Paper sign-in sheets get forgotten, badge readers cost money, and fingerprint scanners raise privacy questions. For most small and mid-sized companies there’s a simpler way to record when people arrive and leave: a QR code on the employee’s phone and a tablet at the door. Here’s how QR code attendance works in Clocknico, what you need, and how to set it up in ten minutes.
How it works
- Each employee opens My QR code in the Clocknico app (Android app or any phone browser).
- They hold the phone up to the kiosk at the entrance — a tablet’s camera, or a USB QR scanner on a computer.
- The kiosk shows “Welcome, Anna! Clocked in at 08:02” with a short beep. On the way out, the same move shows “Goodbye — today 8h 05m”.
The first scan of the day clocks a person in, the next one clocks them out. A double scan within a minute is ignored, so nobody gets clocked out by accident.
What you need
- Option 1 — a tablet or phone at the entrance. Any reasonably recent Android tablet with a front camera works. Mount it on a wall holder near the door and keep it on a charger.
- Option 2 — a USB QR scanner. A 2D/QR handheld or desk scanner connected to a computer or tablet. Scanners read codes almost instantly, even in poor light. Make sure the model reads 2D/QR codes, not only classic 1D barcodes.
Both can be used at the same time, and you can add as many kiosks as you have entrances. A regular security (CCTV/IP) camera is not a good fit: it’s too far away and too blurry to read a phone screen reliably.
Setting it up
- In Clocknico, go to HR → HR settings → QR kiosks and add a kiosk, for example “Main entrance”.
- Open the kiosk link on the device at the door in Chrome, press Start camera and allow camera access, then Full screen. The screen stays on, and the camera starts again by itself after a restart.
- Using a USB scanner? Just plug it in — it “types” the code into the kiosk page.
- Tell your team where to find My QR code: the QR icon in the app’s top bar, the sidebar on desktop, or a long press on the Clocknico app icon on Android.
Office, field or overtime? Pick before you scan
Many companies pay different kinds of work differently. In Clocknico an admin names up to three working times in HR settings — for example Office, Field and Overtime. On the phone, My QR code shows three coloured buttons; the employee taps one and the code changes to match. The kiosk then greets them with “Clocked in at 08:02 · Field” in that colour.
Hours are counted separately for each working time: in the attendance report, in the monthly hours table (filter by working time), in the team calendar and in each person’s own calendar — and the payroll CSV has a row per person per working time. The working time is part of the signed code, so nobody can switch “Office” to “Overtime” after the fact.
Why screenshots don’t work
A common worry with any check-in system is “buddy punching” — a colleague clocking in for someone who isn’t there yet. Clocknico’s QR code is not a fixed badge:
- the code changes every 30 seconds;
- each code can be used only once;
- it is signed with a secret that belongs to that employee, and only works at kiosks of their own company.
So a photo or screenshot sent to a colleague is useless a few seconds later. And because the kiosk doesn’t take photos or fingerprints, there’s no biometric data to store or protect.
Where the data goes
Every scan becomes a record in HR → Attendance, marked with the kiosk it came from. Managers see who is in, when people arrived and left, and how attendance compares with the time tracked on projects. If someone forgot to clock out the day before, that record is closed with zero time and flagged for an admin to correct, and today starts normally.
Attendance sits next to the rest of Clocknico’s HR tools — leave balances and approvals, sick leave with sick notes, holidays and a team calendar — so you have one place for “who is working today”.
If a device is lost
Switch the kiosk off in HR settings. Its link stops working immediately, and you can create a new one for the replacement device.
QR code attendance vs other clock-in methods
| Hardware cost | Buddy punching | Privacy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper sign-in sheet | None | Easy to fake | Visible to everyone |
| Badge / card reader | Reader + a card per person | Cards can be lent | Fine |
| Fingerprint / face scanner | Dedicated device | Hard to fake | Biometric data to protect |
| QR code on the phone (Clocknico) | A tablet or USB scanner you may already have | Code changes every 30 s and works once | No biometrics stored |
Frequently asked questions
Is a QR code attendance system secure?
In Clocknico the personal QR code is signed, changes every 30 seconds and can be used only once, so a screenshot sent to a colleague does not work.
Can employees clock in without a kiosk?
Yes — for remote work. Admins can define an Online working time that people clock from the app itself. Office working times still go through the kiosk at the door. More in tracking office, field, overtime and remote hours.
What does the employee need?
A smartphone with the Clocknico Android app or any phone browser — on iPhone the web app can be added to the home screen.
How do the hours reach payroll?
Attendance gives monthly hours per person and per working time, with a payroll CSV in decimal hours. See how to prepare a monthly hours report for payroll.
How much does it cost?
QR attendance is included in every plan, and Clocknico is free for teams of up to 5 users. Larger teams pay €1.50 per user per month on the yearly plan. See the employee attendance app page for an overview.
Quick checklist
- A tablet on a wall holder, or a computer with a 2D/QR USB scanner
- A kiosk created in HR settings and opened in Chrome
- The team knows where My QR code is in the app
- Managers check Attendance at the end of the week
QR clock-in is included in every Clocknico plan — and Clocknico is free for teams of up to 5 users. Get the Android app or create a free company account.