Tablet Clock-In Kiosk: PIN and RFID Card Time Tracking

A clock-in kiosk is a tablet or computer fixed at the entrance where staff clock in with a PIN or a card, without using their own phone or logging in. It is the simplest way to meet Spain's working-time record rules wherever people come in through the same door: restaurants, hotels, shops, warehouses, workshops and clinics. And it is the lawful alternative to fingerprint clock-in, which the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) considers disproportionate in most cases.

This guide explains how a PIN or RFID card clock-in point works, what you need to set one up, when it beats a mobile app, and how to configure it in JornAda step by step.

If you searched for "tablet clock-in system", "time clock kiosk", "PIN clock-in" or an "alternative to fingerprint time clocks", this is the guide. Written by the team behind JornAda, Spanish time-tracking software used by 3,000+ companies.

Table of contents

• What a clock-in kiosk is
• Kiosk or app?
• Why not fingerprints
• What you need
• How JornAda's clock-in point works
• Photo on PIN clock-in: no buddy punching
• Setting it up step by step
• Common messages and fixes
• Frequently asked questions

What a clock-in kiosk is

A shared device, usually a wall-mounted tablet or a computer with a card reader, left on at the entrance. Each person identifies with:

• PIN: a personal numeric code typed on screen.
• RFID card or key fob: tapped on the reader in a second.

It counts like any other clock-in: logged with the exact time, added to hour balances and included in reports.

Kiosk or app?

• Kiosk: when everyone uses the same entrance, when staff do not want to use personal phones for work, or when phones are not allowed on the job (kitchens, labs, production lines).
• App: for sales reps, technicians and teams working off-site, with optional geolocation at clock-in.
• Both: the most common setup. One person can use several methods, and admins can block any method per employee.

Compare every method in which clock-in system to choose.

Why not fingerprints

In November 2023 the AEPD published its guidance on biometric attendance systems: fingerprints and facial recognition are special-category data and generally fail the proportionality test when less intrusive options such as a PIN or card exist. A PIN or RFID kiosk achieves the same goal, each person clocking in for themselves, without processing biometric data.

What you need

1. A tablet or computer with a browser and internet. Nothing to install.
2. A mount at hand height at the entrance, near a power socket.
3. Optional: an RFID card reader if you prefer cards or fobs. See Wi-Fi RFID time tracking.
4. A JornAda account with employees set up and their PIN or card assigned.

How JornAda's clock-in point works

• Public page, no login: a company-specific link with a QR code, left open on the device. No admin session sits at the door.
• Two modes on one screen: card or a 4–6 digit PIN.
• Personal confirmation: greets the person by name, with their photo if set, and confirms clock-in or clock-out and the time.
• Useful info: the day's planned schedule on clock-in; a summary of start time, breaks and hours worked on clock-out.
• Double-tap protection: the same PIN or card within a minute is not recorded twice ("Already recorded").
• Company-assigned PINs: set by admins from each employee's profile.
• Optional photo on PIN clock-in, explained below.

Photo on PIN clock-in: no buddy punching

The classic weakness of PINs is that a colleague who knows your code can clock in for you. JornAda's "PIN clock-in - Ask for a photo" option fixes that: when enabled, anyone clocking in with a PIN at the clock-in point must take a photo with the tablet camera for the entry to be recorded.

• One switch in the company settings, applied to every PIN clock-in from then on. RFID cards, app and web clock-ins are not affected.
• Never blocks anyone: if the tablet has no camera, no permission or the camera fails, the entry is recorded and flagged "no photo", with the reason and the device.
• Daily email at 8:00 to admins listing entries without a photo, grouped by tablet.
• Who sees the photos: admins, and team leads allowed to see their team's clock-ins, one by one from the day detail on the web.
• Not facial recognition: the photo is never matched automatically; a person only looks at it when an entry needs checking.

It is still personal data, so staff must be informed before enabling it. The setting reminds you when you switch it on.

Setting it up step by step

1. In JornAda's web app, open your company settings.
2. Under PIN/RFID Clock-in, click Open clock-in page or scan its QR code from the tablet.
3. Leave the page open on the entrance device.
4. Assign each employee a PIN or card from their profile.
5. Test one clock-in and one clock-out.

See every kiosk option on our PIN and RFID kiosk clock-in page, or try JornAda for free and set it up today.

Common messages and fixes

• "This check-in method is blocked for your user": an admin disabled that method for the person; change it under Users.
• "You have not started your workday yet": the assigned schedule does not allow clocking in before its start time.
• "Already recorded": the same clock-in was repeated within a minute.

Frequently asked questions

Is PIN clock-in legal in Spain?

Yes. The record must be daily, reliable and identify each worker; a personal company-assigned PIN meets that without biometric data.

What tablet do I need?

Any with a browser and internet; JornAda's clock-in page runs in the browser.

Can I require a photo on PIN clock-in?

Yes. With "PIN clock-in - Ask for a photo" enabled, every PIN clock-in at the kiosk asks for a photo; if the tablet cannot take it, the entry is still recorded and admins are notified the next morning.

Can staff clock in with a card?

Yes, with an RFID card or fob and a reader connected to the entrance device.

How much does it cost?

The clock-in point is included in JornAda, from €2 per user/month on the 5-licence plan. See our plans.