Signing with Simple Electronic Signatures means drawing your signature on a tablet or computer, uploading a picture of your signature, or creating a text-based signature. If you want to have a closer look at the process of signing using Simple Electronic Signatures, have a look at this guide: How to sign a document.

• What is a Simple Electronic Signature?
• Where to find the Simple Electronic Signatures option
• How to enable Simple Electronic Signatures for your signer/s

What is a Simple Electronic Signature?

A Simple Electronic Signature made with Penneo is much safer than a conventional pen-made signature, as both the IP address of the signer and the date and time of the signature are registered and become an integral part of the final digital document. As a result, content integrity and non-alteration are ensured. However, a Simple Electronic Signature is not as secure as one made with an eID, nor does it meet all the eIDAS Regulation requirements. Therefore, we only recommend using it as a last resort when you require a signature from an individual who does not possess or cannot access an electronic ID.
 

Where to find the Simple Electronic Signatures option

If you want to send out a document for signature and you wish to enable your signer/s to sign using Simple Electronic Signatures, you need to activate the option for them during the case file creation. 

Note that the Simple Electronic Signatures option can only be activated if the administrators of your Penneo company account have enabled it as an allowed signing method in the company-wide account settings.
If you cannot find the Simple Electronic Signatures option during case file creation (by following the instructions below), it likely means that Simple Electronic Signatures is not an allowed signing method according to your company account settings. Therefore, to enable Simple Electronic Signatures, you will first have to reach out to one of your Penneo account administrators and ask them to activate it as an allowed signing method - please refer them to this guide: How to view and change settings for your company account.

If Simple Electronic Signatures is one of the allowed signing methods according to your company account settings, you can enable your signer/s to use it by following the steps below.
 

How to enable Simple Electronic Signatures for your signer/s

During the case file creation, after choosing the settings for your case file and uploading the document/s, you will add the signing recipients.
For each individual signing recipient, you will need to add a name and address and you will be able to choose a role, customise their role's name, and enable optional settings. The Simple Electronic Signatures option will be visible in that step for you to enable it (moreover, it's possible to allow simple electronic signatures after you have sent out the case file by changing the settings of the signer).

Remember that the options you choose for a signer only apply to that specific signer (not to all the signers included in the case file). Therefore, if you wish to enable more signers to sign using a Simple Electronic Signature, you will need to enable the option for each one of them separately. 

Choose the Penneo interface you use to learn how to activate the Simple Electronic Signatures option.

If you use the Penneo Web Interface	If you use the Desktop Application

If you use the Penneo Web Interface 

1. Create a case file as you normally would until you get to the step where you can add signers. Then, click on Add Recipient and type in the fields the details about your signer. 
2. Click on Show Advanced Options.
3. Under Signing Options, checkmark one or more Simple Electronic Signature alternatives to make them available for your signer. Note that you will need to repeat the process for each individual signer that you want to enable the Simple Electronic Signature option for.  

• If you cannot find this option, it might be because it's not an allowed signing method according to your Penneo company account settings (therefore, you need to reach out to one of your Penneo account administrators and ask them to activate it as an allowed signing method.
• If you can see the option but you cannot checkmark it, it might be because you have enabled one of the Access Control settings (Sensitive, Access Control, and Social Security Number). You cannot enable Simple Electronic Signatures if you have enabled any of these security measures; therefore, if you wish to enable Simple Electronic Signatures, you need to first disable those access control options.

4. Once you have successfully enabled Simple Electronic  Signatures by check-marking the box next to the option, click on Add Recipient. 

That signing recipient will now be able to sign via Simple Electronic Signatures once they receive the document/s. 

• drawing a signature on a tablet, computer, similar device
• uploading a picture of a handwritten signature (image cannot exceed 2 MB) 
• creating a text-based signature (by typing the name on a keyboard)

If you use the Desktop Application

1. Create a case file as you normally would until you get to the step where you can add signers. Then, type in the fields the details about your signer. 
2. On the right side of your signer's details, you will see an option called Simple Electronic Signatures. Checkmark the box/es you would like to allow to enable Simple Electronic Signatures for the signer.
   1. If you cannot find this option, it might be because it's not an allowed signing method according to your Penneo company account settings (therefore, you need to reach out to one of your Penneo account administrators and ask them to activate it as an allowed signing method.
   2. If you can see the option but you cannot checkmark it, it might be because you have enabled one of the Access Control settings (Sensitive, Access Control, and Social Security Number). You cannot enable Simple Electronic Signatures if you have enabled any of these security measures; therefore, if you wish to enable Simple Electronic Signatures, you need to first disable those access control options.
3.  Once you have successfully enabled Simple Electronic Signatures by check-marking the box under the option, click on Next. 

That signing recipient will now be able to sign using Simple Electronic Signature/s once they receive the document/s.

Note that you will need to repeat the process for each individual signer that you want to enable the Simple Electronic Signatures option for.  
 

Note: while it's normally possible to allow simple electronic signatures after you've sent out your case file, this must be done through your archive - i.e., it's not possible to do it in the Desktop Application.