How to set up a kiosk time clock for your business

The biometric machine is mounted by the door. The software needs updating. One employee's fingerprint hasn't been reading properly since last month, so she's been signing the paper logbook instead. Payroll time comes and you're cross-referencing two different records again.

Biometric hardware solves one problem and creates several others. A decent fingerprint scanner costs ₱5,000 to ₱15,000. If you have two locations, that's two machines. If one breaks, attendance tracking breaks with it. And a fingerprint log tells you that someone's finger touched the scanner. It doesn't tell you who was actually there.

Timekeep's kiosk mode turns any tablet or phone into a shared clock-in station. Your team taps their name, the camera takes a photo, and the record goes directly into your attendance dashboard. No hardware to buy, no software to maintain, and every clock-in comes with a photo.

What is kiosk mode?

Kiosk mode is a dedicated clock-in interface that runs on any device with a browser and camera. It shows a grid of your team's names and photos. When someone arrives, they tap their name, get their photo taken, and are clocked in. When they leave, they do the same to clock out. The device stays in kiosk mode so it can't be used for anything else while it's set up as the clock-in station.

The kiosk works offline. Records are saved to the device and synced to your Timekeep account when the connection comes back. Your team is never blocked because of a network issue.

Step 1: Open the kiosk on your device

In your Timekeep dashboard, go to Kiosk in the left navigation. You'll see a link to open the kiosk interface. Copy that link and open it on the device you want to use as your clock-in station.

A tablet mounted near the entrance works well for most businesses. An iPad, an Android tablet, or even a spare phone works. Whatever you already have with a camera is fine.

The kiosk displays your team's names and photos in a grid. Your staff taps their name, faces the camera, and they're clocked in.

Step 2: Enable face verification (optional)

If you want photo verification at every clock-in, go to Settings and enable face verification for your business. Then make sure each employee has a profile photo uploaded in their employee record.

When face verification is on, the kiosk captures a photo at each clock-in and clock-out. You can review these photos in the attendance dashboard. If something looks off, the photo is right there. You don't need to ask anyone what happened.

This is the same accountability as a biometric machine, without the hardware cost or maintenance.

Step 3: Mount the device and you're done

Set the device where your team can reach it at the entrance. Most businesses mount it on a stand or attach it to the wall. Once the kiosk page is open, it stays in kiosk mode until you exit.

There's no enrollment process. No fingerprint registration. Your staff start clocking in from day one.

What your attendance dashboard looks like

Every clock-in and clock-out from the kiosk appears in your attendance dashboard in real time. You can see who's already in, who's on break, who clocked out, and who hasn't arrived yet. Late arrivals are flagged automatically based on each person's scheduled shift.

Each record shows the timestamp and the photo taken at clock-in. If an employee was late, you see the exact number of minutes. These minutes flow directly into payroll when you run your next cutoff.

From kiosk to payroll

Because kiosk records feed directly into Timekeep's attendance system, there's no export step and no manual transfer. Overtime, late deductions, undertime, night differential, and rest day premiums are all computed from the actual clock-in and clock-out times.

When you run payroll, those attendance records are already there. You review the payslips, check the numbers, and finalize. The data is the same from clock-in to payslip.

One device per location

If you have multiple branches or locations, set up one device per location. Open the kiosk on each device. All attendance records from all locations appear in a single Timekeep dashboard. You don't need separate accounts or separate setups.

If a device breaks, log into the kiosk on another device. No data is lost because everything syncs to your account.

Is kiosk mode right for your business?

Kiosk mode works well if your team clocks in at a fixed location. A restaurant, café, retail shop, salon, or office. If you currently use a biometric machine or a paper logbook, kiosk mode gives you more verification with less cost.

If your biometric machine is working and you're happy with it, that's fine. But if you're spending money on maintenance, dealing with fingerprint errors, or spending time cross-checking records manually, a tablet running Timekeep does the same job with less hassle.

Try it free for 30 days at timekeep.ph.