Clock-in app: your team clocks in under 2 seconds
The time clock app your employees use to clock in and out from their phone — with one tap, by tapping an NFC base, or automatically by schedule. No punch clocks, no expensive hardware.
In short
Ficha.Work is a clock-in app for companies in Spain: each employee records their start and end time from their phone with one tap, by tapping an NFC base or automatically by schedule, even offline. It runs on Android, iOS and web, meets Spain's mandatory time-registration rule (art. 34.9 of the Workers' Statute) and costs €1/user/month + VAT, with a 14-day free trial.
What is an app to clock in?
An app to clock in (also called a time clock app) is a mobile application that lets employees record their work entry and exit times directly from their own smartphone. It replaces punch clocks, sign-in sheets and Excel with a digital, instant record that's compliant with work-time registration legislation.
With Ficha.Work, clocking in is as simple as tapping a button on your phone. The clock-in is recorded instantly in the cloud with the exact time, GPS location (optional), and worker identity. Managers check their team's clock-ins in real time and the company complies with the law without administrative effort.
A clock-in app for companies in Spain, explained in English
If you run a business in Spain, or manage staff here for a foreign company, the clock-in is not optional. Every company with employees in Spain must keep a daily record of each worker's start and finish time: the registro de jornada (art. 34.9 of the Workers' Statute, added by Royal Decree-law 8/2019 and applicable since 12 May 2019).
What the law asks for, in plain English
- The specific start and finish time of each employee's working day, recorded every day.
- Records kept for four years.
- Available to employees, their legal representatives and the Labour Inspectorate (Inspección de Trabajo).
- Not keeping it is a serious («grave») infringement under the LISOS, with fines from €751 to €7,500.
Who uses Ficha.Work in English
- English-speaking owners and managers of bars, restaurants, shops, agencies and clinics in Spain.
- Foreign companies with a Spanish entity and staff in Spain who need the record without learning the Spanish terminology first.
- Mixed teams: each person can switch the app between English and Spanish, and the record is the same for everyone.
For less standard set-ups (posted workers, or staff hired through an employer of record), check with your Spanish labour adviser (asesoría) who has to keep the record.
The Spanish terms you will hear
- Fichar / fichaje
- : clocking in and out.
- Registro de jornada
- : the daily working-time record the law requires.
- Incidencia
- : a time-correction request (a forgotten or wrong clock-in), approved by the manager.
- Inspección de Trabajo
- : the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate, which can ask to see the record.
Read the full guide to Spain's time-recording law.
Three ways to clock in with the app
One-tap manual clock-in
The employee opens the app and taps the entry or exit button. Clock-in is recorded with exact time and optional GPS location. The most versatile method, valid from any location.
NFC clock-in
Install an NFC base in the office (€35, one-time payment). Employees clock in by tapping their phone on the base. No app to open, no passwords. The fastest and most secure method.
Automatic schedule-based clock-in
Assign a schedule to the employee and the system sends a notification at entry time. The employee confirms their presence and the clock-in is recorded automatically.
Optional GPS
The system can record GPS location at clock-in time to verify the employee is at the correct location. GPS only activates at the moment of clock-in — no continuous tracking.
Clock-in under 2 seconds
With any of the three methods, clock-in completes in under 2 seconds. Less friction means higher adoption and fewer corrections to manage.
Security without biometrics
Individual credentials per worker without using biometric data. Spain's data protection authority (AEPD) considers biometric attendance control (fingerprint, facial recognition) high-risk processing that requires a prior impact assessment.
How it works step by step
Download the app
Available free on Google Play and App Store. The employee receives an activation link by email.
Clock in and out
One tap in the app, one tap on the NFC base, or confirm the automatic notification. Done.
Review and manage
Employees and managers check clock-ins, request corrections, and manage vacations from the same app.
Clock in even with no signal
On a building site, in a basement, a warehouse or a farm without 4G, the app keeps working. The clock-in is stored on the phone with the real time of the event —not the sync time— and is sent automatically as soon as the connection returns. There's nothing to switch on or configure.
How offline clock-in worksAndroid, iOS and web
Download the app free on Google Play (Android 8.0 or later) or the App Store (iOS 15.4 or later). Anyone who doesn't want to install anything can clock in from the browser at app.ficha.work, with the same account and the same history.
What the manager sees
While your team clocks in from the app, you manage everything from the web dashboard or from the same phone.
Real-time dashboard
Who is working right now, who clocked in late and each person’s accumulated hours, without asking anyone to send you their timesheet.
Traceable corrections
If someone makes a mistake or forgets to clock in, they request a correction from the app with the real time. You approve or reject it and the change is documented.
Forgotten clock-out reminders
Workers get a reminder if they have been clocked in too long without closing, or once their scheduled finish time has passed.
Inspection-ready reports
Download the monthly workday record in PDF or Excel, per worker or for the whole team, and keep it for the 4 years the law requires.
Is clocking in with an app legal? What RDL 8/2019 requires
Spain's Royal Decree-Law 8/2019 (article 34.9 of the Workers' Statute) requires recording each worker's daily start and finish time, but it doesn't mandate a specific method. Clocking in with a mobile app is a valid system as long as the record is reliable and available when requested.
- Daily record of each worker's real entry and exit time
- Individual credentials: each person clocks in with their own account, no biometric data
- Corrections through time-correction requests, with a full history of every change
- Records kept for 4 years and accessible to the worker, their representatives and the Labour Inspectorate
Ficha.Work meets these requirements and significantly reduces non-compliance risk, but the company is still responsible for using it properly: reviewing corrections and keeping the reports. See all the workday registration obligations.
Teams already clocking in with the app
Construction
On-site clock-in from the phone, with optional GPS and offline mode for basements and low-coverage areas.
Hospitality and restaurants
Split shifts, seasonal and fixed-discontinuous staff: pause whoever is not working and stop paying for them.
Retail and shops
One NFC base per shop and every clock-in in the same dashboard, with no punch-clock terminals.
Cleaning and services
Staff who rotate between client sites: they clock in where they work and GPS confirms the location if you need it.
Sales reps and field work
Clock in from any location, with the exact time and without going to the office.
Office and remote work
Clock in from the phone or the browser, also from home, with the same legal record.
Why choose Ficha.Work for clock-in?
Transparent pricing: €1/user/month with all features, no limited plans
Legal compliance: meets Spain's RDL 8/2019 (art. 34.9 of the Workers' Statute)
No expensive hardware: the employee's phone is the clock-in terminal
Optional NFC bases: €35 per unit, one-time payment, no subscription
Email support in English and Spanish, replying within 24 hours
Need more than just clocking in? See everything Ficha.Work's time tracking does for your business.
See time trackingApp to clock in — FAQ
Is the clock-in app free?+
The download is free. To clock in, the employee needs to be registered under a company account (€1/user/month + VAT). The trial lasts 14 days: a payment method is required, but nothing is charged until day 15.
Does it work without internet?+
Yes. If there's no connection, the app switches to offline mode automatically. The employee clocks in as usual and entries sync the moment connectivity returns, preserving the exact timestamp.
Does GPS drain battery?+
No. GPS only activates during the moment of clock-in (under 2 seconds). There's no background tracking or continuous battery drain.
Can I clock in without opening the app?+
Yes, with NFC bases. The employee taps their phone on the base and the clock-in is recorded automatically without opening the app.
Can employees see their clock-ins?+
Yes. Each employee can check their complete clock-in history, hours worked, and corrections from the app.
What phones are compatible?+
Android 8.0+ and iOS 15.4+. The vast majority of smartphones in use in Spain are compatible.
Can employees clock in from any location?+
Yes. Clocking in from a phone means your team can record entry and exit at the office, on-site, on client visits or while working remotely. If you need to confirm where people clock in, you can enable GPS verification.
Does it work for small businesses and self-employed with staff?+
Yes. Ficha.Work works the same for a 3-person business as for a 300-person one: you pay €1/user/month only for the people who clock in, with no minimums or lock-in.
Is it legal to clock your workday with a mobile app?+
Yes. Spain's RDL 8/2019 requires logging the workday but doesn't mandate a specific method, so clocking in from a mobile app is fully valid as long as it records the real entry and exit times and the data is retained. Ficha.Work stores every clock-in intact and exportable, ready for a labour inspection.
What happens if an employee forgets to clock in or out?+
The app sends a reminder if they have been clocked in too long without closing, or once their scheduled finish time has passed. If the slip has already happened, the worker creates a correction request with the real time and the manager approves it with one click. The change is recorded.
What does the manager see in the clock-in app?+
A real-time dashboard with who is working, each person’s accumulated hours, pending correction requests, and monthly PDF or Excel reports ready for an inspection.
How much does the clock-in app cost?+
€1/user/month + VAT, with all features included and no lock-in. NFC bases are optional: €35 per unit, one-time payment.
Do I need a card for the free trial?+
Yes. The trial lasts 14 days and a payment method is required at signup, but nothing is charged until day 15. If you cancel before then, you don't pay anything.
Is the app available in English?+
Yes. The app and the manager dashboard are available in English and Spanish, and each user can switch language in the app. Email support (ayuda@ficha.work) answers in English or Spanish.
We are a foreign company with staff in Spain. Do we need to record working hours?+
Yes: the daily working-time record (art. 34.9 of the Workers' Statute) is mandatory for every company with employees in Spain, whatever language the business runs in. For less standard set-ups, such as posted workers or staff hired through an employer of record, check with your Spanish labour adviser who must keep the record.
Download the app and start clocking in today
14-day free trial. Payment method required, nothing charged until day 15. Android, iOS, and web.
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