Configure clock-in restrictions and fraud detection for your team
🔒 How to Configure Clock-in Restrictions and Fraud Detection for your Team
Protect your retail business from "buddy punching" and off-site clock-ins by enforcing hardware restrictions and mandatory photo verification for every shift.
In a busy retail environment, ensuring that the staff member clocking in is physically present at the store is vital for payroll accuracy and labor cost control. Easyteam offers multiple layers of fraud detection—from restricting usage to your Shopify POS hardware to requiring a live "selfie" photo verification—so you can manage your team with absolute confidence.
1. Restrict Clock-in to Shopify POS Hardware Only
This restriction prevents staff from clocking in from external devices when they are off-site. When this is OFF, staff can clock in from any device, including personal mobile devices, where they are logged into the Easyteam app.
You can control this restriction on a per-staff-member basis so some staff are allowed to clock in from any device, including personal mobile devices.
To manage this restriction per staff member:
➡️ Open the Easyteam app from your Shopify Admin.
➡️ Navigate to Staff page in the main menu.
➡️ Click on staff member from the list to access their Easyteam profile.
➡️ Locate the Fraud Prevention and Device Restrictions.
➡️ Toggle the switch for Allow to clock-in/out only from the Shopify POS tiles only to ON to restrict, or OFF to allow all devices.
➡️ Click Save at the top of the screen.
2. Mandatory Clock-in Photo Verification
For verification purposes, you can require team members to submit a live selfie photo when starting their shift.
This prevents "buddy punching", where one employee clocks in for another, because every entry is backed by visual proof.
The Staff Experience (How it Works on POS)
Once enabled, the clock-in flow on the Shopify POS changes automatically for that staff member:
➡️ Step 1: Staff enters their PIN on the Easyteam Clock-In POS Tile.
➡️ Step 2: The POS displays a dynamic Verification QR Code specifically for that shift start.
➡️ Step 3: Staff scans the QR code using their personal phone camera [no app login required], or any other device that has a camera
➡️ Step 4: They capture a selfie and hit Submit. The POS screen instantly updates to show the shift has started.
Setting Up Photo Requirements for Staff
➡️ Go to the Staff page in Easyteam.
➡️ Locate the Fraud Prevention and Device Restrictions section on a staff member's profile.
➡️ Check the box labeled Require photo on clock-in through POS tiles
➡️ Click Save.
💡 Reviewing Photos: Admins can see these photos by going to the Timesheets tab and clicking the camera icon next to the shift entry.
3. Restrict Clock-in to Authorized "Whitelisted" Devices
For merchants requiring total hardware control, Device Whitelisting is the most secure option. This blocks clock-ins from every device - even within the store - unless you have explicitly authorized that specific device ID in your account.
This ensures that employees cannot use an unauthorized back-office computer or a hidden tablet to bypass store policies.
➡️ This is an advanced security feature that requires activation by our technical team.
➡️ To activate Whitelisting, click the live chat bubble in the bottom-right of your screen and message us about the feature.
➡️ Once enabled, admins will be able to add devices to a list of 'Authorized Devices', and all other devices will remain blocked.
Troubleshooting & Common Questions
❓What if the QR code expires?
The QR code is active for 5 minutes for security. If it expires, simply exit the tile and enter your PIN again to generate a new code.
❓ Can I require photos for managers but not staff?
Yes! Photo verification is configured at the individual staff level, giving you the flexibility to apply it only where it's needed most.
❓ What are some best practices to reduce time clock fraud?
We recommend to ask all your staff members to take a selfie image at the same position and angle in your retail location so you can quickly skim over their pictures and verify the timesheets.
Next Steps
Updated on: 10/12/2025