Which eSignature Standard should I use?

Quick overview:

Unlike wet signatures, not all eSignatures carry the same legal weight

Common standards include SES, AE, and QES

Best solution: Select eSignature Standard per individual use case

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Legal Weight:                                        Basic   |     High     |     Max     

QES: Qualified Electronic Signature

A Qualified Electronic Signature carries the highest legal weight. The identity of the signatory is confirmed with an online ID verification method with facial scan. In Switzerland there is an added manual agent review.

AES: Advanced Electronic Signature

An Advanced Electronic Signature carries high legal weight. An email address and a phone number are required to confirm the identity of the signatory.

SES: Simple Electronic Signature

A Simple Electronic Signature carries basic legal weight. An email address is required to confirm the identity of the signatory.

Are eSignatures legal?

The legal validity of eSignatures is governed by laws and standards depending on the place of jurisdiction of a contract. 

Check out our detailed page about the legal validity for an in-depth overview. 

It’s important to note that not all eSignatures are created equal: Because documents vary in content and require different legal weight depending on the use case, there are different types of eSignatures with unique attribues and ideal use cases for each. 

SES vs. AES vs. QES: An Overview

There are three types of electronic signatures available: SES, AES and QES.

Standard

Legal Weight

Identification Requirements

Area of Application

Examples

Basic

  • Email address

B2B contracts or internal documents without legal formal requirement

  • NDA
  • Supplier contract
  • Internal document
  • Customer contract (B2B)

High

  • Email address
  • Phone number

B2B contracts or internal documents without legal formal requirement

  • NDA
  • Supplier contract
  • Internal document
  • Customer contract (B2B)

Maximum

  • Email address
  • Forgery-proof online ID verification with facial scan comparison (EU)
  • + Manual agent review (CH)

Documents with legal form requirements

  • Consumer credit contract
  • Entries with authorities
  • Audit reports

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Making sense of it all

A detailed look at the types of available eSignatures

Entry level:
Simple Electronic Signature

The SES is holds the lowest legal weight of types available, and is best suited for simple everyday documents that don’t require any type of advanced identification.

Identification of an SES signature happens through email: Anyone who has an email address can start signing using SES on Certifaction today. 

SES is suitable for B2B contracts or internal documents because of the business email address as trust anchor.

Attempted illustration of document privacy
Illustration of sign button in existing software

A regular in B2B business:
Advanced Electronic Signature

One step above sits the AES: Still a low hurdle to entry, the AES is ideal for for legally valid B2B contracts where the law does not require a specific form.

Identification of an AES signature happens through a mobile phone number in addition to a valid email address.

Compared to the SES, the AES has higher legal weight.

 

The highest level:
Qualified Electronic Signature

For some documents, there are government-issued legal form requirements. The QES is the highest standard of eSignatures, and provides a maximum of legal weight. It also provides the highest level of security regarding identification.

Identification of a QES signatory happens either online via video-call, face-to-face identification with a registered agent, or – the most comfortable option – using ID and facial recognition software on a smartphone.

Illustration of sign button in existing software

Summary: Which eSignature to pick

Which eSignature type to use depends on the requirement of the document to be signed.

The basic Simple Electronic Signature (SES) only requires an email adress, making it good enough for most B2B contracts, but insufficient for tamper-proof identification: Personal email addresses hold no identification value at all (hotboy97@gmail.com, anyone?).

The Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) is also suitable for B2B interactions, as it requires an email address as well as a phone number. It allows identification via a corporate email address and adds an additional verification step by sending a code to a phone number.

For a very specific type of document with legal form requirements, QES is the only valid option, providing a maximum of legal weight.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for general information purposes only and is not intended to serve as legal advice. Should you have specific legal questions, you should consult with a licensed attorney in your area.

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FAQs

Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions

Are Certifaction's eSignatures legally valid?
Yes, our e-signatures are fully legally valid and meet all relevant standards, such as eIDAS, ZertES, UETA and ESIGN. You can choose between different signature types that best suit your use case.
What is the Zero Document Knowledge technology and what are the advantages?
Unlike many other providers, our technology allows you to sign documents without us ever seeing their contents. Your documents are processed locally and can be end-to-end encrypted and therefore remain illegible to us (and others).

In addition, we offer the option of storing the documents in your own data center or on ISO 27001-certified servers in Switzerland or an EU country.

Is there a white-labeled version of Certifaction?
Yes, Certifaction offers a customized white-label option for partners. This enables seamless integration of your own products such as eIDs and certificates. The white-label solution gives partners complete control over the platform. As an integrative partner, we help open up new revenue streams and maximize business potential by providing customized solutions for individual needs.
How much integration work is involved?
The Certification WebApp can be used immediately in the browser. The eSignature solution can also be integrated quickly via an API connection. Alternatively, the solution can be used as a white-label product, with complete personalization. This can be done in a few weeks, depending on the requirements.
Why should I choose Certification over an on-premises solution?
Certifaction is a hybrid solution without a complex infrastructure. The connection is established via API or by installing the CLI client. This makes our e-signature solution more flexible and cost-effective than a solution operated in your own data center.
What makes Certification stand out from the competition?
Certifaction is characterized by its innovative technology and clear focus on partnerships. Our customers value us as a trustworthy European partner that not only offers close cooperation and the highest security standards, but also enables the integration of our own products through white-label solutions. This opens up new business opportunities and additional revenue streams for our partners.Our solution offers:

  • Optimal security through zero document knowledge
  • Innovative features such as the Digital Twin (make digitally signed documents verifiable even when printed), batch signatures, team spaces (spaces with shared signature processes) and guest signatures without registration
  • Signature requests in under a minute and a smooth onboarding in just 15 minutes through intuitive operation
  • Smooth identification without app download within the shortest time
  • A net promoter score (NPS) of +90

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