Time Cards in Orcatec: A Complete Beginner's Guide

Reading time: ~7 min

Time Cards is where Orcatec records when each person starts and stops work. Your team clocks in and out, and the office sees hours per user on one page, ready to check and export for payroll.

This guide is for owners and office managers who run payroll, and for technicians who clock in every day. You will learn:

• What Time Cards records and who uses it
• How to clock in and out on the web and in the mobile app
• How GPS clock-in works
• How to read, filter and export the Timecards page
• A 15-minute weekly routine that catches mistakes before payroll

What Time Cards does

Time Cards answers one question: how long did each person work, and when? It is a clock, not a schedule. Appointments show where a technician was supposed to be. Time Cards shows when they were on the clock.

It works the same for a two-person handyman crew and a twelve-truck plumbing and HVAC shop. The bigger the team, the more time a clean weekly check saves.

Clocking in on the web

Every page in the Orcatec web app shows the clock at the top left.

1. Find the Clock in button at the top left of any page.
2. Look at the text next to it: Current status: Clocked out.
3. Click Clock in. Your status changes right away.
4. Click the same button again when you stop working to clock out. While you are clocked in, the button reads Clock out and the status line shows Clocked in with the time.

Top-left corner of the web app: the Clock in button and Current status: Clocked out.

Clocking in on the mobile app

Technicians usually clock in from the Orcatec mobile app. The steps below come from the public Clock in and out tutorial. Labels and menu positions can shift a little between app versions, so if your screen looks different, look for the same words.

Option 1: From the Appointments page

1. Log in to the mobile app. You land on the Appointments page.
2. Tap Clock In in the top right corner.
3. Your status changes immediately.

Option 2: From the Schedule

1. Tap the menu button in the top left corner.
2. Select Schedule.
3. Check today's appointments.
4. Tap Clock In in the top right corner.

Lunch and the end of the day

The recommended routine is simple:

1. Clock out when you start lunch.
2. Clock back in when you return.
3. Clock out at the end of the workday.

This keeps paid time and break time separate, so your hours are accurate without anyone editing them later.

Checking your own hours on mobile

1. Tap the menu button in the top left corner.
2. Tap your profile picture.
3. Select Time Card from the popup menu.
4. Choose a date range and review your hours.

Profile menu in the web app with the Timecards shortcut.

Why should technicians check their own time card? Optional

When technicians check their own hours each Friday, missing clock-outs get fixed while everyone still remembers the day. It also builds trust: people who can see exactly what was recorded are less worried about how the data is used.

Clock-in with GPS

Orcatec can require a location when employees clock in from the mobile app. According to the public tutorial, this is the Clock-in with GPS setting in Settings > Users, and employees with it turned on can only clock in when location services are enabled on their phone. Path: Settings > Users & Groups > open the user > Use Clock-in with GPS. When it is on, that user can clock in only from the Android or iOS app with location services enabled; clock-in via the browser is not possible.

1. Click More, then Settings.
2. Open the users section and select the employee.
3. Turn on Clock-in with GPS.
4. Save.

Settings user profile with the Clock-in with GPS setting

Before you turn it on, tell your team what is recorded and when. People accept location data much more easily when they hear about it from you first, not from a notification. The post on GPS tracking your technicians without killing trust includes a short policy and a meeting script. Location rules vary by state, and this is general information, not legal advice.

GPS clock-in vs live GPS tracking Advanced

GPS clock-in records location when someone clocks in. Live locations and trails on the Map are a separate optional add-on, GPS Tracking, and need technicians using the mobile app. See the Map guide for how trails and routes appear.

The Timecards page

This is where the office reviews everyone's hours.

1. Click More in the top menu.
2. Click Time Cards. The Timecards page opens.

Timecards page with columns, timezone selector and week date range

Columns

Tools on the page

Timecards toolbar with Search timecards, export, fullscreen and settings icons

Weekly payroll-prep routine

Run this every week, on the same day, before you send hours to payroll. It takes about 15 minutes for a small team.

1. Open More > Time Cards and set the date range to the pay week.
2. Scan Current Status. Anyone still Clocked In from a past day probably forgot to clock out. Ask them for the real end time.
3. Check Days Worked against the Dispatch board. A technician with appointments on a day but no time on the clock needs a follow-up.
4. Look for unusually long days in Time Worked. A 14-hour day may be real during a heat wave or a freeze, or it may be a forgotten clock-out.
5. Resolve every issue before exporting. If an hour total needs correcting, follow your company's process and write down what changed and why.
6. Click the export icon and send the file to payroll or your bookkeeper.
7. Keep the exported file with that week's payroll records.

Frequently asked questions

Is Time Cards included in every Orcatec plan?

No. Time Cards is an optional add-on. If Time Cards does not appear under More, ask your account admin to add it to the subscription.

What happens if a technician forgets to clock out?

Their Current Status stays Clocked In, so the hours for that day are wrong until someone fixes them. Catch it in the weekly routine: look for anyone still clocked in from a past day and confirm the real end time with them.

Should technicians clock out for lunch?

Yes. The recommended routine is to clock out at lunch, clock back in after, and clock out at the end of the day. It keeps break time out of paid hours.

Can I see hours for one employee only?

Yes. Use Search timecards on the Timecards page and set the date range you need.

Does GPS clock-in track technicians all day?

GPS clock-in is about the moment of clocking in. Live locations and trails on the Map are a separate optional add-on, GPS Tracking.

Checklist for your first week of Time Cards

• Confirm Time Cards appears under More
• Show every employee the Clock in button and Current status on the web
• Show technicians Clock In in the mobile app and the lunch routine
• Decide whether to use Clock-in with GPS, and tell the team before you turn it on
• Pick one timezone for payroll and use it every export
• Put the weekly payroll-prep routine on your calendar
• Run your first export and check it with your bookkeeper

Time data works best when your team knows what is recorded and why. Read GPS Tracking Your Technicians Without Killing Trust before you roll out location features.