🔓 Access level in Planday: Administrator
🌐 Subscription plan: All
⏱️ Reading time: 2 min.
ℹ️ Important read: How to organise your Planday workspace
What is Punch Clock?
Punch Clock lets your staff easily clock in and out of their shifts in Planday, so you always know when they start, take breaks, and finish. You can set it up in different ways depending on what works best for your team. Once Punch Clock is set up, employees can record their hours, and you can review, approve, and export them for payroll.
Overview of what each option does
Option | What it does |
Planday App (Mobile) | Staff clock in/out on their own smartphones using the Planday app. GPS or Wi-Fi rules can control where they punch in. |
Kiosk (Shared device) | A tablet or computer at your location acts as a clock-in station. Staff select their name and clock in/out from one place. |
Combined (Planday mobile app and a shared device) | Use both mobile and kiosk options together, giving staff flexibility depending on their work location or preferences. |
Choose how your team will clock in
Option 1: Use Punch Clock in the Planday mobile app
Best for: Teams where everyone has their own phone. Employees clock in/out directly in the Planday app. You can keep it simple and let them punch in anywhere, or restrict it to your location using GPS or Wi-Fi.
Why choose this:
Quick to set up, no extra devices needed
Great for flexible or mobile work
Location-based controls available if needed
Tip: If you’re using GPS (recommended over wifi), a 200 m radius usually works best to avoid signal issues.
Option 2: Use a shared device (kiosk)
Best for: Workplaces where not all employees have a smartphone, or where you want a fixed, visible clock-in point. You can set up a tablet or computer as a clock-in station. Staff select their name and punch in/out from there.
Why choose this:
Simple and visible for all employees
Keeps control at a fixed location
Works even if not everyone has a smartphone
Option 3: Combine both (mobile + kiosk)
Best for: Teams with a mix of on-site and flexible workers. You can enable both mobile and kiosk clock-ins, giving staff the choice of what’s easiest. For example, mobile for field staff and kiosk for on-site shifts.
Why choose this:
Offers flexibility without losing control
Good alternative if one method isn’t available
Fine-tune later (optional)
Once things are running smoothly, you can:
Set up rounding rules (e.g. round to nearest 5 minutes).
Allow unscheduled punching for extra shifts.
Compare scheduled vs. actual hours with the Timesheets report.
Tip: If you’re unsure which option fits your business best, contact Planday Support via the Help Centre chat or see our Punch Clock collection.
ℹ️ Need more help?
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