Choosing between per-employee and per-location time clock pricing comes down to three numbers: store count, employees per store and holiday peak. See how to run the comparison, with a worked example and vendor questions.
Table of Contents
- What each meter counts
- How retail turnover changes the math
- Run the numbers: a 20-store example
- Questions to ask every vendor
Choosing between per-employee and per-location time clock pricing comes down to three numbers you already have: store count, average employees per store and holiday peak. In retail, where roughly 45% of staff turn over each year, they decide whether your bill follows a moving headcount or a store count that stays put.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports retail trade separations averaging 3.8% of employment a month in 2025 (checked November 5, 2026). Over twelve months that is roughly 45%, our arithmetic rather than a BLS figure. Yours will differ.
hrPad by CloudApper AI is a time clock and kiosk that runs on tablets you already own and syncs punches with UKG. UKG keeps your pay rules. hrPad sits at the punch and carries its own license, and CloudApper will quote the unit that fits your stores.
What each meter counts
A third-party pricing guide describes UKG as pricing per employee per month, which is easy to forecast for a steady workforce. The question is how a meter behaves when people keep changing.
How retail turnover changes the math
Headcount and people are different numbers. A chain holding 400 employees all year and losing 45% hires about 180 replacements, so roughly 580 different people hit the payroll. A meter counting everyone on record sees 580, and a snapshot sees 400. Add a 30% holiday peak and the count reaches 520 for a couple of months. Lag matters too: someone who quit in September stays counted until the paperwork clears. The contract just has to say what counts.
hrPad
Employee Self-Service Kiosk
Extend UKG with AI-powered HR on iPad, Android, and Windows.
Run the numbers: a 20-store example
Take 20 stores with 20 employees each. These figures are illustrative, so swap in your own.
hrPad
Employee Self-Service Kiosk
Bring AI-powered HR services to every UKG workplace tablet.
Multiply each count by the rate you are quoted. Per-location often comes out ahead when stores are busy and staff change often. Per-employee can win when stores are small or staff are steady.
Questions to ask every vendor
- Which statuses count: active, paid, enrolled, or any record touched in the period?
- When is the count taken: snapshot, average, peak or year end?
- Is there a true-up at renewal, and what caps the increase?
- How are rehires and people who work at two stores counted?
Get answers in writing. Our UKG renewal checklist for time clock hardware covers the hardware side.
hrPad
Employee Self-Service Kiosk
Modernize UKG with an AI tablet built for frontline employees.
This article is general information, not contract advice. Terms vary by vendor, so confirm them with each one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between per-employee and per-location pricing?
Per-employee counts people, and per-location counts stores. The first moves with headcount, the second with store openings and closures.
Does turnover raise a per-employee bill?
Not by itself. A leaver and a hire cancel out if the contract counts active staff at a set date. The bill rises if everyone on record in the period counts, or if terminated records stay active.
Is per-location pricing cheaper for retail?
Not automatically. It often wins for busy stores with frequent turnover and loses for small ones, so multiply your own counts by the quoted rates.
hrPad
Employee Self-Service Kiosk
Transform shared tablets into intelligent UKG HR kiosks.
Does changing the time clock change my UKG license?
No. The clock captures punches, and pay rules and configuration stay in UKG. Confirm contract specifics with your UKG account team.
Want help sizing your stores before you ask for quotes?
Contact CloudApper and we will go through your store count, headcount and holiday peak, and explain how hrPad by CloudApper AI would be licensed for your chain.
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