E-signature with identity verification.
A basic e-signature records that someone agreed. An identity-verified e-signature records who. The difference matters most on the day somebody says it was not them.
Simple e-signature versus a verified one
In the simplest form, a signer opens a link, types or draws a name and clicks. That is quick, and for many everyday documents it is enough. What it does not establish is who was at the keyboard.
An identity-verified e-signature adds a step before the mark is made: the signer proves who they are, and that proof is stored with the signature. The result is a signature you can attribute to a person, not only to an inbox.
When you should insist on it
- Legal instruments and anything that creates a significant obligation.
- Lending, leasing and onboarding files, where the counterparty is someone you have not met.
- Regulated work, where an auditor or regulator may ask how you knew who signed.
- High-value or high-risk agreements, and any file where fraud is a realistic concern.
What to look for in a platform
- Identity checks that run before the signature, not as a separate project afterwards.
- Two-factor authentication on every signature, not only on the top plan.
- Photo ID capture and a live face match, with consent recorded for the signer's jurisdiction.
- A record that shows time, IP address, device and the order of events, and that cannot be edited after the fact.
- Signatures written into the document itself, so the PDF carries the proof wherever it goes.
- Pricing that does not put identity behind an enterprise minimum.
What it does and does not do for you
Verifying identity strengthens the evidence that a particular person signed. It does not decide whether a signature is legally valid for a given document, which depends on the law that applies. The guide to e-signature law in Canada and the US covers the basics.
How Trust Ledger does it
Trust Ledger ships two-factor authentication on every signature on every plan, and biometric verification on every plan, charged per use. There is no seat minimum and no annual commitment required to switch it on. See identity verification for the flow, the ledger for what is recorded, and pricing for Canada and the United States.