What is an Electronic Signature?

In legal terms, an electronic signature is “an electronic sound, symbol or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed or adopted by a person.” More simply, an electronic signature is exactly what it sounds like – it allows users to legally sign electronic documents without the need for printing and signing by hand.

Legally binding

Thanks to the ESIGN and UETA acts in the U.S. and the eIDAS regulation in the EU, eSignatures are just as legally binding as handwritten signatures.

Secure

eSignatures are often more secure than hand-written signatures. Paper documents need to be printed, distributed, signed, and stored, creating more opportunity for sensitive information to get lost and pass through multiple hands.

Cost-saving

Up to 51% of printing is for the sole purpose of signing. eSigning helps organizations slash their spend on paper and ink and improve productivity.

Efficient

Paper kills workplace efficiency – especially where signing is involved. eSignatures promote faster document sharing and approval, creating streamlined workflows and measurable time savings.

Remote-work friendly

The shift to remote work began long before the COVID-19 quarantine. Now, working from home is the new normal for almost everyone, and affordable, secure eSigning solutions are more essential than ever.

All digital signatures are electronic signatures, but not all electronic signatures are digital signatures. Confused? We understand. You may hear the terms used interchangeably, but there is a difference.

To put it simply, digital signatures require an extra level of security and identity verification. Whereas eSignatures usually identify signers through audit trails (which track users’ IP addresses and activity within a document), digital signatures identify signers through encryption and digital certificates. You can think of them as the digital version of a notarized signature.

eSignatures are just as legally binding as digital signatures but tend to be more accessible, efficient, and user-friendly. eSignatures are the go-to solution for day-to-day signing needs. Most organizations either never need digital signatures at all or use them only for extremely sensitive, important documents.

Finding an eSigning solution is critical for our current reality of working from home and for the future of increasingly digital work. Get started with Nitro Sign for free today. No complications, no catches, and no limits – we promise.