E-signatures are transforming how businesses sign documents. They help businesses sign, send, and manage documents from anywhere and at any time. Businesses can also speed up their overall document turnaround time, save money on printing, scanning, and mailing, and more easily manage their confidential documents. E-signatures have been considered legally valid and accepted globally since the early 2000's, helping businesses avoid the chaos manual paperwork.
However, each region has specific legal requirements for electronic signatures. One such regulation is the Electronic Identification, Authentication and Trust Services, or "eIDAS," for the European Union (EU).
As per eIDAS regulation, there are three levels of electronic signatures. Let's go over the differences in plain English:
Simple electronic signature: This is the most widely used method, where e-signatures are just the digital images of handwritten signatures appended to a document. With these signatures, the signer's identity is not verified. This method is ideal for everyday transactions, like sales agreements, procurement documents, and so on.
Advanced electronic signature: In this method, the e-signature must be linked to its signer, which enables the signer to be formally identified and ensures that the document can't be altered. This method is best suited for high-end transactions.
Qualified electronic signature: A qualified electronic signature (popularly known as 'QES') is the highest level of compliance according to eIDAS. It involves face-to-face identity verification of the signers and a digital certificate from a Trust Service Provider (TSP). Documents signed with QES are considered to be the legal equivalent of signing documents with pen and paper. This method is mandated in regulated transactions like banking, finance, healthcare, government, etc.
Zoho Sign partners with Trust Service Providers:
We're excited to begin our partnership with Uanataca, one of the most trusted identity verification services in the European Union. To sign documents with Qualified Electronic Signature(QES) in Zoho Sign, signers will now go through one-time face-to-face video-call verification with a trusted Uanataca agent. We're also planning to partner with more TSPs in the coming months.
With more and more business agreements being done online, it's important to invest in a secure and trusted signing process. Zoho Sign lets companies sign, send, and manage documents remotely. On top of that, it also offers Ethereum-based timestamping, EU data centers, and QES for additional security. You can try the app and see for yourself!
We offer comprehensive help documentation for our users to get started. If you prefer instructional videos over documents, you can avail our webinar recording - Qualified Electronic Signature(QES) in Zoho Sign.
You can find our comprehensive features and pricing chart here. If you are new to Zoho Sign, sign up for a free 14-day Enterprise trial here. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to write to us at support@zohosign.com.
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