Have you ever lost a very important document among the papers in your office? Or had a printed file damaged due to an accident or moisture? An electronic document management can solve these types of problems, which leads many to ask themselves: it is possible to do electronic signature of free documents?
Fortunately, the answer is yes. Therefore, we decided to produce this article with the complete step-by-step, in addition to answering the most recurring questions on the subject. Come on?
How to make a free electronic document signature?
For digitally sign a document free, it is necessary to use a platform that offers this type of service. So, in this tutorial, we are going to teach you how to do it by ZapSign.
Step 1: you must access the ZapSign website and click the blue button that says “Try it free”.
Step 2: Create your account if you don't already have one. You will need an email and password to get started. If you prefer to use your Google account as a login, that is also possible.
Step 3: after logging in, within the ZapSign dashboard, click on the “NEW” button to generate a new document.
Step 4: on the next screen, you must click on “select document” to upload the document to be signed. Note that the platform only allows files in PDF format. So if the document is in another format, you can use a free converter like this.
Step 5: After the file upload is complete, you will need to enter the names of the signatories in the field below “Who will sign”.
Step 6: if the people who will sign the document are already in your contact list, just click on “contacts”, just below the fields for entering the names of the signatories, to choose and insert them.
Step 7: if you are also going to sign the document, click on “I will sign” to enter your name as well. Then click on “continue”.
Step 8: on the next screen, you must position in which places in the document the signatures and visas must be inserted. To do so, simply click on the chosen space, then on the signatory's name and define whether he/she should sign with signature or visa.
By doing this, signatures and visas will be displayed in the places you indicate, just like a physical document. To proceed, click on “save and continue”.
Step 9: Here, subscription links are generated. If you are in contact with the signatory by WhatsApp, click the button with the application logo to send the link directly to the person. If you prefer another medium, just click on the blue icon next to the link to copy it and then paste it wherever you want.
If you prefer that the document be sent by e-mail (as this is a standard procedure in many companies), click on “activate automatic sending by e-mail” to enter the e-mail addresses of the people who will sign.
Step 10: if the signatures have an order to be followed, it can be defined by the “order signatures” button.
That way, just drag the names on the screen to set the order. Each signer will be notified by email to sign the document only after the previous person has signed.
Step 11: you can still compose a personalized message that will be sent in the email, in addition to activating notifications for those who have not yet subscribed. When finished, click on “Submit and Finish”.
Step 12: ready! The document was generated and sent to the signatories. From then on, you can follow the progress of subscriptions on the screen below to find out who has already opened the link and who has already signed the file.
You can also change the order of signers and even edit their information (if they haven't signed yet). To do this, go to the person's name and click "edit". The following screen will appear allowing you to modify the information.
Then, every time you access the ZapSign platform, click on “documents” to see the stages of signatures. Once everyone has signed, you can download the document to keep it wherever you want.
Is it possible to do advanced signing through ZapSign?
This is a frequently asked question whose answer is yes. When creating a document, when you are in step 5 of this tutorial, click on “advanced authentication”.
This function allows you to enter fields that the signer will need to fill in in addition to the signature, such as full name and ID number. cell. There are also options for sending a selfie and photo of the ID document.
How many free documents can ZapSign send?
For the essential plan, you can send up to 5 documents per month for free. Continue reading this article, as we will tell you later how you can hire the service that includes a greater number of subscriptions.
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Are electronic signatures and digital signatures the same thing?
Now that you know how to electronically sign documents for free, let’s go to the answer to this very recurring question: electronic and digital signature are different. To understand what distinguishes the two, let's first look at the concept of each.
What is a digital signature?
A digital signature is a type of electronic signature whose purpose is to validate the authorship of the parties signing the document. In addition, it also guarantees that its terms have not been altered and that the signatures were actually made by the signatories as the signatures cannot be imitated.
To use the digital signature, you must have a digital certificate issued by an agency or institution to validate the signature and identity of the people who use it.
For this reason, the digital signature must follow the standards of the ICP-Brazil (Brazilian Public Key Infrastructure). The most well-known types of digital certificates are the OAB token that lawyers use and also the e-CNPJ used by entrepreneurs as a legal entity's digital identity.
What is an electronic signature?
From the electronic signature, it is possible to approve the contractual agreement of the parties through electronic means. For this reason, it has been replaced by the signing of physical documents because of its practicality and security.
After all, signing a document manually requires many processes such as going to the registry office or sending the document via mail or carrier if one of the people is not in the same city, for example. When using the electronic signature, these steps no longer exist, as the click of a button is enough for the file to be signed.
Furthermore, the electronic signature can be used in other ways besides the GED. For example: when you log in to some website or online tool, you make use of a type of electronic signature. The same goes for biometric recognition, commonly used at bank ATMs.
According to law number 14.063 of the Brazilian legislation, there are three subscription types electronics:
- simple: in this type, the person who signs the document, in addition to being identified, can also attach or associate electronic data;
- advanced: here, certificates not issued by ICP-Brasil can be used, as the important thing is to prove the integrity and authorship of the signatures;
- qualified: these are the signatures that use a digital certificate from ICP-Brasil through a cryptographic system that ensures the identity and authenticity of the signatories.
What is the difference between electronic signature and digital signature?
The first difference that we can mention between the two is the cost, as digital signatures require the purchase of a digital certificate, while electronic signatures can even be done for free, as we taught at the beginning of this article.
Also, while the digital signature is authorized by the government or non-governmental organization of the certification body, in the electronic signature, this authorization is done by a specific vendor, document creator, or transaction participant.
Finally, while cryptographic resources are used in digital firms, electronics have several forms of identification by electronic means.
Do electronic signatures have legal validity in Brazil?
When a company thinks about changing the process from manual to electronic signatures, one of the first questions that arise is: are electronic signatures legally valid?
Yes, every document that is signed electronically has legal validity in Brazil, as any type of contract is valid, as long as there is integrity and authenticity between the parties.
Let's look at an example: you and a friend are informally at a bar and decide to start a working partnership. A third person is with you at the table and witnesses the beginning of this union.
This example situation is a verbal agreement that, as the articles 104 e 107 of the Civil Code, is also valid as a contract. So, why would electronic documents be any different?
What are the legal guarantees of electronic documents?
Since the emergence of Provisional Measure No. 2.200-2, electronic documents came to be, particularly, guaranteed by law.
Although other projects had been created previously, this measure was the first government initiative aimed at regularizing this type of signature.
Therefore, it is of paramount importance for everyone who uses electronic document management as it allows the use of any means of proving the authorship and integrity of an electronic signature, even if they do not have certificates issued by ICP-Brasil.
So, when using the ZapSign platform – as we taught at the beginning of this text – to create a document that needs to be signed electronically, it will be legally valid.
What does Brazilian jurisprudence say about electronic signatures?
A appeal 20140111450486 of the 5th Civil Class of the Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories reinforces the irrelevance of a physical contract to prove an agreement made between two or more parties, which includes electronic documents.
In view of this, if you still have any kind of fear regarding the implementation of electronic signature in your company, as you have just seen, there is no reason to worry.
The same must be said to its employees, suppliers or customers who are unaware of this contracting model so that everyone is aware that the firms are supported by Brazilian laws.
Now, if your signature demand is more than 5 documents – which we offer in the free electronic document signature plan – how about getting to know the other ZapSign plans whose limits are higher?
The Professional Plan allows up to 20 subscriptions per month, while in the Complete Plan, the sending of documents is unlimited. Hiring can be done annually (payment in cash or in installments) or monthly. Check their details here!
