Embodiments of the present application disclose an anti-passback method, apparatus and system. A plurality of access controllers are communicatively connected to a server. After detecting that a card reader has successfully read an identifier of an access card, an access controller sends the identifier of the access card, an identifier of the card reader, and its own identifier to the server. The server searches for the identifier of the card reader that read the access card last time, and the identifier of the access controller corresponding to the card reader, and determines a route for the door opening request. When the determined route exists in a preset list of routes, the sever sends a door opening instruction to the access controller. The route list may include routes between doors under the control of the plurality of access controllers. When a user swipes on a card reader on any of the doors with an access card, the access controller that controls the card reader will transmit information to the server. The server determines whether to allow the passing based on the route list. As can be seen, such solution achieves the anti-passback feature among a plurality of access controllers.