Time Tracking via NFC

Time tracking via NFC: employees clock in at the NFC tag and prove physical presence. No GPS required, works offline and GDPR-compliant. Try it now.

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Hold your smartphone up to the tag – clocked in

An NFC tag is placed at every work location – on the entrance door, at the site container, on the machine, or at the cleaning object. The employee briefly holds their smartphone up to the tag and is clocked in. When leaving the work location, they hold it up again. Working hours are documented and the location is verified.

One tap on the NFC tag = clocked in
Physical proof of presence at the deployment location
No GPS, no internet, no mobile network required
NFC tags cost just a few euros and last indefinitely

Why NFC is better than GPS on construction sites and in buildings

GPS shows the approximate location of a smartphone – but not whether the employee was physically inside the building. In basements, shell constructions and buildings without mobile coverage, GPS often does not work at all. NFC time tracking proves: this employee was physically at this exact point. Without mobile network, without location sharing, without data protection issues.

GPS: approximate location – NFC: exact point
GPS requires mobile network – NFC works offline
GPS creates movement profiles – NFC does not
NFC is more GDPR-friendly than permanent GPS tracking

NFC tags are this easy to use

NFC tags are self-adhesive stickers or robust key fobs available for just a few euros. They are attached once at the point of use and work without power, without batteries and without maintenance – indefinitely. Each tag is assigned to a location, project or client in the system.

Self-adhesive, weatherproof, no power supply required
Apply once – works permanently
Assign a location or client to every day
Compatible with all NFC-enabled smartphones

The Difference Between Clocking In and Providing Proof

A standard time tracking app records when someone clocked in. NFC time tracking records when and where – because the employee must have been physically present at the NFC tag. This is not a technical detail; it is the difference between a timesheet and proof of attendance. For cleaning companies that need to document assignments to clients, for construction firms during authority inspections, and for security services conducting patrol rounds, this difference is business-critical.

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Proof of location without GPS

Prove physical presence

The NFC tag proves that the smartphone – and therefore the employee – was physically present at the place of deployment. No 200-metre radius as with geofencing, no approximate location as with GPS. Exactly this spot, exactly this time. That is the proof that clients and authorities accept.

Offline-capable – even in the basement

No internet, no mobile network required

NFC works via near-field communication between a smartphone and a tag – requiring neither internet nor a mobile network. In underground car parks, shell constructions, basements and rural areas, NFC time tracking works just as reliably as in the office. Bookings are saved locally and synchronised automatically.

Project assignment at clock-in

Every NFC tag knows its project

Every NFC tag is assigned a location, project or client in the system. When an employee clocks in at the tag, the working time is automatically allocated to the correct project. No manual selection, no mix-ups, no follow-up work in the office.

Ideal for cleaning properties

Document assignments for clients

Cleaning companies with many properties benefit especially: An NFC tag is attached to each property. The cleaning staff clock in upon entry and clock out upon leaving. The client receives a seamless record: who was in the property, when, and for how long.

Compatible with app and terminal

NFC as part of a flexible system

NFC is not the only recording method – it is one of three. Employees at fixed locations clock in via NFC, mobile employees via app, and office teams via browser or terminal. All bookings are stored in the same system, the same dashboard, the same report.

Where NFC Time Tracking Delivers the Greatest Benefit

NFC tags provide the most value wherever employees work at fixed locations and physical presence needs to be verified.

Cleaning Premises

Comprehensively document assignments at offices, practices and residential complexes – as proof for clients and quality control.

Construction Sites

Record the start and end of work directly at the site container or entrance – even without mobile reception in shell construction.

Customer Locations

Service technicians and field staff clock in at the customer's site – the assignment is automatically documented.

Security Service

Confirm patrol rounds at checkpoints via NFC – seamless tour verification for clients and documentation.

FAQ

Häufige Fragen zur Zeiterfassung per NFC

What is NFC time tracking?

NFC stands for Near Field Communication – a technology that transfers data over a few centimetres between a smartphone and a small tag. With NFC time tracking, the employee holds their smartphone up to an NFC tag at the job site to clock in or out. This automatically records the time and location.

What does an NFC tag cost?

NFC tags cost between 0.50 and 2 euros per unit, depending on the model. Simple self-adhesive tags for indoor use are the most affordable. Weatherproof tags for outdoor use on construction sites cost slightly more. Tags require no battery and work indefinitely.

Does NFC time tracking work without an internet connection?

Yes, completely. NFC uses near-field communication between the smartphone and the tag – neither an internet connection nor mobile data is required. The booking is saved locally on the smartphone and synchronised automatically the next time a connection is established.

Which smartphones support NFC?

Most Android smartphones manufactured from around 2015 onwards and all iPhones from the iPhone 7 onwards support NFC. In practice, almost all smartphones that employees own today are NFC-capable.

Is NFC more privacy-friendly than GPS?

Yes. NFC only proves that an employee was at a specific point – no movement profiles are created and no continuous tracking is carried out. GPS captures location via satellites and, if configured incorrectly, can generate movement profiles. For privacy-conscious businesses, NFC is the safer choice.

Can an employee take the NFC tag and clock in somewhere else?

Tags can be firmly attached to surfaces or mounted in protective enclosures to prevent tampering. In addition, the app can check the GPS location at the time of the NFC scan if required. In practice, it has been shown that as soon as employees know that the location is being recorded, tampering is no longer an issue.

Can I combine NFC and app-based time tracking?

Yes. NFC tags at fixed locations, an app time clock for mobile employees without a fixed workplace, and a terminal for the office or workshop – all bookings are recorded in the same system. You decide per employee or per location which method works best.

In which languages is the app available?

The app is available in 13 languages: Albanian, Bulgarian, German, English, Italian, Croatian, Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Czech, Turkish and Hungarian.

Try NFC Time Tracking for Free Now

Register, order NFC tags, attach them at the job site – and from the very next day your employees have proof of location with every clock-in. No contract commitment and no credit card required.