Biometric Attendance

Join the future of employee time tracking, with biometric solutions

Written by Steve Thompson

Biometric time attendance can solve many problems for employers while making the payroll system run much more smoothly. Many business owners do not even consider this option because they assume it will be too expensive. However, there are affordable solutions. This type of system can be beneficial for large and small businesses alike.

What is biometric time attendance?

Most employee attendance systems are set up using an employee identification number or time card that the employee enters when arriving to – and leaving from – the office. A biometric system, however, uses fingerprints or other biometric data to record an employee's hours on the job.

Most of these systems consist of both hardware and software devices to help streamline the attendance process. A reader is used to accept the fingerprint or hand scan from the employee, and the software recognizes the information on file and records the data for future retrieval.

How much does it cost?

The price of a biometric time attendance system will depend on the sophistication of the hardware and software, the number of readers needed, and a host of other factors. Desktop systems are generally less expensive than their network counterparts, but are not as intuitive and do not connect with other software programs used for payroll and human resources.

You will need to purchase the software necessary to access the system, which is usually sold with a certain number of licenses. For example, a business with 25 employees would need 25 user licenses to operate the system effectively. Depending on the number of users, the cost can range from under $100 to more than $2,000. In many cases, the software will come with a compatible reader, a biometric driver and other necessities.

What are the benefits and drawbacks?

The primary purpose of a biometric time attendance system is to accurately verify the presence of an employee at the time he or she clocks in. When using PIN codes or access cards, the employee can give his information to someone else and earn money fraudulently for time he hasn't worked. This is not an issue with biometrics.

Of course, complicated software systems and hardware are often more prone to malfunctions. If the biometric reader stops working, business owners will have to manually process employees until the equipment is fixed. This is also a more expensive option, so it is not always practical for very small businesses.

What features are important?

The best way to evaluate a biometric time attendance system is to determine whether it will work right "out of the box." If you have to purchase other hardware or software, you could be looking at a much more expensive product.

Additionally, ask about things like installation, maintenance, repair, and training. Will the supplier send someone out to install the equipment and train your employees to use it? Can you call the supplier with technical questions without having to pay a fee? All of these are important things to keep in mind before you make a purchase.

Are you ready to purchase biometric time attendance? Submit a free request for price quotes and get matched to multiple dealers who will try to get you the best deal for your business.

Free Biometric Time Attendance Price Quotes

Fill out our short form to get free rates for biometric time attendance.