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.