PunchMe frequently asked questions
Updated 2026-11-07
What is PunchMe?
PunchMe is attendance, leave and payroll software for small and mid-sized businesses in India. Employees punch in and out from a phone app, and owners and HR manage everything from a web dashboard and the PunchMe Manager app. See Getting started.
How long is the free trial?
New companies get a free trial, 30 days by default, and you don't need a card to start. We remind the owner 7, 3 and 1 days before it ends. See Getting started.
What happens when the trial ends?
The account is locked until you top up your wallet with enough for the first month. Your data is kept. See Billing and wallet.
How is PunchMe billed?
PunchMe uses a prepaid wallet. Each month we charge your active employee count (minimum 1) times your plan rate, plus 18% GST, and issue a GST tax invoice. See Billing and wallet.
What happens if my wallet runs out?
We warn staff who manage billing before renewal, in the app and by email. If the balance is too low at renewal, the account is paused until you top up the full amount. See Billing and wallet.
Where do employees get the app?
Android users get PunchMe from Google Play. The iPhone app has the same features. See Employee app.
Is there an iPhone app?
Yes, the employee app and the Manager app are both built for iPhone with the same screens as Android. Until it is listed in the App Store for your region, iPhone users can punch on an office kiosk. See Employee app.
How do employees sign in?
They enter the work email HR added for them and type the 6-digit code we email them. There is no password, no SMS and no company code. See Employee app.
An employee didn't get the sign-in code. What should they do?
Check the spam folder, then tap Resend code after 45 seconds. The code works for 10 minutes. If it never arrives, check the email on their profile in the dashboard. See Employee app.
An employee got a new phone and can't sign in. What do I do?
Each employee can punch from only one phone. Open their profile in the dashboard or the Manager app and tap Reset device, then they sign in on the new phone. See Device binding.
Does an employee need a device reset after signing out?
No. Signing out keeps the phone registered, so they can sign back in on the same phone. Reinstalling the app or changing phones does need a reset. See Device binding.
Can one phone be used by two employees?
Not with the employee app, because each account is bound to its own phone. For shared punching, set up an office kiosk.
Does PunchMe store photos of employees?
No. The phone turns the face into a set of numbers and only those numbers are sent, encrypted. No selfie or photo is uploaded. See Face check.
Can someone punch with a fake GPS app?
PunchMe checks every punch for fake GPS, and by default those punches are blocked. It also checks the phone with Google Play Integrity or Apple App Attest and checks the office area. See Punch rules.
Why was a punch refused?
The app shows the reason. Common causes are fake GPS, weak GPS, being outside the office area, a failed face check, or a holiday when punching is blocked. See Punching and Geofence and GPS.
Can employees punch without internet?
Yes. The app checks face and location, saves the punch on the phone, and syncs it when the network is back. It must sync within 72 hours, and by default it is flagged for review. See Offline punch.
What is a flagged punch?
A punch that broke one of your rules but was allowed through for review, such as an offline punch or a weak GPS reading. HR keeps it or rejects it, which marks the day absent. See Flagged punches.
Can staff without smartphones punch?
Yes. Set up a shared tablet as an office kiosk, and staff punch with their face. You can also ask them to enter their employee code. See Kiosk.
What if an employee forgot to punch?
They tap the day in the app's Attendance tab and request a correction with a reason. Their manager and then HR may both need to approve it. See Corrections.
Does PunchMe track employees all day?
No. Location is taken only when someone punches or logs a client visit. Field tracking runs only if you turn it on for an employee, they agree in the app, and they are checked in. See Field tracking.
Is there an app for owners and HR?
Yes. PunchMe Manager lets you approve requests, see today's attendance, review flagged punches, call staff and post notices. You sign in with your dashboard email and password. See Manager app.
Can I approve everything from the Manager app?
You can decide leave, corrections, expenses, overtime, profile changes, documents and resignations. Loans and advances are approved on the web because you set repayment terms there. See Manager app.
Why do I only see some tabs in the Manager app?
Tabs and cards follow your role's permissions. For example, the People tab needs permission to view employees. See Roles and permissions.
Can I limit what my HR team sees?
Yes. Give each person a role and, if needed, limit them to one office or department. They then see and get alerts only for those employees. See Roles and permissions.
Which notifications does PunchMe send?
Employees get pushes for decisions on their requests, payslips, notices and helpdesk replies. Managers get in-app alerts and Android pushes for requests waiting for them. A short list of important events also goes by email. See Notifications.
Why don't I get push notifications on my iPhone Manager app?
Push isn't available in the iPhone Manager app yet. Check More → Notifications inside the app. See Notifications.
How do I send a message to all employees?
Post a notice from the dashboard or the Manager app. Every active employee, or one office, gets a push and sees it under the bell in their app. See Notices.
How do I update the app?
The app shows a bar at the top when a new version is ready. Tap Update. Never uninstall to update, because a reinstall needs a device reset. See App updates.
Can I run payroll in PunchMe?
Yes. PunchMe calculates salaries from attendance and leave, with PF, ESI, PT, LWF and TDS. It produces payslips, statutory files and bank upload files. See Payroll.
Which states are covered for professional tax?
PT rules are set up for Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, and LWF for Maharashtra and Karnataka. In other states, check those deductions yourself before you finalise payroll. See Statutory compliance.
Where do employees see payslips?
In the app's Profile tab under Payslips, once payroll for that month is finalised. They also get a "Payslip ready" push. See Payslips.
Can I import all my employees at once?
Yes. In Employees, click Import CSV. You can import up to 500 rows at a time, and rows with errors are skipped and shown so you can fix them. See Getting started.
Is the Ask PunchMe chat an AI?
No. Ask PunchMe answers from a set of common questions and can show employees their own data, like leave balance and holidays. For anything else, they raise a helpdesk ticket. See Helpdesk.
How do I close my account or get a copy of my data?
There is no self-serve option yet. Email support@punchme.online and we'll help. You can download CSV reports at any time. See Data privacy and audit.