What your client sees when signing a document
When you send a signature request, your client receives a link to a dedicated signing page, headed "Accupe eSignatures" with a note showing which firm requested it. They move through up to four stages: verifying who they are, reviewing the document, signing, and confirming completion.
Step 1: Verifying identity
The page opens on an identity check headed "Verify your identity". Your client enters their email address and selects "Send my code" to receive a one-time six-digit code by email. On a multi-signer request each signer verifies with their own email and holds their own signing session, so two signers on the same request never interfere with each other, including when the request was sent "All at once".
Step 2: Entering the code
On the next screen, "Enter your code", they type the code they were sent. A note reminds them it expires in 10 minutes. Selecting "Verify and continue" takes them through; a "Resend code" link is available if it didn't arrive in time.
Step 3: Reviewing and completing their fields
The document renders on-screen with the signer's OWN fields overlaid - on a multi-signer request they see only the boxes assigned to them, and in a sequential chain from the second signer onwards they review the document as already signed by those before them, since that is what they are attesting to.
What they do depends on the field types you placed:
- Signature: opens the signature capture with three tabs - Draw (a signature pad supporting mouse and touch), Type (their name rendered in a script style), or Upload (a photo or scan of their signature, PNG or JPEG up to 2MB).
- Initials: a compact version of the same capture.
- Text Box: they type directly into the box.
- Checkbox: they tick it.
- Date Signed: stamped automatically at the moment of signing; shown as a preview.
They also type their full legal name as an attestation. Required fields must be completed before "Sign & complete" unlocks, and the server enforces the same requirement independently.
A legal notice above the submit button confirms that their electronic signature carries the same legal weight as a handwritten one, and that Accupe records their IP address, timestamp and device fingerprint as part of a tamper-evident Certificate of Completion.
Declining to sign
A "Decline to sign" option is available on the signing screen. It asks for a reason (required), closes the request, stands down any other outstanding signers, and emails your firm the decliner's name and reason. The decline, its reason, and the signer's IP are recorded in the audit trail and shown on the request in your dashboard.
Step 4: Confirmation
Once the request fully completes, every signer, every CC recipient, and your firm are emailed the signed document and Certificate of Completion (links valid for 7 days; both remain available from the dashboard and the client portal indefinitely). The signer also sees a "Document signed" screen with:
- "Download signed document"
- "Download Certificate of Completion"
- A metadata box with the document name and a Tracking ID
- A "Verify" link labelled "View integrity record (JSON)", opening an independent, publicly accessible integrity check for that specific signed document
If the link has already been used
If someone opens a signing link for a document that's already been completed, they see "This document is already signed" instead of being taken through the signing steps again.
How the signature is secured
Behind the scenes, Accupe hashes both the original and the signed PDF with SHA-256 the moment your client submits their signature, and records both hashes on the signature. The Certificate of Completion issued at signing time is independently timestamped by a third-party time-stamp authority (FreeTSA, using the RFC 3161 protocol), falling back gracefully to Accupe's server clock if the authority is briefly unreachable; the certificate discloses which source attested the signing time. This is a standard/advanced electronic signature, suitable for everyday business agreements under UK eIDAS and the eSign Act; it is not a qualified electronic signature (QES), which would require a certificate authority and hardware security module.
Tip: Encourage clients who want extra assurance to open the "View integrity record (JSON)" link after signing. It lets them, or anyone else with the link, verify the document's hash independently of Accupe.