What Legal Weight Means for Your Business
At Core Services, we know that e-signatures aren’t just about convenience – they’re about compliance, trust, and legal standing. But not all e-signatures are created equal. Whether you’re sending a simple rental agreement or finalising a consumer credit contract, choosing the right type of e-signature matters.
The Three Levels of E-Signature Confidence
Electronic signatures come in three tiers: Simple (SES), Advanced (AES), and Qualified (QES). Each has its own legal weight and use case, depending on the liability risk and formal requirements of your document.
Why Trust Matters
Each signature level has varying degrees of trust and identity assurance:
- SES may use email verification or mobile phone confirmation.
- AES introduces official ID verification and added security like passwords or mTANs (Mobile Transaction Authentication Number).
- QES is the gold standard, meeting EU and Swiss legal requirements — equivalent to a handwritten signature.
Choosing the Right Signature Type
Use this quick checklist to match your document to its appropriate signature type:
- Low risk or informal agreements (e.g. internal memos): SES
- Commercial contracts with moderate liability: AES
- Regulated or high-value documents (e.g. permanent employment, IP deals): QES
When in doubt, refer to your internal policies or legal advisor. At Core Services, we help you integrate the right solution so your business stays safe, efficient, and legally sound.
If this topic is of interest, you may find this reference material from the Information Commissioner’s Office useful as it explains the details of eIDAS (electronic IDentification, Authentication and trust Services), the regulations that provide the legal framework for electronic signatures.