Secure and accurate

Why fingerprint clocking is harder to cheat

A fingerprint cannot be shared, lent, or left at home like a card or fob. That means staff can only clock themselves in, so the hours that reach payroll are the hours that were actually worked. Fingerprint data is held as a mathematical template, never a stored image, and a fingerprint cannot be reconstructed from it. See exactly how we handle biometric data, and what UK GDPR requires of employers.

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Secure authentication for every clocking
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No fobs or cards to lose or pass on
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Fast, reliable, touch-and-go access
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Reduced risk of theft and misuse

25%

of UK employees have received an incorrect pay cheque, often from inaccurate hours

Global Payroll Association

£5.8m

recovered by HMRC for more than 25,200 underpaid UK workers in a single year

HMRC, 2024 to 2025

Accurate hours start with accurate clocking. Fingerprint verification is one of the simplest ways to get them right at source. Book a demo to see it in action.

One fingerprint, clocking and access control

The same fingerprint that records attendance can also control who comes through your doors, so you manage time and access from one system, with no extra cards or fobs to issue.

For time and attendance

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Individual fingerprint profiles for every employee
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Comprehensive, accurate attendance records
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Scalable as your business grows

For access control

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Prevent unauthorised entry to secure areas
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Works alongside our access control systems
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Paperless and plastic-free, no cards to print

How fingerprint clocking works in practice

A fingerprint system records the unique pattern of each employee’s fingerprint as a mathematical template, then matches their live scan against it at each clocking. For more on the technology see our biometric time and attendance page, and for exactly what is stored and how it is deleted see our data security page. What sets fingerprint apart is how it performs day to day.

Computime biometric fingerprint clocking in and access control terminal

Fast, touch and go

A scan takes a moment, keeping queues moving at busy clock-in times.

Multiple fingers

Register several fingers, so a cut to one need not stop clocking in.

Central USB enrolment

Enrol staff from one place, such as the HR office, with a USB enroller.

Reliable in sunlight

Works well in direct sunlight, where some face units can struggle.

Prefer a contactless option? Compare fingerprint with facial recognition, or talk to us about which suits your site.

See fingerprint clocking in action

Book a short demo and we will show you how fingerprint clocking works for your team, from enrolment to accurate hours ready for payroll.

Book A Demo
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The benefits of fingerprint identification

Security

Strictly controlled access to sensitive and secure locations, tied to the individual.

Convenience

Nothing to carry. Employees no longer need physical keys, fobs, or cards to clock in or get through the door.

Efficiency

Fast, easy entry with a single fingerprint scan, keeping people moving at busy times.

Accuracy

Precise records of entry and exit times, giving you a true picture of hours worked.

Sustainability

Reduced plastic and paper use, with no cards to print or timesheets to file.

Ready for payroll

Accurate hours feed straight into payroll, with direct Sage integration and exports for Pegasus and QuickBooks.

Fingerprint clocking FAQs

How does fingerprint clocking work?

At enrolment, the terminal maps the unique points of an employee’s fingerprint and stores them as a mathematical template. Each time they clock in, the live scan is matched to that template. If it matches, the clocking is recorded against that person, so every hour is tied to who actually worked it.

Does the system store an image of my fingerprint?

No. No fingerprint image is kept. The terminal stores only a mathematical template, which cannot be reverse engineered back into a fingerprint, so the original cannot be recovered from it by us or by anyone else. Biometric data is special category data under UK GDPR, and storing templates rather than images is central to handling it responsibly.

What happens if an employee cuts or injures a finger?

Each employee can enrol more than one finger, so if one is cut or injured they can still clock in with another. Terminals also support card, fob, and PIN clocking as a backup, so no one is ever locked out.

Do staff have to use a fingerprint, or is there an alternative?

There is an alternative. The ICO advises giving employees a genuine choice, and Computime terminals also support card, fob, and PIN clocking, so staff who prefer not to use a fingerprint can still clock in.

If an employee leaves, is their fingerprint data deleted?

Deleting the employee removes their record and template from the database. Terminals hold their own copy so they keep working if the network drops, so the leaver must also be removed at the terminal itself. Building both steps into your leaver process is what supports the UK GDPR right to erasure, and our support team will show you how. Our data security page sets out deletion in full.

Can fingerprint terminals control door access as well as clocking?

Yes. The same fingerprint can record attendance and control who comes through your doors, so you manage time and access from one system. See our access control systems for more.

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