Systems and methods for authorizing access to facilities
Systems and methods are provided for authorizing access to facilities. In connection therewith, a first request comprising data indicative of a card number is received at a first node. When the first request comprises a request for access to a facility, a set of rules associated with the card number are identified and access to the requested facility is authorized in accordance with the identified set of rules. In addition, a second request comprising data indicative of the card number is received at a second node. When the second request comprises a payment request, a payment provider associated with the card number is identified and the payment request is transmitted to the payment provider.
1. A method of processing requests comprising data indicative of a card number, the method comprising:
receiving, at a first network node, a first request comprising data indicative of a card number;
operating a processor to:
determine that the first request comprises a request for access at an entry point to a-facility due to the request including insufficient information to be a payment request, the entry point remote from the first network node;
identify a set of rules associated with the card number; and
authorize access to the requested facility in accordance with the identified set of rules;
receiving, at a second network node, a second request comprising data indicative of the card number; and
operating a second processor to:
determine that the second request comprises a payment request;
identify a payment provider associated with the card number; and
transmit the payment request to the identified payment provider.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first request and the second request is received via one or more of:
a magnetic card reader;
an integrated circuit card terminal;
a radio frequency identification receiver; and
a Bluetooth™ receiver.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the processor to:
identify a number of requests for access to the facility that are received over a predefined period of time; and
allocate a resource in accordance with the identified number of requests.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein operating the processor to determine that the first request comprises the request for access to the facility comprises operating the processor to:
identify, in the first request, a parameter indicative of the requested facility.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first request is received from a terminal located at the entry point to the facility, and wherein the parameter is indicative of the terminal location.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein operating the processor to allocate a resource in accordance with the identified number of requests comprises operating the processor to:
activate at least one further terminal to receive requests for access to the facility.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the processor to identify the set of rules associated with the card number comprises operating the processor to:
determine a condition for authorized access to the facility by a holder of the card.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the condition comprises at least one of:
a predefined period of time for which the card number is authorized to access the facility;
a predefined number of occasions on which the card number is authorized to access the facility; and
a type of facility which the card number is authorized to access.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein operating the processor to authorize access to the requested facility in accordance with the identified set of rules comprises operating the processor to:
authorize access to the requested facility in response to determining that the received request for access meets the condition; and
refuse access to the requested facility in response to determining that the received request for access does not meet the condition.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the card number is a virtual card number.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the processor to identify the set of rules associated with the card number comprises operating the processor to:
identify a parent card number associated with the card number;
determine the set of rules associated with the parent card number; and
apply the set of rules associated with the parent card number to the card number.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the second processor to identify the payment provider comprises operating the processor to:
identify a parent card number associated with the card number;
determine a parent payment provider associated with the parent card number; and
identify the payment provider for the card number as the parent payment provider.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising operating the second processor to:
identify at least one payment parameter associated with the payment request;
compare the identified payment parameter to a set of authorized payment parameters associated with the card number;
determine, based on said comparison, whether the payment request is an allowable payment request; and
responsive to determining that the payment request is an allowable payment request, effect payment from an account associated with the parent card number.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first request and the second request is received from a mobile computing device.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the mobile computing device comprises a smartphone, and the one or more of the first request and the second request is received via a radio frequency identification receiver.
16. A system for processing a request comprising a card number, the system comprising:
a first node configured to receive a first request comprising data indicative of a card number from a terminal located at an entry point to a facility;
a first processor configured to:
determine that the first request comprises a request for access at the entry point to the facility, the first processor being remote from the entry point of the facility;
identify a set of rules associated with the card number; and
authorize access to the requested facility in accordance with the identified set of rules;
a second network node configured to receive a second request comprising said data; and
a second processor configured to:
determine that the second request comprises a payment request;
identify a payment provider associated with the card number; and
transmit the payment request to the determined payment provider.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first network node is the same as the second network node.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first processor is the same as the second processor.
19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to:
receive a first request comprising data indicative of a card number, and with regard to the first request:
determine that the first request comprises a request for access to a facility;
identify a parent card number associated with the card number;
identify a set of rules associated with the parent card number; and
authorize access to the requested facility in accordance with the identified set of rules; and
receive a second request comprising data indicative of the card number, and with regard to the second request:
determine that the second request comprises a payment request;
identify a payment provider associated with the parent card number; and
transmit the payment request to the determined payment provider.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the card number includes a virtual card number.