Scan a badge, and you are on the clock.

A QR code time clock removes the slowest part of a shared kiosk: the typing. A PIN works, but at shift change ten people are queuing to key four digits each, and mistyped PINs pile up exactly when the floor needs everyone working. With QR badges, each employee scans a personal badge at the kiosk tablet and the punch is instant. ClockOut’s badges are part of kiosk mode, they work alongside the PIN pad rather than replacing it, and they pair with the optional clock-in photo for an extra layer of honesty. No biometrics anywhere.

How QR badge clock-in works

1. 01

   Print the badges

   In the admin badge manager, generate a badge for each employee and print the badge sheet. Each badge is a QR code with the employee’s name, sized for a wallet, a lanyard, or the inside of a locker door.

2. 02

   The employee scans at the kiosk

   The kiosk tablet offers a scan-badge mode next to the PIN pad. The employee holds their badge up to the tablet’s camera and the kiosk clocks them in, or out if they were already on the clock. No typing, no search for a name in a list.

3. 03

   The punch lands like any other

   Badge punches go through exactly the same rules as PIN punches: the same timesheet entry, the same optional clock-in photo, and the same punch controls if you use them. There is no separate badge system to reconcile.

The details that make badges practical

Printable sheets, not special hardware

The kiosk is a tablet you already own running ClockOut in the browser, and the badges come off your office printer. There is no proprietary badge printer, no NFC fobs to order, and no card stock subscription. Print, cut, laminate if you like, done.

A lost badge is a 10-second fix

Each badge is an unguessable random code, not the employee’s name or number, so a found badge reveals nothing by itself. If one goes missing, an admin regenerates that employee’s badge and the old printed copy stops working immediately. Print the new one and move on.

PIN stays as the fallback

Badges do not replace the PIN pad, they sit next to it. An employee who left their badge at home keys their 4-digit PIN and clocks in normally. You can also leave badge scanning off entirely and run the kiosk on PINs alone; it has its own toggle.

Pairs with the clock-in photo

With kiosk photo capture on, the kiosk takes a webcam snapshot at clock-in, badge or PIN alike, and attaches it to the entry for admins to eyeball. A colleague scanning someone else’s badge gets their own face on the punch. The photo never blocks the clock-in if the camera is unavailable, and there is no face recognition, just a picture for a human to check.

Who badge clock-in is for

• Teams without personal phones at work. Kitchens, housekeeping floors, and warehouses where phones stay in lockers. The badge lives on the lanyard; the kiosk lives by the door.
• Big shift changes. A scan takes a moment, so a line of ten clears in seconds instead of a PIN-pad queue.
• Shared workstations. One approved tablet at the entrance covers everyone, which also plays well with device locks on Pro: approve the kiosk tablet once and lock punches to it.

Which plan includes QR badges

QR badge clock-in is part of kiosk mode, which is included on Starter ($19 a month for up to 5 people, then $3 per extra person) and Pro ($39 a month for up to 5, then $6 each). It is not on the Free plan. Paid plans include a 14-day free trial, so you can print a badge sheet and run a real shift change before paying. Full details on pricing.

QR badge kiosk FAQ

Related pages

• Punch controls: schedule windows, approved devices, and approved networks for clock-in.
• GPS time clock: location-stamped punches and geofencing for phones in the field.
• Photo proof: photo evidence of completed work.
• Product facts: the exact kiosk, badge, and photo-capture behavior, stated plainly.
• Pricing: current plans and checkout.