Electronic Signatures
Electronic signatures enable organisations to sign documents securely, legally and digitally, reducing delays, accelerating business transactions and improving customer experience without printing or posting paperwork.
What are Electronic Digital Signatures?
Electronic signatures (often called eSignatures) allow individuals and organisations to sign documents digitally without the need to print, scan or physically exchange paperwork. They provide a fast, secure and legally recognised way to approve contracts, agreements, forms and other business documents from virtually any location.
Modern electronic signature platforms do much more than capture a digital signature. They authenticate signatories, maintain comprehensive audit trails, record the date, time and location of each signature, and ensure the integrity of signed documents. Many solutions also support identity verification, workflow automation and integration with document management and business applications.
Electronic signatures are used across almost every industry, including sales, finance, legal, human resources, healthcare and government. By eliminating paper-based signing processes, organisations can accelerate transactions, improve customer experience, reduce operational costs and strengthen compliance while enabling secure digital business processes.
Regulatory, Legal & Compliance
Electronic signatures are legally recognised in many countries and have become a trusted way for organisations to execute agreements digitally. However, the legal framework governing electronic signatures varies by jurisdiction and, in some cases, by the type of document being signed. Understanding these regulations is essential when selecting an electronic signature solution.
eIDAS Regulation (European Union)
The eIDAS Regulation (EU) No. 910/2014 established a common legal framework for electronic identification and trust services across the European Union. It ensures that electronic signatures cannot be denied legal effect solely because they are electronic and defines three levels of electronic signature:
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Electronic Signature (SES) – Suitable for many everyday business transactions.
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Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) – Provides stronger identity assurance and document integrity.
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Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) – Created using a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) and legally equivalent to a handwritten signature throughout the EU.
eIDAS 2 Regulation (European Union)
The updated eIDAS 2 framework (Regulation (EU) 2024/1183) expands the original regulation beyond electronic signatures by introducing the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet. The EUDI Wallet will allow citizens and organisations to securely store verified digital identities and credentials, making it easier to authenticate users and create Qualified Electronic Signatures without relying on physical smart cards or tokens. It also introduces new qualified trust services, including qualified electronic archiving and electronic attestations of attributes.
United Kingdom
Following Brexit, the UK retained the legal recognition of electronic signatures through the Electronic Communications Act 2000 and retained versions of the eIDAS framework. Electronic signatures remain legally admissible in most business transactions, provided there is clear intent to sign and appropriate evidence of authenticity.
United States
Electronic signatures are governed by two principal laws:
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ESIGN Act (Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act) – Gives electronic signatures the same legal effect as handwritten signatures for interstate and international commerce.
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Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) – Adopted by most U.S. states to provide a consistent legal framework for electronic transactions.
Electronic signature platforms frequently process personal information, identity evidence and audit data. Organisations should ensure their chosen solution complies with applicable data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), through appropriate security controls, encryption, access management and data retention policies
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Ask yourself the following questions:
☐ Do you still print documents for customers or employees to sign?
☐ Are contracts, agreements or approvals regularly delayed waiting for signatures?
☐ Do customers, suppliers or employees need to sign documents remotely?
☐ Do you spend time scanning, emailing or filing signed paperwork?
☐ Do you need legally recognised evidence of who signed a document and when?
☐ Are you looking to reduce paper, printing, postage and administrative costs?
☐ Do you want to improve the customer experience by making signing faster and easier?
☐ Would integrating electronic signatures into your existing business processes improve efficiency?
If you answered "Yes" to three or more of these questions, an electronic signature solution is likely to reduce costs, accelerate business transactions and improve both customer experience and regulatory compliance.
Not every document requires the same level of Electronic Signature
Most organisations assume that an electronic signature is simply an electronic signature. In reality, there are different levels of assurance, and selecting the wrong one can either expose your organisation to unnecessary risk or add cost and complexity where it isn't needed.
A good electronic signature solution should support multiple levels of signature, allowing organisations to apply the appropriate level of trust based on the importance and legal requirements of the document.
Signature Types
Simple Electronic Signature (SES)
Everyday business documents, internal approvals, purchase orders, NDAs.
Advanced Electronic Signature (AES)
HR documents, customer onboarding, regulated agreements, financial services.
Qualified Electronic Signature (QES)
High-value contracts, regulated industries, cross-border EU transactions and documents requiring the highest legal assurance.
An important consideration: Not every document can be Signed electronically!
Paper2Process Advice: Before implementing an electronic signature solution, identify which documents can be signed electronically and which still require a wet signature or additional legal formalities. Choosing a platform that supports multiple signature types—and integrates with traditional signing processes where necessary—will help ensure compliance while maximising digital efficiency.
While electronic signatures are legally recognised for the vast majority of business transactions, not every document can be signed electronically. Depending on the country, jurisdiction and document type, some agreements still require a traditional handwritten ("wet ink") signature or additional legal formalities such as witnessing or notarisation.
Examples may include:
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Wills and testamentary documents
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Certain trust deeds
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Some property and land transfer documents
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Certain powers of attorney
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Some court documents and statutory declarations
The requirements vary by jurisdiction, so organisations should always verify the legal requirements for the specific document type and country in which they operate.
Operational Business Value
Wet Signature
Traditional handwritten signatures remain appropriate for certain legal and regulated documents. However, they are typically slower, more expensive and require printing, posting, scanning and manual handling, increasing administrative effort and delaying business transactions.
Electronic Signature
Electronic signatures accelerate business by enabling documents to be signed securely from anywhere. They reduce paper, printing and postage costs, improve customer experience, shorten approval cycles and integrate seamlessly into modern digital workflows
Digital Signature
Digital signatures provide the highest level of trust by verifying signer identity, protecting document integrity and preventing tampering through cryptographic technology. They are ideal for high-value, regulated and security-sensitive transactions requiring strong legal assurance.
Choosing the right signing method helps organisations balance cost, speed and risk. Wet signatures remain appropriate for a small number of specialist transactions, electronic signatures transform everyday business processes, and digital signatures deliver the highest levels of security, integrity and legal assurance for critical or regulated documents. Matching the signature type to the business process improves efficiency while maintaining compliance and reducing operational risk.
The top Suppliers
Other Leading Suppliers
The electronic signature market is highly competitive, with many providers offering secure and legally recognised signing solutions. While the suppliers featured above are among the industry's leading platforms, many other organisations deliver excellent capabilities. Vendors such as PandaDoc, SignNow, Zoho Sign, Foxit eSign, Xodo Sign, Yousign, Signable, Sertifi, DigiSigner and eSignatures.io each offer unique strengths and may be a better fit depending on your organisation's size, industry, compliance requirements, integration needs and document volumes.
Ownership Options
Electronic Signature solutions are available through a variety of licensing and deployment models. The right option depends on your organisation's size, security requirements, budget and expected document volumes.
Cloud Subscription (SaaS)
The most common deployment model. Users pay a monthly or annual subscription, with the provider managing the infrastructure, security and software updates.
Best for: Most organisations seeking rapid deployment and low IT overhead.
Per User Licensing
Licences are purchased for individual users who send documents for signature. Many platforms allow an unlimited number of recipients to sign at no additional cost.
Best for: Teams with a defined number of users regularly sending agreements.
Transaction or Usage-Based
Costs are based on the number of documents, envelopes or signature requests processed rather than the number of users.
Best for: Organisations with seasonal or unpredictable signing volumes.
Enterprise Agreements
Large organisations can negotiate enterprise-wide licensing with advanced administration, security controls, single sign-on, API access and volume pricing.
Best for: Large enterprises and regulated industries.
On-Premises or Private Cloud
Although less common today, some providers offer on-premises or private cloud deployments to meet strict security, sovereignty or regulatory requirements.
Best for: Government, defence, financial services and organisations with stringent compliance requirements.
Paper2Process Advice :For most organisations, a cloud-based subscription provides the best balance of cost, scalability and ease of management. However, businesses with high transaction volumes or strict compliance requirements should carefully evaluate enterprise licensing, deployment options and integration capabilities before selecting a solution.
What features should I look for?
While most electronic signature platforms allow documents to be signed digitally, the best solutions offer much more than simply replacing a handwritten signature. When evaluating suppliers, consider the following capabilities.
Legally Compliant Signatures
Ensure the platform supports the electronic signature standards and regulations relevant to your business, such as eIDAS, ESIGN and UETA, and provides legally admissible evidence where required.
Identity Verification & Authentication
Look for flexible authentication options including email verification, SMS one-time passwords, multi-factor authentication (MFA) and identity verification for higher-risk transactions.
Audit Trail & Evidence
Every signature should be supported by a detailed audit trail showing who signed, when they signed, how they authenticated and any actions taken throughout the signing process.
Workflow & Approval Automation
The solution should support sequential and parallel approvals, reminders, notifications and automated routing to streamline business processes and reduce manual administration.
Integration with Business Systems
Choose a platform that integrates with Document Management, CRM, ERP, HR, finance and workflow applications, allowing signed documents to be automatically stored and processed.
Security & Encryption
Documents should be encrypted both in transit and at rest, with strong access controls, secure storage and compliance with recognised security standards such as ISO 27001.
User Experience
Signing documents should be simple for both employees and customers. Look for an intuitive interface, mobile support and a process that requires little or no training.
APIs & Scalability
If electronic signatures will form part of wider digital processes, ensure the platform offers robust APIs and can scale as transaction volumes and business requirements grow.
What to Look for in an Electronic Signature solution
The best electronic signature solution is one that fits seamlessly into your wider business processes. Look beyond the ability to sign documents and consider how the platform integrates with your Document Management, Workflow Automation and Identity Verification solutions to create a secure, efficient and fully digital workflow.
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Legal Compliance & Audit Evidence
The platform should provide legally recognised electronic signatures supported by a comprehensive audit trail. This is fundamental to ensuring signed documents can be trusted, verified and relied upon for regulatory compliance and dispute resolution.
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Security & Identity Assurance
Strong encryption, secure authentication and identity verification help protect sensitive information and reduce the risk of fraud. Look for support for multi-factor authentication, identity checks and internationally recognised security standards.
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Integration & Workflow
The greatest value comes when electronic signatures are embedded into wider business processes. Solutions should integrate seamlessly with Document Management, CRM, ERP and Workflow Automation platforms to eliminate manual handling and improve efficiency.
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User Experience & Adoption
An electronic signature solution should be simple for both employees and external users. An intuitive signing experience, mobile compatibility and minimal training requirements will encourage adoption and reduce delays.
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Administration & Scalability
As your organisation grows, the platform should support increasing user numbers, transaction volumes and business processes while providing centralised administration, reporting and policy management.
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Customisation & Branding
Many platforms allow organisations to customise emails, branding, signing pages and workflows. While useful for improving the customer experience and maintaining brand consistency, these capabilities are generally less critical than security, compliance and integration.
Advance your digital transformation strategy
The solutions featured across Paper2Process are inherently linked. Modern organisations rarely deploy these technologies in a vacuum. By integrating document capture, intelligent processing, electronic signatures, and record management, you create a cohesive and resilient digital ecosystem. Explore how these capabilities unify to drive operational agility, bolster security, and deliver reliable business outcomes across your entire enterprise architecture.
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Deliver seamless joining experiences that boost conversion and loyalty.
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Ensure rigorous security and regulatory compliance with automated checks.
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Gain full visibility and control over legal agreements from start to finish.
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Reduce cycles and eliminate errors with touchless financial workflows.
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Digitise high volumes of paper and data and turn them into usable assets.
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Centralise your information to enable instant access and secure storage.
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Leverage AI to classify and extract critical data from complex documents.
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Automate governance to ensure long-term compliance and risk mitigation.
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Execute agreements faster with secure, legally binding digital signing.
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Streamline complex tasks to improve employee productivity and service speed.