Square’s built-in time tracker is Square Shifts time tracking. It records employee clock-ins, clock-outs, breaks, shift history, and overtime as digital timecards. Staff can clock in at a Square POS register with a personal passcode or, if enabled, through the Square Team app. Managers review timecards in Square Dashboard. The feature can support payroll preparation, but Square Payroll requires its own setup and subscription.
What Square’s time tracker records
Square Shifts creates a digital timecard when a team member clocks in. A timecard groups a set of shifts, generally around a business’s pay period, and can include shifts that are still in progress as well as completed shifts. The records cover hours worked, breaks, shift history, and overtime. Managers can review timecards for a selected timeframe or pay period.
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For an overview of the product, see Square’s Square Shifts page.
How employees clock in
At a Square POS register
Employees can clock in and out on a register using their individual passcodes. Each team member needs a personal passcode assigned before time tracking can begin.
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In the Square Team app
Square also supports clock-ins through the Square Team app when the account is configured to allow them. Square describes geofencing as an option for enforcing app-based clock-ins. Team members can use the app to view their timecards and scheduled hours.
Set up time tracking
- Assign passcodes. In Square Dashboard, make sure each team member has a personal passcode.
- Enable tracking. In the Square POS app, the documented path is Settings > Shifts > Track team member time. In Dashboard, use Staff > Settings > Clock in/out and choose the relevant POS mode.
- Choose clock-in rules. Configure app clock-ins and any available controls for early, unscheduled, or end-of-shift clock-outs. The options available depend on the account’s plan.
- Review timecards. An account owner or a team member with the shifts permission can manage timecard reports in Square Dashboard.
These paths and labels are from Square’s US setup documentation; menu names can change. See Square’s time-tracking setup instructions for the current details.
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Plan eligibility and clock-in controls
Square’s US support article lists time tracking for Square Shifts Free and Plus, Square for Retail Free, Plus, and Premium, and Square for Restaurants Free, Plus, and Premium. It separately says that automatic clock-out and blocking early or unscheduled clock-ins require Shifts Plus or Premium Plans. Plan names, bundles, and availability may change, so check the subscriptions and settings shown in your Square Dashboard before relying on a particular control.
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Timecard information can support Square Payroll preparation and reduce the need to enter hours manually. Square Payroll is a separate product that requires its own setup and subscription. If you use a third-party payroll provider, Square documents exporting timecards from the Shifts Dashboard; do not assume that every payroll provider receives an automatic direct sync.
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Square’s reporting documentation includes timecard and scheduling reports, such as labor percentage of net sales and scheduled-versus-actual labor. These are available report types and metrics, not a guarantee of lower labor costs. See Square’s timecard and scheduling report guide.
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Businesses building their own labor or payroll workflows can use Square’s Labor API to access timecards and scheduled shifts. The reference describes work hours, breaks, declared cash tips, payroll processing, and labor-cost calculations, with searches by location, period, status, and team-member assignments. The cited API reference is labeled version 2026-08-19; developers should consult the reference for the version and endpoints applicable to their integration: Square Labor API reference.
Is Square Shifts the right time tracker?
Square Shifts is a practical starting point when employees already use Square POS and the business needs timecards tied to its Square workflow. Before choosing it, check whether your account’s plan includes the clock-in controls you need, whether app clock-ins and geofencing fit your workplace, and whether your payroll process can use Square Payroll or a timecard export. The cited Square materials document these workflows, but do not establish that Square is superior to other time-tracking services or quantify savings in time, errors, or labor costs.
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