Rekono Makes Signing Documents Easy
REKONO is more than just an extra step before logging into your bank account or another provider that supports Rekono services.
With the Rekono family of solutions and services, you can simplify electronic document signing and avoid potential legal complications.
Electronic Document Signing
One of the lesser-known advantages of a Rekono account is electronic document signing. Many online users do not pay enough attention to remote document signing. They use tools that do not offer a sufficiently high level of reliability, or they print out documents, sign them by hand, and then send a photo of the signature to the other party.
Such practices are common because users are unaware of the risks involved. If you use these methods to sign documents electronically, your signature is not equivalent to a handwritten signature and does not have the same legal validity. In the event of a dispute, your signature may not be legally valid and you will have no legal basis for claiming, for example, the repayment of a loan or the performance of agreed services.
Example: Personal Loan
To illustrate the seriousness of the problem with electronic document signing, here is a real-life example.
Suppose you lent your neighbor, whom you have known for many years and trust completely, €10,000 to buy a new machine for his sole proprietorship. Since you were abroad at the time and your neighbor needed the loan immediately, you drew up a contract, which both you and your neighbor signed using one of the methods mentioned above. Your neighbor was extremely grateful, but when the time came to repay the loan a few months later, he failed to do so because he had not yet recouped his investment. You waited several months for your neighbor to fulfill the agreement, but he still did not, so you decided to take legal action. This is where things became complicated: your lawyer immediately warned you that there was very little chance of success, as the authenticity of the signatures on the contract could not be verified. This means you have no legal basis to claim reimbursement of your investment.
The Solution for Secure Electronic Document Signing
Rekono offers a solution for secure remote document signing with qualified or advanced electronic signatures. With the Rekono.Sign solution, your qualified electronic signature will have the same legal validity as a handwritten signature. To obtain a qualified electronic signature, you must enter and confirm your personal and banking details in your Rekono account. This allows Rekono to guarantee the authenticity of your signature. If the agreement in the example above had been signed with a qualified electronic signature, the outcome of the dispute would have been completely different.
Electronic Signing of Documents when Working with Companies
Although the example above clearly shows the importance of authentic electronic signatures, most online users will never find themselves in such a situation. However, this does not mean that authenticity is only important when borrowing money. Most users encounter legal documents when doing business with service providers.
A qualified electronic signature saves you time, as you can sign contracts or agreements remotely. For example, you can take out insurance, sign annexes to employment contracts, or sign a declaration of intent to open an investment account – all remotely. In most cases where you would normally need to be physically present to sign documents, you can now do so remotely.
Try the RekonoSign Solution
Do not have a Rekono account yet? Follow the simple instructions to register for a Rekono account, increase your level of trust, and obtain a qualified electronic certificate for electronic document signing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but only if you sign documents with an advanced, or even better, a qualified electronic signature, which has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature.
You can sign documents using the Rekono.Sign feature, which is available in the Rekono OnePass application. If you do not use the application, you can also use the desktop version of the Rekono.Sign solution. To log in, you need a Rekono account, and to sign with a qualified electronic signature, you need a high level of identity assurance.
Yes. A Rekono account is required to use Rekono solutions and services. When you register, you provide personal data that can be verified, which gives you a low level of identity assurance.
If you want to sign documents with a qualified electronic signature, you must increase your identity assurance to a high level. Detailed instructions for registering a Rekono account and raising your identity assurance level are available.
