An Introduction to eSignature webinar: Q&A

Electronic signature Q&A: all of your questions answered

Many countries around the world are using electronic signatures, and millions of users are comfortable signing their documents electronically. But questions around the software still arise. From legality to integrations, our Q&A will answer your questions from our on-demand webinar, An Introduction to eSignature.

Let’s jump straight into our Q&A with associate solutions consultant and eSignature expert Eoin Kavanagh.

Q: Does the customer need to have, or create an account, and how do you check the identity of the customer?

Answer: No, your signers do not need a DocuSign account to sign documents that you’ve sent. They can optionally sign up for a free account at the end of the signing ceremony. With DocuSign Identify, you can utilise ID Verification for example to verify your signer’s identity before accessing the envelope.

 Q: Please detail how DocuSign eSignature is regarded in court under the EU legal framework.

Answer: DocuSign complies with the eIDAS Regulation that defines three types of electronic signature (standard electronic signature, advanced electronic signature, qualified electronic signature), and is legally binding. Depending on your requirements and the local Member State law, a certain level of signature is acceptable for certain use cases. Please see our Legality Guide to learn more about electronic signature and legality

Q: Can you upload documents for signing in any format (Word, Excel, etc)?

Answer. Yes, you can send many file types with DocuSign:

DOCUMENT .doc, .docm, .docx, .dot, .dotm, .dotx, .htm, .html, .msg, .pdf, .rtf, .txt, .wpd, .xps
IMAGE .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tif, .tiff
PRESENTATION .pot, .potx, .pps, .ppt, .pptm, .pptx
SPREADSHEET .csv, .xls, .xlsm, .xlsx
Q: Where are completed agreements saved?

Answer: By default, completed envelopes are stored on your DocuSign account. If you require another method of storage, you can use DocuSign Connect to push completed documents to a Box folder or a custom listener application. You can then enable an optional Document Retention Policy to purge your DocuSign account.

Q: How long is the audit trail retained?  Does it disappear when the system gets upgraded? 

Answer: In order to produce  audit trails and provide reference information, the DocuSign eSignature service retains transaction data during the time of a customer’s subscription and after it has ended. DocuSign will continue to protect and secure transaction data even when a customer no longer has a current subscription with DocuSign. 

Even if requested by a customer, DocuSign can’t delete or export transaction data from the DocuSign eSignature service. This is due to the need to validate transactions on behalf of a customer or recipient at any point in the future. Moreover, DocuSign eSignature isn’t architected to provide this capability.

However, customers may download, save, and print both eDocuments and Certificates of Completion at any time during their subscription period. The sender of an envelope may also purge their eDocuments at any time during their subscription, removing them from the DocuSign eSignature service (after a short queue period).

Q: How do we ensure compliance with GDPR on retention?

Answer: You can optionally enable a Document Retention Policy for the account to purge unnecessary documents. For more information, see the GDPR Trust page.

Q: Does eSignature integrate with collaborative platforms (Sharepoint, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox)?

Answer: Yes, we have over 350 pre-built connectors with 3rd party systems. We have connectors already built for SharePoint, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox and among others.

Want to know more about electronic signature and how it can help your business? Download our eBook, why it pays to use electronic signature.

Author
Mangesh Bhandarkar
GVP, Product Management
Published