Fingerprint Reader Vs HandPunch

The two most popular Biometric Time Clocks on the market are the Fingerprint Reader and the HandPunch. Both readers provide a secure registration method and can be integrated with a Time and Attendance software for automatic payroll calculations. Although they are both biometric readers, each has their advantages and disadvantages.

Fingerprint Readers are more popular because of their affordability: a unit can be purchased for as low as $200. There are a lot of companies that manufacture time clocks using fingerprint technology; one of the larger companies is ZK Technology.

HandPunch are more expensive and not as popular because of the cost; they generally start over $1,000 and go to over $3,000 depending on the model and features. The only company that manufactures HandPunch devices is Ingersoll Rand.

On the other hand, HandPunch readers are much more durable than Fingerprint Reader. In some companies, such as factories, construction sites and mechanic shops, there is no way for employees to avoid having dirty hands when using the time clock. Fingerprint Reader scans a finger to identify an employee; if the finger is dirty, the reader will not be able to match the employee’s fingerprint with the one in the database. In addition, the dirt might be left on the sensor preventing the next employee from registering. In such cases, Hand Reader such as HandPunch would be a better solution: this device measures the employee’s hand geometry from a distance, rather than use a scanner. Work environments in which dust or dirt is an issue, a Hand Reader is a much better solution.

HandPunch are much larger in size than Fingerprint Readers. Generally Hand Readers are 5-6 times larger and heavier than Fingerprint Readers. Fingerprint Reader are easier to assemble; usually, you can attach it to a wall with 2 small screws. HandPunch needs to be attached to the wall in a more sturdy fashion because it is heavier and users tend to push down on the hand plate when punching in.

The last part is device functionality; this depends on the device manufacturers and the device model. You should look at number of employees device can support, number of transactions it can store, connection interfaces such as serial, USB, network, Wi-Fi and GSM.