Time card
Records clock-ins, clock-outs, breaks, absences and employee attendance hours.
Practical guide · examples included
A timesheet and a time card are not the same thing.
A time card answers “when was the employee at work?”. A timesheet answers “which client, project or activity received the work?”. Using both prevents confusion between attendance, payroll and billing.
Timesheet
Allocates worked hours to clients, projects, jobs and activities.
Quick comparison
| Aspect | Time card | Timesheet |
|---|---|---|
| Main question | When were they present? | What did they work on? |
| Data source | Punches and absence reasons | Manual entry or project activity |
| Typical use | Attendance and pre-payroll | Costing, billing and analysis |
| Unit | Clock-in, clock-out and duration | Hours per client or activity |
| Owner | Employee and manager | Employee, project manager or admin |
| Useful check | Missing punches | Unallocated or excess hours |
When to use them together
One day may contain 8 attendance hours split into 5 hours for Client A, 2 for Client B and 1 internal hour. Compare the totals rather than replacing one with the other.
FAQ
Does a timesheet replace a time card?
No. They measure different things: attendance and where the hours went.
Must the hours always match?
Often, but travel, breaks, training, rounding and internal rules can create differences that need review.
Which one is used for payroll?
The time card is commonly the attendance starting point; the exact workflow depends on contracts, country and payroll provider.