7shifts 101: How to set up and use 7punches for Time Clocking
7shifts offers two interconnected tools to manage your team's hours: 7punches is the companion app (included on all paid plans) used by employees to record their starts and ends. While Time Clocking is the administrative hub within 7shifts where Admins/Managers review, edit, and sync those recorded hours to payroll.
You can generate payroll reports, send time clocking information directly to 7shifts Payroll, or export data to external payroll providers.
Things to know
Important: Only Admin users can enable and manage 7punches and Time Clocking settings.
- Admins, Managers, and Assistant Managers have default access to the 7punches Punch Pad using their 7shifts login to manage their own time or launch the app.
- You can use a stationary tablet for 7punches or enable Mobile Punch to allow employees to use their own devices.
- 7punches serves as a digital time clock for staff to punch in and out for shifts and breaks.
- Buddy punch prevention uses photo capture during punch-ins to prevent fraudulent clocking.
- Managers can receive real-time notifications for missed punches or late arrivals.
- 7punches is included for customers on all paid plans
Enable 7punches and Time Clocking
- Log in to the web app as an Admin.
- In the left navigation bar, head to Settings > Add-ons > 7punches.
- Click Enable 7punches > Go to 7punches > Get Started with Time Clocking.
- Enter the first day of your first pay period and your payroll frequency.
- Review the pay schedule and click Create pay schedule.
- Inside the current pay period, click Use 7punches to set the time clocking source.
- If using POS for time clocking, learn about syncing POS time clocking data here.
- Download the 7punches app to your tablet or mobile device.
- Log in to the 7punches app using your 7shifts email and password.
Once enabled, punch IDs will be auto-assigned to all users.
Configure Time Clocking settings
Access these settings in the web app by heading to Time Clocking > Settings.
- Auto shift flags: Shifts will be automatically flagged as late or no-show (can be manually overridden on the schedule).
- Late Tolerance: Set the minutes allowed before a late flag is applied.
- Employee timesheet and earnings access: Allow employees to view timesheets and earnings.
- Employee tip visibility: Allow employees to view tip breakdowns.
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Employee approval of time punches: Employees can approve or dispute punches.
- Once the time sheet is closed, employees can no longer modify their responses. Approved and disputed punches, along with any comments, will be recorded in the Punch Audit Report and Employee Time Sheet Report.
- Send punch edit alerts to employees: Notify employees of edited punches.
- Send punch-in alerts to managers: Notify managers of missed punch-ins.
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Send punch-out alerts to managers: Notify managers of missed punch-outs.
- Note: Punch-in/out alerts from 7punches are in real-time but alerts from some POS systems may have a delay of up to 6 minutes.
- Send punch-in reminders to employees: Remind employees to punch in if they've missed their scheduled shift start.
Remember to click "Save" after configuring settings.
- Edit POS time punches in 7shifts: Allows edits to POS punches within 7shifts, making 7shifts the source of truth for time punches.
Remember to click "Save" after configuring settings.
- Employee health check: Require health checks upon punch-in. Employees who fail the health check will be locked-out from punch-in and all managers will be notified via email and SMS.
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Mobile Punch: Enable employees to punch in on their personal mobile device.
- Note: Employee location data will not be retrieved or shared, the employee could potentially punch-in without being in the restaurant.
- Geofencing: With mobile punch enabled, this allows you to restrict punch-ins to within a set location range.
- Buddy punch prevention: Capture photos upon punch-in/out for verification.
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Grace period: Configure punch approval and rounding.
- Auto-approve punches: Automatically approve punches within the grace period.
- Rounding for early punch-in/late punch-in/punch-out: Round punch times to the nearest interval.
- Prevent early punch-in: Block punch-ins before the grace period.
- Auto punch-out: Automatically punch out unclosed punches.
- Allow switching role with shift scheduled: Allow employees to select a different role than they were scheduled for at punch-in.
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Allow punch without shift: Allow punch-ins without scheduled shifts.
- Note: This feature will allow employees to clock into locations they are not assigned to as it ignores role/schedule assignments.
- Allow breaks: Enable break punch-ins/outs.
- Declare tips: Allow employees to declare tips on punch-out.
Remember to click "Save" after configuring settings.
For optimal data consistency and reporting accuracy, ideally all time punches should originate from a single source. However, if you have departments using different systems (e.g., FOH punching on the POS and BOH punching on 7punches), carefully check the "Punch Source" field in the punch details during review to accurately identify the origin of each punch.
Table View:
Card View:
Launching the Punch Pad
The 7punches app is available for iOS or Android on your tablet or mobile device through the Apple App Store, Google Play, or the Amazon App Store.
Download on the Apple App Store
Get it on Google Play
Available at the Amazon App Store
Learn more about Launching the 7punches Punch Pad
Next Steps
At the end of your work week or pay cycle:
- Review punches: Look for any "red flags" (like a 14-hour shift where someone forgot to clock out). Use the Warnings tab to maintain data integrity between your time clocking source (like 7punches or a POS) and your payroll exports.
- Approve Time Sheets: Once the data is clean, you "Close" the period.
- Sync to Payroll: With one click, this data moves from the Time Clocking hub directly into 7shifts Payroll (or your external provider) to generate paystubs.