We live in times when digital technologies – such as platform digital signature – dictate the rules of the market. As a result, companies of all sizes and fields of activity are faced with the need to transform their work practices in order to adapt to this new reality.
The digital signature is one of the main solutions implemented by organizations in this scenario. Present in Brazil since 2001, with the creation of ICP-Brazil (Infrastructure of Brazilian Public Keys), the practice began to have greater adherence from 2019, in view of the legal obligation for companies with more than 5 employees and the exponential growth of the provision of services in a virtual environment.
The boost to the use of this type of technology in the market has generated demand for digital signature platforms – an essential resource to simplify the management routines of companies.
In this article, we will explain everything about how a digital signature platform works, in addition to bringing a complete step-by-step teaching how to use the ZapSign platform to perform your digital signature for free. Let's go?
What is a digital signature platform?
We can define the electronic signature as the simplest and most effective method of authenticating a digital document, without the need for a traditional signature, signed by hand and notarized.
The resource works, therefore, as a password required to complete several transactions, such as, for example, safe movements, sign contracts or authorize payments – playing, in practice, a fundamental role in the safe reduction of bureaucracy in contractual relations at all levels.
Therefore, an electronic signature platform is nothing more than specific software, whose purpose is to enable your documents to be signed quickly, easily and legally, in addition to offering some other useful features for managing these documents.
The electronic signature platform makes it possible for signatories to agree or disagree with the terms set out in a document, guaranteeing the same legal validity as a document signed in traditional ways.
What is ZapSign Digital Signature Platform
ZapSign has a proprietary electronic signature platform. Created in 2020, this solution came to facilitate the process of signing documents from a distance - which was fundamental, considering that the world was facing the apex of the Covid-19 pandemic.
With a user-friendly and functional interface, the tool offers a solution capable of simplifying the entire process, in order to collect signatures in less than two minutes, while completely guaranteeing the security and legal validity of the signed documents. Customization with your brand colors is also possible.
Another great differential of the ZapSign digital signature platform is the high level of compatibility and multimedia integration, which can be used both by a personal computer and by a mobile device.
The tool is also integrated with various digital communication media, ranging from traditional email and SMS to the main messaging applications, such as WhatsApp and Telegram – which allows you to subscribe from anywhere.
ZapSign has three different subscription plans – one free and two paid.
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How to make a free digital signature through the ZapSign platform
Our tool has an extremely easy and fast process, especially if you follow our tutorial on how to do it. free digital subscription.
Step 1 – Log into the system
First, you must access the Our site, and inform your login and password, to then be forwarded to the main page.
Step 2 – Generate a new document
Once you are logged in and inside the ZapSign dashboard, click on the “NEW” button to go to the next screen and generate a new document.
Step 3 – Upload the .PDF file
By clicking on “select document”, you will be able to upload the document to be signed.
This document must be in the format PDF – therefore, if it is in another format, you must convert the file.
The conversion can be done for free on several sites, such as, for example, this one.
Step 4 – Sign with digital certificate
To sign with a digital certificate, it's simple: after logging in to ZapSign and uploading the file, you must select the “Advanced Authentication” option.
Enter the names of the signatories in the field below “Who will sign”. If the signatories are already added to your contact list, click on the “Contacts” option to select and insert them. This option is located below the area for entering the names of signatories.
After defining the signatory, you must click on the “Authentication Method” option and click on the last option, “Digital Certificate”.
About this functionality, it is important to remember a few points:
- the use of this resource has a cost of R$ 0,50 per signature with digital certificate;
- it is not yet possible to position or edit the signature of the signer who will sign the document with a digital certificate;
- signatories with a digital certificate must necessarily be the last ones to sign the document;
- before requesting a signature via digital certificate by ZapSign, you cannot fail to check the validity of the digital certificate of the recipient of the document, or it will not be possible to use this authentication method in the contract.
Step 5 – Add your own signature to the document
If your own signature is also required for document validation, click on the “I will sign” option, enter your name there and tap on the “Continue” button to proceed to the next screen.
Step 6 – Sort between subscriptions and visas
On this screen, you must position in which document locations the signatures and visas must be inserted.
To do so, it is only necessary to click on the chosen space, right after the signatory's name, and choose between signature or visa.
From then on, signatures and visas will be displayed in the places you indicated, just as they usually are on a physical document. Then click on “Save and Continue” to proceed.
Step 7 – Generate and send the subscription links
It's time to generate signature links. If contact with your signatory – regardless of being a customer, partner or distributor – is made via WhatsApp, you must click on the button with the app logo and send the link directly to the person.
If the chosen medium is another, no problem: just go to the blue icon next to the link to copy it and, later, paste it wherever you prefer.
There is also the option to send your document by e-mail – after all, as it is a traditional form of digital communication, most companies adopt e-mail as a standard procedure.
In this case, tap on the “Enable automatic sending by email” option and enter the email addresses of the people who will be signing.
Step 8 – Sort the signatories
If it is necessary to establish a specific order for the signatures, this can be done easily via the “Order signatures” button. In this way, the order will be defined by dragging the names of the signatories on the screen to the appropriate positions.
Once this is done, each signatory will only receive their notification email, advising them to sign the document, when the previous signer has already signed it.
Step 9 – Finish the procedure
Finally, you can also create a personalized message to be sent along with the notification email, in addition to activating notifications with reminders for those who have not yet subscribed.
When all the steps are completed, click on “Submit and Finish” and that's it! The document was duly generated and sent to the respective signatories.
From there, you can follow the progress of the signatures, as your signers open the link and sign the file.
Step 10 – Your signers sign the document
Now that you've done everything you need to, the last step to be taken to sign the contract is no longer up to you, but to your signatories.
Once they have received the link to sign the document – whether by WhatsApp, email or any other means -, they just need to click on the link to open the document, read it very carefully and then, being in accordance with the terms set out therein, click on the “Subscribe” option.
On the next screen, some basic information from the signer will be asked for the purpose of verifying their identity: full name, email address and phone number.
Then, the signatory must click on "Continue" and sign normally, as if it were on paper - however, using the finger, mouse, capacitive pen or in the way that best suits the device used.
Then, just click “Finish” for the document to be signed. The signature will appear at the end of the document, in the signature report, and also in other places where you have placed it.
By following the steps in this guide, you will have no difficulty using our digital signature platform perfectly. To get to know the tool better, you can select the free plan and test it by clicking here!
