A GPS time clock app built for guard sites, not office workers

Why a guard company needs more than a time clock

Most GPS time clock and time tracking apps are built for crews and office staff: clock in, clock out, export the hours. A guard company has two more people checking those hours. The guard wants every minute paid, and the client wants proof that the post was covered before paying the invoice. When the hours come from a paper sign-in sheet or a text message, every disagreement turns into an argument nobody can win.

GuardChek's time clock was built inside a working security company, so it starts from the questions an owner gets asked: was the guard there, when, for how long, and does the invoice match?

A GPS time clock with geofencing at every site

Each site gets its own clock-in geofence, either a circle with a radius you set in meters or a custom shape you draw on the map around the property. Guards clock in on the GuardChek app on their own iPhone or Android, and only inside that fence: wrong place, no clock-in. Every punch carries its time and location. Each guard's profile also has a selfie identity photo taken at first sign-in, so the office can put a face to every name.

For a security company, this is the check-in system that settles coverage questions. When a client disputes coverage, you open the shift and show the clock-in, the location and the time.

Know about a no-show early in the shift

If a guard does not clock in when the shift starts, or clocks in well after it, the office is alerted. Each person in the office chooses how: on the alert bell only, by email the moment it happens, or in a summary email. A missed 2 AM clock-in reaches you while there is still time to fill the post, not when the morning guard finds it empty. Our free no call, no show policy template covers what the office should do next.

Stay on site, or the office knows

On every plan, the office sees guards on shift on a live map, with a trail of where they went.

Some posts must never be left alone. On Growth and up, the alarm suite lets you draw a patrol boundary for those sites: the area the guard should stay inside during the shift. When a guard leaves it or turns off location, the office is alerted. The alert is off by default, so you switch it on only at the sites where leaving matters. The same suite adds app-silent detection: if a guard's app goes quiet for too long, the office gets alerted automatically.

Breaks that follow the site's rules

Break rules are set per site on every plan: paid or unpaid, how long, how soon after clock-in a break can start, and how close to clock-out a break is still allowed. Guards tap Start Break in the app, so breaks are recorded with the shift instead of argued about afterwards.

From punches to payroll and invoices

Late clock-outs prompt the guard for a reason at the time, and missed and late punches are flagged automatically. A shift with no clock-in or no clock-out is held back: it is not paid and not billed until someone sets the times, from the schedule or by hand. Everything else you can accept in bulk, site by site.

The payroll report then shows shift hours, accepted hours, breaks and gross payroll for any period, grouped per site or per guard. On Growth and up, the same verified hours fill your client invoices, at each position's regular or holiday rate, following the statutory holiday rules you set. See payroll from verified hours.

One app for the whole shift

The time clock is not a separate app. Clock-in lives in the same security guard app as the schedule, post orders, incident reports, the SOS button and, on Growth and up, guard tours, so guards carry one app and the office reads one record.

Frequently asked questions

Which plans include the GPS time clock?

Every plan, Starter included: GPS-verified clock in and out, the live map and break rules come with scheduling, incident reports, SOS, payroll and the guard app. Client invoicing, patrol boundary alerts (a guard leaving the boundary or turning off location) and app-silent detection come with Growth and up. See pricing.

Can guards clock in from home?

No. Clock-in requires GPS inside the site's geofence, a circle or a shape you draw around the property. Wrong place, no clock-in, and every punch carries its time and location.

Does it work as a security guard check-in system?

Yes. The clock-in is the guard's check-in at the post, and on plans with guard tours (Growth and up) guards also scan NFC checkpoints on their rounds.

What happens if a guard forgets to clock out?

The missing punch is flagged, and the shift is held back from payroll and billing until someone sets the time, from the schedule or by hand. Late clock-outs prompt the guard for a reason at the time.

Does the time clock track breaks?

Yes. Each site has its own break rules (paid or unpaid, length and timing), guards tap Start Break in the app, and breaks show in the payroll report.

Is there a free GPS time clock app for guards?

Not from us: GuardChek has no free plan and no free trial. The time clock comes with every plan, and each plan is one flat monthly price by company size (up to 25, 50 or 100 guards, with Enterprise above that), not per guard. Office logins do not count toward the guard limit. You can try it on your own phone in a live demo first.