Choosing the right clock-in method for your team

GPS and tablet clocks are two of the most common options among a wider set of clock-in methods (PIN entry, badge or fob swipes, biometric fingerprint, and facial recognition all still appear in Australian workplaces). But for most modern shift-based businesses the real decision is between a location-verified mobile app and a fixed kiosk, so that’s where this comparison focuses. Getting it wrong means compliance headaches, inaccurate records, or staff frustration — and for a broader look at platforms, see our rostering software buying guide.

For compliance requirements, download our free guide: Time and Attendance Compliance.

GPS time clock apps use the location services on a smartphone to record where employees are when they clock in and out. When a worker starts their shift, the app captures the GPS coordinates alongside the time stamp. Managers can later review a map showing exactly where each employee clocked on, providing verification that staff were at the correct job site.

Most systems include geofencing. This lets you set a virtual boundary around a work site — say, a 100-metre radius around a client’s home or a construction site perimeter. Employees can only clock in when they’re physically within that boundary; if someone tries to clock on from home or elsewhere, the system either blocks the attempt or flags it for review. RosterElf’s GPS geofencing works this way, tying each clock-in to an approved location.

The technology runs on the same location services that power navigation apps. Accuracy typically ranges from 5-10 metres in normal conditions, though tall buildings, dense tree cover, or indoor locations can reduce it. For most business purposes, that’s more than enough to confirm attendance at the right site.

Tablet time clocks provide a fixed, shared device where staff clock in and out at a central location. Typically the tablet is mounted at the workplace entrance — a retail store’s back room, a cafe’s kitchen entry, or an aged care facility’s staff area. Employees identify themselves (using a PIN, staff ID, or facial recognition) and tap to start or end their shift.

This approach removes the need for staff to have their own devices. Everyone uses the same clock-in point, creating consistency and removing concerns about personal phone use during work hours. The tablet runs a dedicated time tracking app that syncs with your payroll system, capturing all attendance data centrally.

Quality tablet time clock systems include photo capture on clock-in (to verify identity), offline operation (so internet outages don’t stop clock-ins), and manager override for fixing errors. The larger screen compared with phones makes them easier to use, especially for workers with vision impairments or limited tech confidence. RosterElf’s photo verification captures a quick snapshot at each clock-in to confirm who’s actually starting the shift.

Before diving into privacy and cost, here’s how the two methods stack up across the factors that most often decide the choice:

Location tracking raises important privacy questions under Australian law. Fair Work and privacy legislation require employers to have legitimate business reasons for tracking employee location, and staff must be informed in writing about what’s being tracked and why.

For GPS time clocks, best practice means only tracking location during work hours, not when staff are off duty. The system should stop recording location the moment someone clocks off. Employees should also be able to see what location data is being captured — transparency builds trust and reduces concerns about surveillance.

Tablet time clocks carry fewer privacy implications because they don’t track location. However, if you use photo capture or facial recognition for identity verification, you’re collecting biometric data. That requires informed consent and compliance with privacy principles around storage and use. Both approaches must maintain secure records that meet Fair Work’s 7-year record-keeping requirements for time and wages data.

GPS time clock apps usually have lower upfront costs because they run on existing smartphones. Most charge a per-user monthly fee, commonly in the range of $3-8 per employee. You avoid hardware purchases, though you may need to provide company phones for staff without suitable personal devices — and some Australian awards include allowances for employees required to use personal phones for work. To explore time tracking options and features, see our full time and attendance solution.

Tablet time clocks require hardware — a tablet, mounting, and often a protective case. A business-grade setup might run $500-800 per location. But multiple employees share the same device, so the per-employee cost falls as the team grows. Software fees are similar to GPS apps, typically charged per user.

The real ROI comes from eliminating time theft, reducing payroll errors, and improving compliance. Industry estimates suggest businesses lose an estimated 2-8% of payroll to time theft and rounding errors. For a business with $500,000 in annual wages, that’s a potential $10,000-40,000 lost to inaccurate time tracking. Either system pays for itself quickly if it solves that problem.

The right choice depends more on where your staff work than on any inherent superiority of one technology. Here’s a practical breakdown by industry:

Some businesses benefit from a hybrid approach. A home care agency might use GPS for field workers and a tablet for office-based coordinators; a construction company might use GPS for site crews and tablets for warehouse staff. Modern time and attendance systems support both methods within the same platform, giving you flexibility to match the technology to the role.

Buddy punching — one employee clocking in for another — is the single biggest reason businesses upgrade from paper or spreadsheet time records, and it’s worth asking which method guards against it best. The honest answer is that neither method alone is bulletproof; both rely on an identity layer.

GPS clocks make it harder to fake location: a geofenced clock-in can’t be completed from home or the pub. But a phone can still be handed to a colleague, so pairing GPS with a photo on clock-in closes the gap. Tablet clocks sit at one door, so location isn’t the risk — identity is. Here a PIN alone is weak (PINs get shared), which is why photo capture or facial recognition matters most on a shared kiosk. The strongest setup on either method combines the clock-in signal (location or kiosk) with a visual identity check, then flags anomalies for a manager to review. For the record-keeping side of catching disputes, see our guide on timesheet approval workflows.

Whichever approach you choose, successful implementation requires clear communication with staff. Introduce the new system transparently — explain why you’re implementing it, what data will be collected, and how it benefits everyone (accurate pay, fair distribution of hours, better roster communication).

Beyond choosing the right technology, a comprehensive approach to attendance includes setting clear goals, training managers, and running regular audits. Our guide on attendance improvements to prioritise provides a strategic framework for optimising your time and attendance systems.