Zeprub vs. spreadsheets and paper: the cost of tracking attendance by hand
Many businesses track attendance on a sheet people sign when they arrive, in a notebook or in a spreadsheet someone fills in at the end of the week. It costs nothing at first, but it costs time every month and leaves gaps. Zeprub has each employee clock in from their phone and gives you the hours already added up.
Cost
The sheet and the spreadsheet are free, but someone has to type the hours, add them up and check them every pay period. A mistake in a sum ends in paying too much or too little.
Zeprub costs US$4.99 a month up to 5 employees and US$9.99 a month from 6 to 15 employees, with no setup fee. From 16 employees you pay per active employee, and you can see the exact price in the calculator on the home page.
Setup
Paper doesn't need setting up, and neither does Zeprub: you create your account in the browser, place your location on the map and add your employees. If you already have them in Excel, you upload them with Zeprub's template. They clock in from their phone with nothing to install.
Made-up times and buddy punching
On a sheet, everyone writes whatever time they want, and a coworker can sign for someone else. Nobody can check later what time each person arrived or where from.
In Zeprub nobody types the time by hand: the system records it when they clock in. Each person clocks in with the fingerprint or face on their own phone, and the punch saves the location and, if you ask for it, a selfie. Punches that don't add up are flagged, and punches can't be edited: if one is wrong, it's voided with a reason and the record stays.
Hours for payroll
With paper or spreadsheets, late arrivals, absences and overtime are calculated by hand, and overtime is often agreed verbally.
Zeprub calculates hours using each employee's schedule. Overtime is approved by the supervisor and split by type. When you close the period you download the payroll summary in Excel, CSV or PDF, with one row per employee.
When each one makes sense
If you work with one or two trusted employees and the hours never change, a sheet may be enough. If you pay overtime, run more than one shift or aren't at the business all day, the time you spend adding up hours is worth more than Zeprub's price.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep using Excel with Zeprub?
Yes. The payroll summary downloads in Excel or CSV, and you can set up a format with the columns you use today.
Can I upload my employees from Excel?
Yes. You download the template, fill it in with your employees and upload it. You can also add them one by one or share a link so they sign up on their own.
Can my employees change the time on their punch?
No. Nobody types the time by hand: Zeprub records it when they clock in. If a punch is wrong, the employee asks for a punch correction and their supervisor approves or rejects it.
Do I have to stop using my sheet right away?
No. You can try Zeprub free for 15 days, with no card, while you keep your sheet, and compare the results.
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Payroll summary
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Clock in from your phone
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Zeprub vs. a time clock
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