Access-based consumption, defined as transactions that may be market mediated but where no transfer of ownership takes place, is becoming increasingly popular, yet it is not well theorized. This study examines the nature of access as it contrasts to ownership and sharing, specifically the consumer-object, consumer-consumer, and consumer-marketer relationships. Six dimensions are identified to distinguish among the range of access-based consumptionscapes: temporality, anonymity, market mediation, consumer involvement, the type of accessed object, and political consumerism. Access-based consumption is examined in the context of car sharing via an interpretive study of Zipcar consumers. Four outcomes of these dimensions in the context of car sharing are identified: lack of identification, varying significance of use and sign value, negative reciprocity resulting in a big-brother model of governance, and a deterrence of brand community. The implications of our findings for understanding the nature of exchange, consumption, and brand community are discussed. During the last decade, observers have noted that markets are giving way to networks, and alternative modes of acquisition and consumption are emerging beside ownership. While property continues to exist, it is less likely to be exchanged in the market (Rifkin 2000). Instead of buying and owning things, consumers want access to goods and prefer to pay for the experience of temporarily accessing them. Ownership is no longer the ultimate expression of consumer desire (Chen 2009; Marx 2011). Indeed, we have seen a proliferation of consumption models in which access is enabled through sharing or pooling of resources/products/services redefined through technology and peer communities (Belk 2010; Botsman and Rogers 2010; Gansky 2010; Giesler 2006). Examples of access models vary from car- or bike-sharing programs (Zipcar, Hubway) to online borrowing programs for DVDs, bags, fashion, or jewelry (Netflix, Bag Borrow or Steal, Rent the Runway, Borrowed Bling). While public access to goods, such as borrowing books from public libraries or use of public transportation, has been and continues to be the norm in some cultures and social contexts, observers argue that models of access mediated by the marketplace are gaining popularity fueled by the Internet, as well as by a capitalist marketplace trading in cultural resources rather than material objects (Botsman and Rogers 2010; Gansky 2010; Rifkin 2000). The goal of this study is to examine the nature of access-based consumption in the context of car sharing, wherein consumers temporarily gain access to cars in return for a membership fee. We define access-based consumption as transactions that may be market mediated in which no transfer of ownership takes place. The consumer is acquiring consumption time with the item, and, in market-mediated cases of access, is willing to pay a price premium for use ofAccess-based consumption, defined as transactions that may be market mediated but where no transfer of ownership takes place, is becoming increasingly popular, yet it is not well theorized. This study examines the nature of access as it contrasts to ownership and sharing, specifically the consumer-object, consumer-consumer, and consumer-marketer relationships. Six dimensions are identified to distinguish among the range of access-based consumptionscapes: temporality, anonymity, market mediation, consumer involvement, the type of accessed object, and political consumerism. Access-based consumption is examined in the context of car sharing via an interpretive study of Zipcar consumers. Four outcomes of these dimensions in the context of car sharing are identified: lack of identification, varying significance of use and sign value, negative reciprocity resulting in a big-brother model of governance, and a deterrence of brand community. The implications of our findings for understanding the nature of exchange, consumption, and brand community are discussed. During the last decade, observers have noted that markets are giving way to networks, and alternative modes of acquisition and consumption are emerging beside ownership. While property continues to exist, it is less likely to be exchanged in the market (Rifkin 2000). Instead of buying and owning things, consumers want access to goods and prefer to pay for the experience of temporarily accessing them. Ownership is no longer the ultimate expression of consumer desire (Chen 2009; Marx 2011). Indeed, we have seen a proliferation of consumption models in which access is enabled through sharing or pooling of resources/products/services redefined through technology and peer communities (Belk 2010; Botsman and Rogers 2010; Gansky 2010; Giesler 2006). Examples of access models vary from car- or bike-sharing programs (Zipcar, Hubway) to online borrowing programs for DVDs, bags, fashion, or jewelry (Netflix, Bag Borrow or Steal, Rent the Runway, Borrowed Bling). While public access to goods, such as borrowing books from public libraries or use of public transportation, has been and continues to be the norm in some cultures and social contexts, observers argue that models of access mediated by the marketplace are gaining popularity fueled by the Internet, as well as by a capitalist marketplace trading in cultural resources rather than material objects (Botsman and Rogers 2010; Gansky 2010; Rifkin 2000). The goal of this study is to examine the nature of access-based consumption in the context of car sharing, wherein consumers temporarily gain access to cars in return for a membership fee. We define access-based consumption as transactions that may be market mediated in which no transfer of ownership takes place. The consumer is acquiring consumption time with the item, and, in market-mediated cases of access, is willing to pay a price premium for use of