An Anonymous Car Rental System Based on NFC

In this paper, we propose an anonymous car rental protocol based on NFC technology. Our main contributions include: (1) Anonymity. Users provide their personal information to a trusted third party (TTP) only. The car hire providers cannot get users´ real identity. (2) Unlink ability. Car rental companies are unable to establish any link between users´ rental records and users´ identity simply by analyzing the rental history. (3) Trace ability. If there are consumer disputes or accidents, the rental company can request that TTP reveal users´ identity. (4) Flexibility. Users are free to choose their preferred vehicle. A customer has to register his identity with a TTP via his NFC phone. He should request a temporary anonymous license from TTP and sends it to the rental company. If the license is valid, the company issues a ticket for a specific vehicle to the user over the air. The vehicle authenticates the ticket through the user´s NFC phone. Last, after the ticket is authenticated, the user is allowed to drive the car. When a car is returned, the rental company can collect the charges through TTP. If consumer disputes arise or there are accidents, the provider can request that TTP reveal the user´s identity.