What is Buddy Punch?

Buddy Punch is an intuitive employee time clock and workforce management platform designed to simplify scheduling, track hours, and streamline payroll for businesses of all sizes. It gives you everything you need to monitor where your team is working, how long they’ve been on the clock, and ensure accuracy with features like GPS, image verification, and automatic overtime calculations. By combining time tracking, time-off management, and reporting in one place, Buddy Punch eliminates error-prone spreadsheets and manual calculations so you can focus on growing your business.

I first integrated Buddy Punch into my operations when I realized my manual punch cards and spreadsheets were costing me hours every payroll cycle. Within days, I had peace of mind knowing I had an accurate, real-time view of every employee’s hours, locations, and leave balances.

Buddy Punch Overview

Launched to address the frustrations of small business owners juggling multiple systems, Buddy Punch began as a simple time tracker in 2014. Its founders set out to create a tool that was both powerful and user-friendly, eliminating the steep learning curves found in legacy solutions. Over the years, the platform has evolved through customer feedback, adding features like geofencing, QR code punching, and robust payroll integrations.

Today, Buddy Punch helps thousands of businesses—from retail shops and construction crews to home health agencies and creative studios—manage their workforce with confidence. The company’s mission is to provide an affordable, reliable, and scalable solution that empowers companies to eliminate time theft, simplify scheduling, and ensure compliance with labor laws. Continuous improvements, frequent user-driven updates, and responsive support illustrate Buddy Punch’s commitment to excellence.

Key milestones include:

• 2016: Introduced mobile apps for iOS and Android, enabling punch-in from any device.
• 2018: Launched geofencing and IP address locking to increase timekeeping accuracy.
• 2020: Released advanced leave management with automatic accrual calculations.
• 2022: Expanded payroll integrations with QuickBooks, Workday, Paychex, and more.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. Affordable Pricing: Plans starting at just $5.49 per user per month plus a base fee make it accessible for small teams.

2. Mobile and Web Access: Employees can punch in and out from smartphones, tablets, computers, or kiosks.

3. Geofencing & GPS Tracking: Ensure employees clock in only at authorized locations, reducing buddy punching.

4. Time-Off Management: Automatic vacation, sick, and PTO accruals remove the need for spreadsheets.

5. Payroll Integrations: Sync hours directly with accounting software like QuickBooks, Paychex, and Workday.

6. Detailed Reporting: Customizable attendance and labor reports simplify payroll audits and compliance.

7. Alerts & Reminders: Automated push notifications prompt employees to punch in or out, reducing missed punches.

8. Easy Setup & Use: No technical expertise required; get started in minutes with a clean interface.

9. Excellent Support: Real human chat and email support Mon–Fri, plus after-hours messaging options.

10. Scalability: From small startups to large enterprises, the platform adapts with add-ons like API access and SSO.

Cons:

1. Limited Offline Functionality: Requires internet connection for live GPS verification and clock-ins.

2. Learning Curve for Advanced Features: Some users may need time to configure geofencing, custom reports, or API integrations.

Features

Buddy Punch offers a comprehensive suite of features tailored to address every aspect of modern workforce management. Below is a deep dive into the key capabilities that make it an indispensable employee time clock solution.

Time Tracking

Automate the tracking of hours worked, breaks, and overtime with minimal administrative overhead.

• Clock in/out via smartphone, computer, QR code, or kiosk.
• Webcam selfies to verify identity at punch times.
• IP address locking to restrict punching to specific networks.

Scheduling

Effortlessly create and adjust work schedules to align with business needs and employee availability.

• Drag-and-drop shift assignments.
• Push notifications for upcoming shifts or schedule changes.
• Conflict alerts to avoid double-booking employees.

Time-Off Management

Manage paid and unpaid leave with automated accruals and approval workflows.

• Set accrual rates for vacation, sick, and personal days.
• Employees submit time-off requests in-app.
• Managers approve or deny with a single click.

Geofencing & GPS

Monitor remote and field teams in real time to ensure accurate location-based timekeeping.

• Define custom geofence boundaries around worksites.
• Receive alerts when employees punch outside designated areas.
• View location data on interactive maps.

Custom Reporting

Generate detailed attendance, labor cost, and overtime reports to simplify payroll and compliance.

• Filter by date range, job code, employee, or department.
• Export to CSV or PDF for accounting reconciliation.
• Schedule automated report delivery to managers or payroll specialists.

Buddy Punch Pricing

Choose a plan that fits your team size and operational needs. All plans include real-time time tracking, scheduling essentials, and payroll integrations.

Starter — $5.49/user/month + $19 base fee

Best for small teams and businesses seeking time tracking essentials.

• GPS on punches
• Mobile apps
• Time-off tracking
• Alerts & reminders
• Job tracking & reporting
• Payroll integrations

Pro (Most Popular) — $6.99/user/month + $19 base fee

Ideal for growing teams looking to optimize operations and workforce management.

• Everything in Starter
• Scheduling add-on included
• Basic geofencing & QR code scanning
• Pin/kiosk punching
• Webcam punches

Enterprise — $11.99/user/month + $19 base fee

Tailored solutions and dedicated support for large organizations.

• Everything in Pro
• Advanced GPS add-on
• API access & single sign-on
• Dedicated enterprise support

Buddy Punch Is Best For

Whether you manage a local coffee shop or a multi-site construction crew, Buddy Punch scales to meet your needs.

Small Business Owners

Streamline payroll calculations and eliminate time theft without breaking the bank. Simplify scheduling so you spend less time juggling spreadsheets and more time growing your business.

Remote Teams

Keep everyone accountable with GPS, IP locking, and photo verification. Monitor hours and locations even when your team is scattered across homes or worksites.

HR & Payroll Managers

Generate accurate labor reports, manage PTO accruals, and sync directly with QuickBooks, Paychex, Workday, and more. Reduce manual data entry and ensure compliance with labor regulations.

Enterprises

Leverage API access and single sign-on to integrate Buddy Punch deeply into your tech stack. Scale user licenses easily and rely on dedicated support for fast issue resolution.

Benefits of Using Buddy Punch

Switching to Buddy Punch for your employee time clock needs delivers tangible benefits:

• Time Savings: Eliminate manual timesheet reviews and accelerate payroll processing.
• Cost Control: Reduce overspending on labor by tracking overtime and unapproved breaks in real time.
• Accuracy: Automated accruals and geofencing ensure precise PTO balances and location-based punches.
• Compliance: Detailed audit trails and report logs help you stay compliant with FLSA and other labor laws.
• Employee Accountability: Push notifications and photo verification keep everyone on schedule and honest.
• Scalability: Add new features or users as your business grows without the need for new software.

Customer Support

Buddy Punch prides itself on accessible, human-centered support. During business hours (Mon–Fri, 9 am to 6 pm CT), you can chat live with a knowledgeable agent who understands your questions and resolves issues promptly. After hours, leave a chat message or send an email, and support will get back to you on the next business day.

Pro and Enterprise plan customers also enjoy text support, ensuring you can reach real humans with real solutions exactly when you need them. Whether you’re troubleshooting a new feature or fine-tuning your geofence settings, quick and reliable assistance is always at your fingertips.

External Reviews and Ratings

Across software directories and case studies, Buddy Punch consistently earns praise for ease of use and comprehensive feature set. Users frequently highlight the intuitive mobile apps, clear reporting tools, and seamless QuickBooks integration as top reasons they switched.

Some users mention initial setup complexities when configuring advanced settings like API integrations or SSO. However, dedicated support and thorough documentation help overcome these hurdles quickly. Overall, feedback remains overwhelmingly positive, with many businesses reporting significant reductions in payroll errors and time theft after adoption.

Educational Resources and Community

Buddy Punch maintains a robust library of support materials, including step-by-step tutorials, video walkthroughs, and in-depth blog posts on best practices for workforce management. Webinars led by industry experts dive into optimizing schedules, reducing labor costs, and ensuring compliance.

Active community forums allow users to share tips, request features, and learn from peers. Whether you’re exploring best ways to structure PTO policies or customizing advanced reports, you’ll find answers and inspiration from a network of savvy business owners and HR professionals.

Conclusion

Managing your team’s hours, locations, and paid time off doesn’t have to be a headache. With Buddy Punch, you get a reliable employee time clock solution that handles everything from scheduling and punch verification to PTO accruals and payroll integration. Its affordability, ease of use, and robust support make it an excellent choice for businesses of every size. Ready to see how it can streamline your operations? Midway through adopting Buddy Punch, I was able to cut my payroll processing time in half and gain real-time visibility into labor costs.

Try Buddy Punch Free for 14 days Today and discover how effortless time tracking can transform your business’s productivity and bottom line.