch.
- EDMR: Economy, 4 to 5 door, manual, air con.
- IFAR: Intermediate SUV, automatic, air con.
- CDAE: the same compact hatch, but electric.
Why it matters for a rental operator
Brokers group your cars by these codes, then show them next to everyone else's in the same group. Code a car wrong and it lands in the wrong price comparison. A mid-size SUV coded as an intermediate car looks overpriced. Coded as a fullsize, it may look cheap.
See it in Rate Pulse
Rate Pulse groups offers into the categories shoppers see: mini, economy, compact, intermediate, SUVs and people carriers. See car category mapping for how your codes line up.
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