Signing electronically

Someone has sent you a document to sign, and you'd like to know what you're agreeing to before you press anything. When you tick "I agree to sign electronically" and press Finish, the signature or initials you adopted (drawn, typed or uploaded) are your signature on that document, the same as signing it on paper.

The law in Australia

Most Australian business documents can be signed electronically under the Electronic Transactions Act 1999 (Cth). Some can't (for example wills and some deeds), so check if you're unsure.

What is recorded

A signature is only worth something if both sides can rely on it later, so we record each step: when the request was sent, when you opened it, the code check (when the sender asked for one), when you agreed to sign electronically and when you signed, with your network address and your browser's description. The finished PDF ends with a Certificate of Completion showing these, and the document's SHA-256 fingerprint as sent and as signed. Any later change to the file gives a different fingerprint.

To be straight about what this is: these are electronic signatures with a tamper-evident record. If anyone changes the file after it's signed, the fingerprints and the audit trail will show it.

If you don't want to sign

Press "Decline to sign" and say why. The request stops and we let the sender know. If you'd rather sign on paper, ask the sender for a paper copy. Nobody is forced to sign this way.

Your copy

When everyone has signed, we email each signer the finished PDF, attached, or as a download link if it's too big to attach. The link doesn't last forever, so keep a copy for your records.

Questions? Write to support@autonome.com.au.