System and method for authorizing access to access-controlled environments

A system for authorizing access to an access-controlled environment, the system comprising:

• a network communication interface;
• a computer-readable storage medium;
• one or more processors configured to interact with the network communication interface and the computer-readable storage medium and execute one or more software modules stored on the storage medium including;
• an enrollment module, that that when executed configures the one or more processors to enroll a plurality of users and, for each of the plurality of users, generate a respective key based on, respective biometric information, respective user identifiers, and respective mobile device identifiers, wherein the respective keys are stored in respective user profiles
• a database module, that when executed configures the one or more processors to access at least one database that includes the user profiles that include respective keys identifying respective users paired with respective mobile devices and wherein the user profiles include information to identify respective transaction accounts that are associated with respective access-controlled environments;
• a communication module that when executed configures the one or more processors to receive access-control information that identifies the access-controlled environment, and to receive from a mobile device over a network, a first transmission including a first key of the keys, wherein the first transmission including the first key provides an unauthenticated identity of a user paired with the mobile device prior to biometric authentication,
• and wherein the communication module further configures the one or more processors to receive via a secure communication session, a transaction request that includes a second key and that provides confirmation that the mobile device has biometrically authenticated the user;
• an authorization module that that when executed configures the one or more processors to process, using the at least one database, the received first key by comparing the first key to one of the respective keys stored in a user profile and establish, based on the comparison and using the first key, an encrypted and unvalidated authentication session between the mobile device and the computing device,
• and wherein the communication module′ further configures the one or more processors to process, using the at least one database and based on the first transmission, the transaction request by:
• verifying that the transaction request includes an indication that the user has been biometrically authenticated by the mobile device;
• verifying that the first key received in the first transmission and the second key received in the transaction request identify the same user and mobile device pair,
• verifying that the transaction request conforms to a predetermined configuration by determining that the transaction request and the first transmission differ in a prescribed manner, and
• validating the authentication session;
• wherein the authorization module also configures the one or more processors to authorize, based on the processing of the transaction request, the user to access the access-controlled environment by:
• determining that the user profile identifies a transaction account associated with the access-controlled environment;
• wherein the authorization module also configures the one or more processors to generate an authorization notification that facilitates the authorized user to access to the access-controlled environment;
• and
• wherein the communication module further configures the one or more processors to transmit the authorization notification to at least one remote computing device over a network.