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Set up a kiosk for clocking in

Turn a shared tablet into a kiosk where staff clock in with their own PIN, or a manager taps their names. 2 minutes.

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A kiosk is a shared tablet where staff clock in and out, and their finished shifts become hours for payroll. On a Staff PIN kiosk each person types their own four-digit PIN, and with a kiosk link they can also clock in on their own phones. On a Manager list kiosk a manager unlocks it with their PIN and taps names.

Before you start

  • Add everyone who will clock in as an employee. See Add an employee.
  • If Payroll Time isn't in your menu, open Settings › Services, tick Time and press Save services. Only the owner can do this.
  • Project/Time Managers need an owner to allow it first. See Let Project/Time Managers set up kiosks further down.

Choose who clocks in at a kiosk

  1. Open Employees and press the person's name.
  2. Under How they record their time, choose Clocks in at a kiosk.
  3. Press Save employee.

Do this for each person who will clock in. When you add someone new, make the same choice on Add employee.

Add a kiosk

  1. Open Payroll Time › Kiosks.
  2. At the bottom of the page, under Add your first kiosk, type a Name for the place people clock in, such as "Main entrance".
  3. Under How people clock in, choose Staff PIN or Manager list (see below).
  4. Press Add kiosk.

Add one kiosk for each place people clock in, such as a second site. After the first, the card is headed Add another kiosk. If your business has locations, choose the kiosk's Location too: it then lists only that location's staff.

Choose how people clock in

Each kiosk is one of two types. You choose when you add it, and can change it on the kiosk's card under How people clock in, then press Save how people clock in.

  • Staff PIN: each person types their own PIN, on the kiosk or their own phone. Nobody sees anyone else's name.
  • Manager list: the kiosk asks for a manager's PIN. Once it's unlocked, the manager searches the list of names and taps one to clock that person in or out, or start or end their break, until someone presses Lock. Staff don't need PINs. Each punch is recorded as done by that manager.

A Manager list kiosk has two more choices. Both are off until you tick them:

  • Lock it when nobody uses it: type how many minutes without a tap, such as 15. With it off, the kiosk stays unlocked until someone presses Lock.
  • Staff can also clock in with their own PIN while it's locked: for when no manager is there. Only people with a PIN can.

The kiosk's manager PIN unlocks it, and so does the PIN of anyone you mark as a Kiosk manager.

Give out PINs

On a Staff PIN kiosk, each person types their own PIN. PINs are four digits and different for everyone. When all your kiosks are Manager list kiosks, only kiosk managers need one.

  1. On Kiosks, press People and PINs.
  2. Press Give PINs to 12 people without one. The number is how many kiosk staff don't have a PIN yet.
  3. Under New PINs, press Print slips before you leave the page: new PINs aren't shown again. Hand each person their slip.

Each slip shows your business name, the person's name and their PIN.

On a person's row:

  • To keep a PIN someone already uses, press Type a PIN, type the four digits and press Save PIN.
  • If someone forgets their PIN, press New PIN.
  • To stop someone clocking in, press Remove. It deletes their PIN.
  • Tick Kiosk manager for a shift lead. Their PIN then also opens the team list at the kiosk, where they can clock people in or out.

Set working hours

Schedules are optional. With them, the Shifts page flags late starts, early finishes and anyone who was due in but didn't clock in.

  1. On Kiosks, press Schedules.
  2. Tick the people who keep the same hours.
  3. Under Days, choose their working days. Monday to Friday are chosen to begin with.
  4. Set Starts and Finishes, and check the Time zone.
  5. Press Save for 8 people.

Count as late after sets how late someone can clock in before they're flagged: 5 minutes, unless you change it and press Save. The same allowance applies to leaving early. People with no set hours are never flagged.

Choose who can use each kiosk

On the kiosk's card, under Who can use it, choose:

  • Everyone with a PIN: anyone in the business with a kiosk PIN can clock in there. New kiosks start with this.
  • Only the people you choose: then tick each person under Kiosks on People and PINs.

Anyone else who tries that kiosk sees "You're not set up for this kiosk. Ask your manager."

Choose whether shifts need your approval

Finished shifts go straight to payroll. To check each one first, press Require approval first on the kiosk's card. See Check and approve shifts.

To go back, press Send shifts straight to payroll on the same card.

Make a manager PIN

A manager PIN opens the team list at the kiosk, for an owner or supervisor who doesn't have a PIN of their own. From the list, they can clock people in or out and start or end their breaks. On a Manager list kiosk, it's what unlocks the kiosk.

  1. On the kiosk's card, under Manager PIN, press Make a manager PIN.
  2. Write the PIN down: it isn't shown again.

At a Staff PIN kiosk, press Manager and type this PIN. A Manager list kiosk asks for it straight away.

A kiosk link opens the kiosk on any phone, tablet or computer. Staff still type their own PIN. You use one to set up an iPad, and you can send it to staff so they clock in on their own phones.

  1. On the kiosk's card, under Kiosk links, press Make a kiosk link.
  2. Press Copy and send the link where it's needed. Share it only with your team.

A link stays the same until you turn it off, so you can send it again at any time. Under each link, the card shows when it was made and how many phones and computers have opened it.

  • To make another link, press Make a new link. Choose whether the links you already have keep working or are turned off, then press Make a new link.
  • To stop a link, press Turn off next to it, then Turn off link. Nobody new can open the kiosk with it.

Phones, tablets and computers that already opened the kiosk keep working either way, and so do shifts already started.

Set up the tablet

On an iPad, the kiosk runs as an app on the Home Screen:

  1. Send a kiosk link to the iPad, for example by email.
  2. On the iPad, open the link in Safari. The kiosk opens.
  3. Press Share, then Add to Home Screen, then Add.
  4. Open the kiosk from the Home Screen. The first time, paste the kiosk link into Kiosk link and press Open.

On an Android tablet or a computer:

  1. Sign in to PaySuiteTT on it and open Payroll Time › Kiosks.
  2. On the kiosk's card, under Shared tablets, type a Device name, such as "Front desk tablet".
  3. Press Use this device, then press Use this device again to confirm.

The tablet opens the kiosk and stays on it. You're signed out on that tablet only, so nobody can reach your account from it. On Android, add the kiosk to the home screen from the browser's menu.

Keep the tablet charging, and set its screen to never lock.

Lock the tablet to the kiosk

This step is optional. It stops anyone leaving the kiosk on the tablet.

  • On an iPad, turn on Guided Access in Settings › Accessibility. Open the kiosk from the Home Screen, then triple-click the top button (or the Home button) to start it.
  • On an Android tablet, turn on app pinning in Settings › Security and pin the kiosk.

Let Project/Time Managers set up kiosks

Owners and accountants set up kiosks. An owner can let Project/Time Managers do it too: add kiosks, make and turn off links, give out PINs, choose who uses each kiosk and set schedules.

  1. Open Project time › Time tracking settings.
  2. Under Kiosks, tick Let Project/Time Managers set up kiosks.
  3. Press Save settings.

Only an owner can change this. Project/Time Managers then find Kiosks in the Manager menu. They can open Shifts either way.

Good to know

  • For one new person, use the Kiosk card on their page: Give a PIN, then Print slip and Set hours.
  • If a tablet is lost or replaced, press Remove next to it under Shared tablets. It stops working straight away.
  • An iPad set up from a kiosk link isn't listed under Shared tablets. It counts under the link it opened.
  • Choosing anything other than Clocks in at a kiosk on someone's page removes their PIN.
  • When you mark someone inactive, their PIN keeps working until the end of their last working day.

What's next

Share Clock in and out at the kiosk with your staff, then see Check and approve shifts.

Next: Clock in and out at the kiosk