Online time clock for employees: phone, browser or tablet
An online time clock lets employees clock in and out from their phone, the office computer or a tablet at the entrance, and the hours land instantly in one shared account. No wall-mounted machine needed. It works for office staff, field teams and remote workers, and at month end you export a payroll-ready record.
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How an online time clock works
With a traditional time clock, employees sign a sheet or tap a device on the wall. With an online time clock, the device is one you already have: the employee's phone, the office PC or a tablet at the door. Each punch reaches the server with the exact time, and managers see hours in real time from anywhere.
The difference from a spreadsheet filled in at the end of the week is that the punch happens at the moment of arrival and departure, by the employee, and is checked automatically: place, time and device.
| Where employees clock in | How it's verified | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Employee's phone | QR code scanned on site, GPS zone, optional selfie or Face ID | Shops, construction, field teams, hospitality |
| Office browser | Accepted only from the office network (IP address) | Offices, receptions, call centres |
| Entrance tablet (kiosk) | Personal rotating code, PIN or printed badge | Factories, kitchens, staff without smartphones |
| Phone, from home | Registered remote-work address, with optional random presence checks | Remote and hybrid staff |
Clocking in from the phone
The employee opens an activation link and adds the app to the home screen – nothing to download from Google Play or the App Store, Android or iPhone. On arrival they tap a button or scan the location's QR code; the same for breaks and departure.
- Printed QR code at the door or site gate.
- Rotating QR on a screen, changing every 15 seconds, so a photo sent to a colleague doesn't work.
- GPS zone on a map: the punch is accepted only within the radius. Location is read only at clock-in, not continuously.
- Face ID or fingerprint through passkeys: the check happens on the phone, the server receives no biometric data.
- Optional selfie, kept 30 days and then deleted automatically.
Phone clock-in suits people who don't sit at a desk. See the QR code time clock and GPS time clock.
Clocking in from the office browser
In an office, the natural place to clock in is the computer you work at. The classic problem: if anyone can clock in from a browser anywhere, the punch proves nothing. So browser clock-in is accepted only from the office network, based on the IP address you set.
For extra assurance you can turn on random presence checks: during the day the employee gets a request and confirms with a selfie within 10 minutes. Useful if people have been clocking in and leaving.
Remote and hybrid workers
For staff working from home, you set the registered remote-work address. The employee clocks in from the phone at that address; if they're elsewhere they can type a reason and the punch waits for your approval. You don't track anyone all day – you record start, end and breaks, which is what working time rules are about. Hybrid staff scan the office QR on office days and clock in from home on the others.
Working time limits, rest breaks and record-keeping apply to remote workers just as to office staff. See time tracking for remote workers for the UK and Irish rules and what to put in writing.
Field teams: online, but also without signal
"Online" mustn't mean a lost punch when there's no signal. On a site, in a basement or a warehouse, the app stores the punch on the phone with the real time and location and sends it when the connection returns. The report shows the time of the punch, not of the upload.
The server checks whether the phone's clock was changed, each employee can clock in from one phone only, and two punches too far apart for the time between them trigger an alert. For building firms, see construction site time tracking.
What managers see
- "At work now" – a live screen of who is at work at each location; keep it open on a monitor.
- "Not in yet" – people who haven't clocked in, updated live.
- Risk traffic light on every punch: green, yellow, red. Approve or reject the doubtful ones.
- Automatic calculation of hours, breaks, late arrivals and overtime against the schedule; overtime can be confirmed by the employee with a QR scan and photo.
- Team-lead app for supervisors who only see their own people.
- Chat, announcements, tasks and leave requests in the same app.
- Month close: you lock the hours, employees confirm or dispute them from the phone.
- Exports to Excel, CSV or PDF with start and end per day, and multi-company support if you run several businesses.
The employee app is available in 23 languages. Data is hosted in the EU (Frankfurt).
Online time records and the law
Neither UK nor Irish law prescribes a format for working time records. In the UK, the Working Time Regulations allow any format the employer reasonably thinks fit; in Ireland, the 2001 Records Regulations accept electronic clock-in systems. In the EU, the CJEU requires an objective, reliable and accessible system for daily working time. An online record with real start and end times meets that common core. Details in working time records in the UK and Ireland.
Getting started, step by step
- Create a free account – 7 days, no card, up to 10 employees.
- Add locations (office, shop, site) and pick a method for each: QR, GPS, office network or remote work.
- Set work schedules for the company or per employee.
- Print QR codes or put the rotating code on a tablet where needed.
- Invite employees – each gets an activation link on the phone.
- Inform employees in writing what data is collected and why (a DPIA template is included).
- Do a first clock-in and check the dashboard.
After the trial, Standard costs €9.95/month for 1–5 active employees and €1.99 per active employee per month from 6 employees, excl. VAT. Want a ready entrance point? The special offer includes a Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ tablet and 3 months free for €299 outside Romania. Comparing tools? Read how to choose time and attendance software.
Frequently asked questions
How do employees clock in online?
They open the app on their phone and scan the location's QR code, or tap clock-in while the GPS zone is checked. In the office they can clock in from the browser on the company network. Where staff have no smartphone, an entrance tablet with a PIN or printed badge works.
Do employees have to install an app?
No. The employee app opens from a link and is added to the home screen. It works on Android and iPhone and updates itself. Managers use the browser.
Can employees clock in from home?
Only if you allow it. For remote work you set the registered home address and punches from there are accepted. You can also turn on random presence checks. Punches from elsewhere carry a reason and wait for your approval.
What happens without internet?
The punch is saved on the phone with the real time and location and sent automatically when the signal returns. The report shows the punch time, and the server checks whether the phone clock was changed.
How do I stop people clocking in from a browser anywhere?
Browser clock-in is accepted only from your office network, based on the IP address you set. From any other network, browser clock-in is refused.
How much does an online time clock cost?
The first 7 days are free, no card, for up to 10 employees. Then €9.95 per month for up to 5 active employees and €1.99 per active employee per month from 6, excl. VAT – for example €39.80 a month for 20 employees.