Overview: The Real-Time GPS Add-On enhances your ability to monitor and manage your team's location data during work hours.
This add-on is included with Enterprise plans, and can also be purchased as an add-on for the Starter and Pro plans for an additional $2.00 per user/per month.
Instructions:
What's Included?
Real-Time GPS Tracking—Monitor employees' locations in real-time while they're on the clock. View their current positions on a map and review their travel routes throughout the workday.
GPS Activity Reporting—Generate detailed reports showing GPS location history, helping to enhance productivity and accountability.
Real-Time Location Dashboard—Quickly view employee locations and activity from a centralized, intuitive dashboard.
Privacy-First Tracking—The system stops monitoring employees' locations as soon as they punch out, ensuring tracking occurs only during work hours to respect employee privacy.
Customizable Settings—Tailor location-tracking features to your organization's needs by making them required for all employees, optional, or required only for specific individuals.
How to Enable the Real-Time GPS Add-On
Important: If you're on the Enterprise plan, Real-Time GPS is included and can be enabled from the Settings --> GPS Settings page.
1. If you're on the Starter or Pro plan, start by clicking Settings in the top navigation, followed by Billing:
2. You can also access the Billing page by choosing your name in the top right-hand corner, followed by Billing:
3. Once on the billing page, find the Real-Time GPS option and click Add Now:
4. You can review your change and then proceed by clicking Next:
5. As a last step, choose the Update Plan option to complete the process:
Important: If you're in the middle of a year we'll prorate your
current year and the new plan price. Details will be in the emailed receipt.
6. Once your purchase is complete, you'll have access to Real-Time GPS via the Settings --> GPS Settings page.
FAQ
Q: What happens to my data after the add-on is removed?
A: Without the add-on, you will no longer have access to real-time GPS tracking features. However, standard GPS data captured at clock-in and clock-out will remain available.
Q: Can I enable the add-on for specific users only?
A: No, the add-on applies to all users in your account at the per-user monthly rate.
Q: Is this add-on available on all plans?
A: The Real-Time GPS Add-On is included with the Pro and Enterprise plans and is also available as an add-on to the Starter plan.
Q: Can employees view their own GPS punch history?
A: While employees can always see their punch times and locations on their personal timesheet, the detailed GPS punch history (with exact coordinates) isn’t visible to them. This helps keep location data secure while still giving everyone a clear view of their clock-in and clock-out records.
Q: Can employees view their GPS route history?
A: Currently, route mapping (the path between punch points) is only available to managers with the proper permissions and administrators. Employees can review their timesheet entries and locations, but the full “route” view remains a manager and administrator-facing feature to maintain data privacy.
Q: Can GPS be captured on breaks or mid-shift job switches?
A. Buddy Punch records GPS only at punch events—clock-in, clock-out, and mid-shift job switches. It does not generate a GPS stamp for time spent on break, but as soon as an employee clocks back in or switches tasks, a new GPS location is captured.
Q: What GPS accuracy can I expect, and is it audit-ready?
A: Buddy Punch relies on each device’s built-in GPS hardware, typically accurate to 5–10 meters outdoors (indoor accuracy may vary). Every GPS stamp is saved with a precise timestamp and latitude/longitude, so you can confidently use these records for internal audits and compliance checks.
Q: Can GPS data be exported?
A: No. GPS information is view-only: basic location stamps appear on Time Cards and the Dashboard, and real-time breadcrumbs show on Time Cards, the Dashboard, and the GPS Activity Report. There’s currently no export option for any GPS data.
Q: What happens in low-signal environments—will real-time GPS coordinates still be recorded?
A: If Real-Time GPS is On and an employee's GPS signal is lost or otherwise does not have a strong enough signal strength to successfully report GPS coordinates, they won’t be able to punch in, out, or switch between jobs.
If the employee is already punched in and loses signal, there will be no coordinates reflected on the GPS Activity Report or on the Map section of an employee's timecard during that timeframe.
Once there is a stable, strong connection again, the coordinates will be recorded from that point forward. This could appear as large gaps in the data points on the GPS Activity report and the employee's Map, as if an employee is "teleporting" from one location to another, rather than following a continuous route.