Systems and methods for processing an access request

A computer implemented method of processing an access request, the method comprising:

• receiving, in a computer server, an access request of a user for access to a physical asset, from an access control terminal coupled to the physical asset, the access request comprising a token data element associated with the user;
• generating, in an authentication request generation module of the computer server, an authentication verification request, the authentication verification request comprising an indication of the token data element;
• sending the authentication verification request over a payment network;
• receiving an authentication verification response from the payment network, the authentication verification response indicating the result of a verification of authorization to access the physical asset for a primary account number mapped to the token data element;
• generating, in an access response message generation module of the computer server, an access response message using the authentication verification response;
• and
• sending the access response message to the access control terminal.

A method of controlling access to a physical asset, the method comprising:

• reading, in an access control terminal coupled to the physical asset, a token from a user token device associated with a user;
• sending an access request from the control terminal to an access control processing server, the access request comprising the token;
• generating, in the access control server, an authentication verification request comprising the token;
• sending the authentication verification request from the access control server over a network;
• determining a primary account number associated with the user using the token in a token service provider server coupled to the network;
• receiving the authentication verification request on the network at an issuer server;
• generating an authentication response at the issuer server using the primary account number associated with the user;
• sending the authentication response from the issuer server to the access control server over the network;
• receiving the authentication response and generating an access control response at the access control server;
• sending the access control response from the access control server to the access control terminal;
• and
• generating control signals to allow access to the physical asset at the access control terminal.