Employee time tracking app for small and medium businesses
QRtimetrack is an employee time tracking app that runs in the phone's browser – no app store install. Staff clock in by scanning a QR code, inside a GPS zone or at a kiosk tablet. You see who is at work, who is late, and at month end you export hours for payroll. 14-day free trial, no card.
Updated:
What a time clock app has to do for a small business
Most small businesses start with a paper sign-in sheet or a spreadsheet. It works until the team grows, people work on several sites, or someone asks you to prove who worked when. A good time clock app replaces that with three things: a quick, honest clock in for employees, a clear view for the manager, and a clean report at the end of the month.
Within the EU there is also a legal background. On 14 May 2019 the Court of Justice of the EU ruled in case C-55/18 (CCOO v Deutsche Bank) that member states must require employers to set up an objective, reliable and accessible system that measures the daily working time of each worker. How and when each country turned this into national law differs, so check the rules where you employ people with your accountant or lawyer. A digital record with start and end times is the simplest way to be ready.
QRtimetrack does not decide what your local law requires. It gives you an accurate, tamper-resistant record of start, end and break times that you can show when asked.
Ways to clock in: pick what fits each workplace
Employees open an activation link, add the app to their home screen (Android or iPhone) and use it like any other app. You can mix methods: QR on one site, GPS on another, a kiosk at the main entrance.
| Method | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Printed QR code | A QR code is fixed at the door or on site; the employee scans it with the app. | Shops, workshops, fixed sites |
| Rotating QR on a screen | A tablet or monitor shows a QR that changes every 15 seconds, so a photo sent to a colleague does not work. | Offices, warehouses, receptions |
| GPS geofence | Clock-in is accepted inside a radius you set around each location. | Construction, cleaning, field teams |
| Kiosk tablet | A tablet at the entrance; the employee shows a personal code that changes every 30 seconds, or types a PIN. | Teams without company phones, factories |
| Computer clock-in | Accepted only from the office network (IP address). | Office staff |
| Telework | Clock-in from the employee's registered home address. | Remote and hybrid staff |
You can add an optional selfie, or ask for Face ID or fingerprint through the phone's passkeys. The biometric check happens on the phone itself: QRtimetrack never receives fingerprints or face templates. Read more about GPS time clock and QR code time clock setups.
Works offline, on sites with no signal
Basements, rural sites, steel buildings – signal drops. When the phone is offline, the punch is stored on the phone with the real time and location, then sent automatically when the connection returns. The employee does not have to remember anything, and the manager sees the punch with its original time.
Stopping buddy punching and other fraud
Buddy punching – one employee clocking in for another – is the classic problem with sign-in sheets and shared badges. QRtimetrack uses several checks together:
- One phone per employee. A new phone has to be approved by a manager.
- Server time. The time comes from our server; a changed phone clock is flagged.
- Impossible travel. Two punches too far apart for the time between them are flagged.
- Rotating QR. The code on a screen changes every 15 seconds, so photos don't work.
- Risk traffic light. Every punch gets green, yellow or red, so you only check the doubtful ones.
- Random presence checks for office and remote staff: confirm with a selfie within 10 minutes.
Suspicious punches wait for your decision. You approve or reject them, and rejected punches do not count towards hours. If someone clocks in outside the zone, they can type the reason (for example, "materials pick-up at supplier").
Schedules, late arrivals and no-shows
Set a work schedule for the whole company or per employee. The dashboard then shows who is at work now, who arrived late, who left early, and a "not in yet" list for people who haven't clocked in. A morning e-mail report summarises the day for managers who don't open the dashboard.
- Breaks, overtime and weekend hours are calculated automatically.
- Leave requests are approved in one click.
- Site managers see only their own locations.
- Every correction is logged with the reason and the person who made it (audit trail).
For workers, the app stays simple: one arrival, one departure, one break per day, big buttons, and the interface in their own language – English, Romanian, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Dutch and more being added.
Month close and employee sign-off
At the end of the month the manager closes the period. After that, hours can no longer be edited. Each employee gets a notification and confirms – or disputes – their hours from the phone. The confirmation appears in the report, so you have the employee's agreement on record instead of chasing signatures on paper.
Export for payroll
Export to Excel, CSV or PDF. The report shows the start and end time for every day, breaks and totals per employee – the format labour inspectors and accountants usually ask for. On the Standard plan you can also connect payroll or HR tools through a REST API, webhooks (Zapier, Make, n8n) and a website widget.
Data is hosted in the EU (Frankfurt). Selfies are deleted automatically after 30 days.
Pricing
One plan, Standard, billed monthly. You pay only for active employees. Cancel any time; pay by card. Prices exclude VAT.
| Active employees | Price per month (excl. VAT) | How it's calculated |
|---|---|---|
| 1–9 | €19.00 | Flat price |
| 10 | €19.90 | 10 × €1.99 |
| 25 | €49.75 | 25 × €1.99 |
| 50 | €99.50 | 50 × €1.99 |
| 100 | €199.00 | 100 × €1.99 |
The 14-day free trial needs no card and covers up to 25 employees. Only integrations are not included in the trial.
Paper, spreadsheet, biometric clock or app?
| Paper sheet | Spreadsheet | Biometric time clock | QRtimetrack | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Almost none | None | Device + installation per site | None |
| Multiple sites / field work | One sheet per site | Manual collection | One device per entrance | Yes, QR or GPS per site |
| Buddy punching | Easy | Easy | Hard | Hard (one phone, rotating QR, GPS, flags) |
| Real start/end time | Often rounded | Typed in later | Yes | Yes, server time |
| Works without signal | Yes | – | Depends on device | Yes, syncs later |
| Biometric data stored | No | No | Yes (fingerprint/face) | No – check stays on the phone |
| Month-end report | Typed by hand | Manual formulas | Software export | Excel, CSV, PDF in one click |
| Employee sign-off | Signature on paper | Rarely | Rarely | Confirm from phone |
Fingerprint and face recognition terminals process biometric data, which under the GDPR is a special category of personal data and normally needs extra safeguards, such as a data protection impact assessment. QR, GPS and phone passkeys avoid that. If you are not ready to switch, start with our free timesheet template.
Industries that use it
- Construction: GPS zone or QR per site, offline punches, site managers see only their sites.
- Hospitality: kiosk or rotating QR at the staff entrance, split shifts, weekend hours.
- Cleaning: many short jobs at client addresses, GPS geofence per client.
- Retail: QR at the back office, late arrivals and "not in yet" before opening.
- Agriculture: seasonal workers in their own language, fields without signal.
- Logistics: warehouses with rotating QR, drivers with GPS clock-in.
- Security: guards on client premises, random presence checks, night hours.
Frequently asked questions
Do employees need to install an app from the App Store or Google Play?
No. Employees open an activation link you send them and add QRtimetrack to the home screen. It then behaves like a normal app on Android and iPhone. There is nothing to download from an app store and no store account needed, which makes it easy to roll out to seasonal or temporary staff on day one.
What if an employee doesn't have a smartphone?
Use a kiosk tablet at the entrance. The employee types a personal PIN, or shows a code from a phone that changes every 30 seconds. Kiosk mode is part of the Standard plan. You can mix kiosk users and phone users in the same company and see everyone in the same reports.
Can employees clock in for each other?
It is hard. Each employee is tied to one phone, and a new phone needs manager approval. QR codes on screens rotate every 15 seconds, GPS zones check location, and the server time cannot be changed from the phone. Suspicious punches are flagged yellow or red and only count after you approve them.
Does the app track employees' location all day?
No. Location is checked only at the moment of clocking in or out, to confirm the person is at the workplace. There is no continuous tracking during the shift or after work. Employees can see which method each location uses, which helps you explain the system openly.
Does it work without internet?
Yes. If there is no signal, the punch is saved on the phone with the real time and location and sent automatically when the connection returns. The manager then sees the punch with its original time, not the time it was uploaded.
How do I export hours for payroll?
Export to Excel, CSV or PDF. The report lists start and end time per day, breaks, overtime, weekend hours and totals for each employee. After you close the month, employees confirm their hours from the phone and that confirmation shows in the report. On Standard you can also send data through the API or webhooks.
Is the EU working time recording obligation the same in every country?
No. The 2019 CJEU ruling (C-55/18) says member states must require a system that records daily working time, but each country sets the details, and some have been slower than others. Check your national rules with your accountant or lawyer. A digital record with start and end times covers the common core.
How much does it cost?
€19 per month for 1–9 active employees. From 10 employees it is €1.99 per active employee per month – for example €19.90 for 10 or €99.50 for 50. Prices exclude VAT, billing is monthly and you can cancel any time. The 14-day trial is free and needs no card.