Attendance App Without Barcode – Looking for Ideas to Avoid High Update Usage

[Mehmet_Karaja]

Hi everyone,
I have a client who asked me to build an attendance app for their 20 workers. The challenge is:

• They’re on the Maker plan
• Barcode/QR scanning requires a Business plan and each scan uses 5 updates
• If each worker checks in and out once per day, that’s 40 updates daily, which means ~1,200 updates per month — too high for their use case

So I’m looking for alternatives to barcodes that don’t eat up updates.

---

Here’s what I’m currently thinking:

I’m considering a hybrid approach using deep links + GPS to avoid abuse and stay within the update limits:

• I’ll place a QR code at the entrance (just a static code that links to a hidden screen in the app via deep link)
• This screen is not visible in the menu and can only be accessed by scanning the QR
• On that screen:
  • There will be a Location Picker near the “Check In” button
  • The Check In button will only appear if the user’s location is within a geofence (e.g., within 100 meters of the entrance)
  • When the user taps the button, it records their user ID, time, date, and location

Since it’s all user-initiated and uses only CRUD actions, this should not consume any updates — which is great for scalability.

---

My Question:

Has anyone implemented something like this before?
What do you think of this solution — or do you have a better idea to keep the app simple, secure, and low on update usage?

I’d love to hear your thoughts or alternative suggestions. Thanks in advance!

[ThinhDinh]

@Mehmet_Karaja

When the user taps the button, it records their user ID, time, date, and location

Just want to confirm, this will write the location to a field of your choice, then you record that location to a new row in a new table right?

I think the approach is sound.

[ThinhDinh]

Radar accuracy issues in Glide

Hi everyone! I’m developing an employee time-tracking app in Glide, where employees are only allowed to clock in if they are physically at their designated workplace. I’m using the native integration with Radar, setting up the Radar - Track Once action, and I have connected the API Key successfully. However, I’ve noticed that the location returned by both Glide and Radar is not precise enough — sometimes it deviates by several meters, or even kilometers, especially indoors. This makes it very…

This thread is related to your use case.

[Mehmet_Karaja]

Hi,
My plan is to have the QR code link directly to the form page of the relevant table where location data will be stored. When a user scans the QR code, the form will open immediately, with the location toggle ready. Once the user enables location access, a button will appear allowing them to confirm their check-in or check-out. Upon clicking the button, the app will automatically capture the user’s ID, email, date/time, and location details.

[Jeff_Hager]

You could just use the distance column to measure the user’s distance to a location. If they are within range, then show certain components. No need to scan a barcode. They just need to be a certain distance from a location you specify.