UK's Leading Time & Attendance
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InfoTime is one of those clocking in machine brands that has quietly powered UK workplaces for decades. If you've walked into a small factory, garage or workshop and seen a sturdy time recorder mounted on the wall printing onto clock cards, there's a good chance it was an InfoTime. In this guide we explain how InfoTime time recorders work, why they remain popular, and how to keep yours running for years to come.
What Is InfoTime?
InfoTime, also known as 1st Time Tech InfoTime, is a range of mechanical and semi-automatic time recorders designed for businesses that want straightforward, reliable employee time tracking without any computer software. The two best-known models are the InfoTime MK10 and the InfoTime MK30, both of which are still in daily use across the UK.
These machines work on a simple principle: an employee inserts their clock card, the machine grips the card, prints the exact time and date, and ejects it. No buttons, no menus, no logins. It's clocking in at its most reliable.
Why UK Businesses Still Choose InfoTime
There are three big reasons mechanical time recorders like InfoTime continue to sell well in 2026:
1. Zero training required. New starters can use the machine on day one without any explanation. Insert card, wait for click, remove card.
2. No internet or power-related downtime. Unlike cloud-based systems, a mechanical recorder isn't affected by router problems or Wi-Fi blackspots. As long as the mains is on, it works.
3. Tamper-resistant by design. Because timings are physically printed in ink on a card, there's no digital log to alter. The card itself is the record, which makes payroll disputes far easier to resolve.
That said, InfoTime machines do require regular maintenance to keep prints clear and legible. The most common issue is a worn-out ribbon.
How to Replace an InfoTime Ribbon
The InfoTime MK10 uses a cartridge ribbon, while the MK30 uses a spool ribbon. Both are easy to swap out in under two minutes:
- Open the front cover of the recorder.
- Lift out the old ribbon (cartridge slides up, spools unhook from the spindles).
- Drop in the new ribbon, making sure the ink ribbon sits flat across the print head.
- Close the cover and test with a spare clock card.
If the print is faint after replacement, gently tighten the ribbon by turning the spool until any slack is taken up. We stock genuine InfoTime MK10 and MK30 ribbons alongside replacements for every other major brand.
Keeping Your Clock Cards Sorted
A time recorder is only as good as the cards going through it. Storing them properly in a wall-mounted clock card rack keeps everything tidy, makes it instantly clear who is on site, and stops cards getting damaged or lost. We supply InfoTime-compatible clock cards in a wide range of sizes - browse our full time card range to find the right match for your machine.
When to Upgrade From InfoTime
For many businesses, an InfoTime recorder will keep working faithfully for another decade. But if any of the following apply, it might be time to consider an upgrade:
- You're spending too much time totalling cards by hand for payroll
- You suspect buddy punching is happening on shifts
- You've grown beyond 10-15 employees and the queue at the recorder is getting longer
- You want remote visibility of who is clocked in across multiple sites
The natural next step is a biometric fingerprint clocking in machine. These eliminate buddy punching, calculate hours automatically, export straight to payroll, and pay for themselves within months thanks to recovered time. For businesses with multiple locations or remote teams, our cloud clocking in systems add full mobile app clocking and live attendance dashboards.
Compare Modern Alternatives
If you're weighing up options, our best-selling clocking in machines page shows the top three picks among UK buyers right now, including the GeoTime 10 fingerprint terminal and the GeoFace F100 Pro multi-biometric clock. Each comes with free UK installation support, a three-year hardware warranty and free payroll export to Sage.
Conclusion
InfoTime time recorders have earned their place as workhorses of UK time and attendance. Whether you're keeping yours going with a fresh ribbon and new clock cards, or you're ready to step up to a modern biometric or cloud system, Time Systems UK is here to help. Call us on 0800 808 7733 with your model number and we'll match you with the right ribbon, card, or replacement machine. Established since 1985, we've supplied over 50,000 UK businesses with clocking solutions that simply work.