Clocking methods compared: wall terminal, card, phone app, web or paper
Quick answer
If your staff work at a fixed site, a card terminal at the entrance is the most reliable and quickest. If they work off-site or remotely, a mobile or web app. Many companies need both on the same software. Paper is legal but hard to defend as a reliable record.
Comparison
| Method | Where it fits | Pros | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal with card or fob | Office, shop, workshop, warehouse | Quick, no personal phone, hard to forget | On-site only; cards can be lent |
| Terminal with PIN | Small teams | Nothing to hand out | PINs are easily shared |
| Shared tablet | Retail, hospitality | Cheap, flexible | Needs identification (PIN, card) |
| Mobile app | Sales, construction, delivery | Clock anywhere | Depends on the phone; personal-device debate |
| Web on a computer | Offices, remote work | Nothing to install | Only for desk-based roles |
| Paper | Micro-businesses | No cost | Unreliable, no audit trail, laborious |
| Biometrics (fingerprint, face) | Very few cases | Stops buddy punching | Very hard to justify to the Spanish regulator |
The wall terminal
The traditional time clock, updated. Staff present their card on arrival and departure. It works when the internet is down (it stores clockings and sends them later) and nobody has to use a personal phone. It needs power, network and a logical spot: by the entrance or changing room, not at the back of the office.
It can be the same reader that opens the door: see access control.
Mobile app and web
Essential for anyone who does not pass through the workplace. To decide:
- Personal or company phone? Imposing an app on a personal phone causes friction. Offer an alternative (terminal, web or company device).
- With location? Only at the moment of clocking, with prior information and no continuous tracking. See clocking for remote and mobile staff.
Paper and spreadsheets
Current law does not ban them, but the test is that the record is reliable and cannot be tampered with afterwards. A sheet anyone can edit without trace meets it poorly. There is also a proposal to require digital records: see status of the rule.
Biometrics
It is the method that best prevents one colleague clocking for another, which is why it was sold for years. Since the Spanish regulator's November 2023 guide it is high-risk processing that almost never passes the necessity test. Details in can staff clock in by fingerprint?.
How to choose
- Where does each group's day start and end? Fixed site → terminal. Off-site → app or web.
- Are there shifts and breaks to manage? Make sure the software handles them.
- Do you need the data in payroll? Ask about export or integration.
- How many people clock at once? At shift changes, a single terminal creates a queue.
- Is the software available in English? Useful for international teams; the legal record itself must still be available to Spanish inspectors.
And buddy punching
Without biometrics, it is tackled with organisational measures: a personal, non-transferable card set out in company policy, a terminal in plain view, review of unusual patterns and, where justified, two-factor (card + PIN).
We install terminals and set up the software across the Valencia region: time and attendance.
Frequently asked questions
Can staff be required to install an app on their personal phone?
It is a contested point and there are court rulings against imposing it. The prudent approach is to offer an alternative that does not depend on a personal phone.
Can I combine a terminal and an app?
Yes, and it is the norm: a terminal for on-site staff and an app or web for off-site staff, on the same software.
This guide is for information only and is not a substitute for legal advice or for the technical design of each installation. Regulations change: always check the current text at the official source.