# PennyRail VIN Decode

> PennyRail VIN Decode is a paid API for AI agents from pennyrail.vercel.app, paid per call via x402, $0.004/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-14).

Decodes a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to return structured vehicle information such as make, model, year, and specifications.

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://pennyrail.vercel.app/api/p/micro/vehicle.vin-decode--decode-vin
- Price: $0.004/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-09-14
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/pennyrail-vin-decode-1eed57a7
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_qOgpHXMasDl5OMcNLH0d3

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability pennyrail-vin-decode-1eed57a7 -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Can you decode this VIN for me — 1HGBH41JXMN109186 — and tell me what vehicle it is, including the make, model, and year?

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when you need a lightweight, pay-per-call VIN decoding service without a subscription, particularly in agent workflows where vehicle identification is an occasional step rather than a high-volume batch operation. It's well-suited for ad-hoc lookups in automotive, insurance, or fleet contexts.

## Known failure modes

- Invalid or malformed VIN returns an error or empty result
- VINs for very old or obscure vehicles may return incomplete data
- Network or service timeout if the upstream VIN database is unavailable
- Incorrect VIN checksum may cause rejection or flagged response

## How this service works

Machine-readable settlement service

## Output

Returns a structured object containing decoded vehicle information derived from the VIN, typically including manufacturer, make, model, model year, vehicle type, trim level, engine specifications, and country of origin, depending on the VIN's encoded data.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "required": [
  "input"
 ],
 "properties": {
  "input": {
   "type": "object"
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "additionalProperties": true
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/pennyrail-vin-decode-1eed57a7/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from pennyrail.vercel.app](https://www.zero.xyz/host/pennyrail.vercel.app/llms.txt)