Setting up QR and PIN clock-in for your café team: a practical first-week guide

Setting up QR and PIN clock-in for your café team: a practical first-week guide

If your café runs on a handful of part-time staff, the hardest part of timesheets is usually not the maths. It is getting everyone to record their hours at the start and end of each shift, every time. A workable setup makes clocking in as simple as scanning a code and entering a PIN.

This guide walks through a sensible first week. It covers general workflow advice you can apply with any system, and it notes where ClockHQ's current features help.

Before you start

Decide three things before you put anything on the wall:

• Who clocks in. Usually every casual, part-time and full-time team member, including managers who work floor shifts.
• Where they clock in. Choose a spot near the back door or staff area, where people naturally pass on the way in.
• Who reviews the hours. One person, usually the owner or manager, should own the weekly review. Shared responsibility often means nobody does it.

Step 1: Set up one clear workplace

Create your workplace in ClockHQ and check the details are correct before staff start using it. ClockHQ lets staff clock in and out in a mobile browser, so there is no app for them to download.

Step 2: Print the workplace QR code

ClockHQ provides a workplace QR code you can print and display. Put it somewhere staff can scan it without queueing or blocking the coffee machine. Laminate it if it will sit near splashes or steam.

Step 3: Give each person a PIN

Each team member enters their own PIN after scanning the code. Explain the PIN to staff in one sentence: "This is your personal code. Don't share it, and don't use someone else's." Staff who share PINs make the records unreliable, so check this in the first week.

Step 4: Test the process over two shifts

Ask everyone to clock in and out for their next two shifts, then check the records together.

• Did every shift get a clock-in and clock-out?
• Are any shifts missing a break?
• Did anyone forget the PIN, and does the process need a simpler reminder?

Small fixes during the first week prevent months of chasing hours later.

Step 5: Review hours weekly

A weekly review is where timesheets become useful. Each week, look at:

1. Total hours per person against the roster.
2. Breaks taken, and whether they match your award or workplace policy.
3. Any shifts with unusual start or finish times.
4. Missing or edited entries, and why they happened.

Review staff hours and breaks in ClockHQ, then compare any unusual entries with your roster. Use it to see the week at a glance rather than scrolling through a paper pad.

Step 6: Prepare records for payroll

When the review is done, export the week's records for your payroll preparation. ClockHQ can export an Excel workbook, or you can copy a weekly summary into Google Sheets. These exports help you prepare records for your payroll process.

ClockHQ does not process payroll. Your payroll system or accountant still calculates and pays wages, and you should check the final figures against your obligations.

A simple checklist for the first week

• QR code printed and displayed
• Every team member has a personal PIN
• Staff have clocked in and out for at least two shifts
• Missing entries are followed up with the person concerned
• Weekly review time is booked in the diary
• Weekly export or summary saved for payroll preparation

Demo data

For example, a café with four staff might find that one barista forgets to clock out after the lunch rush. A quick check after the shift catches the gap before the weekly payroll handover, and the manager corrects it with the staff member.

This café scenario is fictional and provided for illustration.

Try it with your own team

If you want to see how QR and PIN clock-in works for your café, start your 14-day free trial at clockhq.app. No credit card is required to start. For current plan prices, see clockhq.app/pricing.