Electronic document signing is fast and easy. It has come in particularly handy during the COVID-19 pandemic where physical distancing is important so signing in person becomes less of an option. However, many people have a nagging concern. Are esignatures really legal?
Yes, they are. They have been the legal equivalent of pen and paper for a surprisingly long time.
Twenty years, later, esignature adoption is rampant. In the United States, taxpayers e-file the majority of tax returns. The IRS accepts esignatures on tax filings.
Check with your own country’s laws on the specifics involving esignatures. For example, like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand allow esignatures to be used in almost every case.
Esignatures are Safe, Legal, and Convenient
Esignatures are legal and save time. With services like eSignToday, esignature services are cheap (only $0.50/esignature) and easy to use. There is no reason not to start using esignatures today!
Individuals can use an esignature service for their signing needs.
In the beginning, most electronic signature software was geared towards businesses. The real estate industry was one of the first adopters of esignatures due to the number of documents that needed to be signed. Today, there is a lot of choice and variety of esignature services. Most are still geared towards businesses, but there are some that can be a good fit for individuals. Frequency and complexity come into play when addressing the needs of individuals versus those of a business.
Few Signatures
Compared to businesses, most individuals may need just a few signatures a year. For example, if you want to sell your car, you may want to draw up a bill of sale where the buyer and you sign it to confirm the transaction. Most electronic signature software charges users on a monthly basis whether you use the esignature service or not. For example, DocuSign‘s least expensive paid plan is $10/month, which is overkill for an individual who only needs one or two signatures a year. On the other hand, eSignToday charges a flat rate of $0.50/esignature. So there is inexpensive affordable esign software available for individuals.
Keep it Simple
Esignatures require users to be comfortable with technology. Most esignature services require the use of the Internet and email at a minimum. Since most individuals typically need just a few signatures a year, having the ability to use their own document and needing only a signature makes the process so much simpler. Some esignature services like RightSignature enable users to create fields within documents which can lead to complexity. Other services like eSignToday only provide signatures and nothing else. The simpler the service, the easier it is for individuals to use.
As individuals realize their need for signatures, many of the electronic signature software is available for individual use. Finding an esignature service that is cost effective and easy to use are wins for individuals and their needs.
Take small steps and start going paperless with an esignature service.
Whether we are at home or the office, paper has traditionally played a large presence in our lives. At the office, reports, research, and contracts, for example, consume quite a bit of paper. At home, we see paper clutter countertops in the forms of mail, newspapers, and homework. There are a lot of benefits to going paperless, but change is not easy. Taking small steps makes change easier and longer lasting. Something as simple as using an esignature service for all of your signing needs will be a great first step in going paperless!
Documents to Sign
We don’t realize how often we sign documents until we have to think about it. At work, we are frequently signing letters and contracts. If you’re a parent, then you’re probably signing permission slips or other child-related paperwork. And if you run a small business, like a kayaking rental shop, you are probably having your customers sign forms like waivers. The selection of documents that need signatures are endless. With all of the documents to sign, you now have to figure out how to store them if you want to keep copies. Paper takes up space and can be a burden. We want to free up the clutter.
Esignature Service to the Rescue
Esignature services are the solution for your signing and storage needs. They eliminate paper, so you don’t have to think about storage as your signed documents are stored in the cloud or on your phone or computer. You can email your documents for signature and get them signed quickly on a phone while on the move. Signing up with an esignature service is a very easy first step to going paperless. Depending on your signing needs, you can pay a monthly subscription with a service like DocuSign or pay a flat fee per signature with a service like eSignToday.
There are a lot of esignature services to choose from so take a gander and find the one that best fits your needs. Once you start using one, you’re on your way to going paperless!
Consider the pros and cons of electronic signature to see if it will meet your signing needs.
Electronic signatures (also known as esignatures or digital signatures) are gaining popularity as a more convenient method for getting documents signed. Before turning your back on the old fashion way of signing with pen and paper, it’s good practice to understand the pros and cons of electronic signature first.
Pro #1: Save Time
With electronic signatures, you eliminate A LOT of steps associated with pen and paper: the need to (1) set up an appointment, (2) print the document, (3) meet signers in person, (4) make copies, and (5) submit signed copies to all parties. The virtual transmission, signing, and storing of documents that are electronically signed generate significant time savings for all parties involved. Time is money, so saving time means putting money in your pocket.
Pro #2: Easy
If you are comfortable with using email and a smartphone, then you will find esignatures to be really easy. Most electronic signature software will have you email your document for signature. The receiver simply clicks on a link to sign on their phone using their finger. And that’s pretty much it. One of the easiest electronic signature software to use is eSignToday. You simply upload your document, add the email addresses for who has to sign, and that’s it. You can easily start investing in real estate, stocks, etc.
Con #1: Cost
There is a lot of selection when deciding which electronic signature software to use. Most services require a monthly subscription where you pay every month for a certain number of esignatures based on your subscription. One of the more popular esignature services is DocuSign. DocuSign’s cheapest plan starts at $10 per month, which is limited to five documents per month, so you’re already spending at least $120 per year. One of the, if not the only, electronic signature software that charges a flat fee is eSignToday. At only $0.50 per signature, you eliminate any monthly subscription, and you only pay for what you need.
Con #2: Comfort with Technology
Electronic signatures rely on the Internet and email to work, so all parties (document senders and receivers) have to be comfortable with technology. For example, if a signer does not have a smartphone or email, then an electronic signature is not possible. In this case, paper and pen trump electronic signatures. So there may be situations where you can benefit from electronic signatures while in other situations, you can still go the old fashioned way with paper and pen.
As you consider the pros and cons of electronic signatures, you will make the best choice for your signing needs. Whether you use paper and pen or an electronic signature software, knowing your audience will make the signing process easier.
Printer Not Working? A good alternative is to use an esignature service.
Printing a document can be frustrating. There are many reasons that your printer might not be working. As an example, it could be out of ink or not connecting to your wifi. If you are printing a document to sign it, using a simple to use “esign service” is a smart way to eliminate your printing problem!
You might be out of ink or laser toner. Unfortunately, if you’ve ever priced ink or laser cartridges, you know that these are costly to replace.
Your printouts look terrible. This happens a lot with color printers as the ink cartridges get old and start smearing ink. Again, this might lead to the costly purchase of replacement ink.
Your printer loses its network connection. This happens a lot with wireless printers. Troubleshooting this can be beyond frustrating.
Faster to Esign A Document
If the reason that you are trying to print a document is to sign it, there is an easier way. Ask the document owner to use an easy to use and inexpensive esignature service.
As an example, eSignToday (signup at eSignToday.com) is super-easy to setup. The document owner can set up a free account from the eSignToday homepage. Next, they upload a Word document or PDF that they want you to sign and enter the email address of everyone who needs to esign the document.
You’ll get an email asking you to esign the document (which you can view). You can do this on your computer or phone.
Best of all, using an online esignature service is cheaper than you might think. eSignToday costs just $0.50/esignature and there is never a monthly fee!
Microsoft Word has long been the world’s most popular word processor. Businesses and individuals have drawn up countless contracts with Word. But, how do you esign a Word document?
Though Word itself doesn’t support esignatures, it is super easy to get your Word document esigned. The key is to use an online esignature service. You might be surprised by how easy and inexpensive these services are.
Often the process is two steps:
Upload your Word document
List the email addresses of everyone who needs to sign
While there are many esignature services that allow you to esign Word documents – such as DocuSign and Adobe Sign – one of the least expensive is eSignToday. eSignToday just charges a flat rate of $0.50/esignature with no monthly fee. In contract, DocuSign charges $10/mo or more whether or not you use the service in a particular month.
Microsoft Word has always been a great tool for creating contracts. Using Microsoft Word to esign documents is cheaper and easier than you think.
eSignToday is a top choice for electronic signatures because of its affordability and simplicity.
As we’ve addressed in our blog, there is a lot of choice among electronic signature software. Finding the right solution for you can take time as each one is unique. We want to save you some time, so we will address the uniqueness of eSignToday for your esignature needs: Affordability and Simplicity!
eSignToday is Affordable (aka Cheap)
As you research various electronic signature software, you will quickly realize how eSignToday’s pricing is one of the few if not the only one where pricing is on a flat fee basis. Other electronic signature software like DocuSign or PandaDoc charge you based on a monthly subscription. Many times, you end up paying much more than your esigning needs require because of the monthly subscription obligation. DocuSign’s pricing for real estate starts at $10 per month for a single user, so you’re already having to pay at least $120 a year. There are no monthly subscriptions with eSignToday. You only pay $0.50 for each signature you need. That’s it. Yes, it really is that cheap.
eSignToday is Simple (aka Easy to use)
eSignToday is not laced with bells and whistles, which can be confusing, overkill, and complicated. Instead, eSignToday’s focus is strictly on getting esignatures on your document. Most other electronic signature software, like RightSignature, requires you to “drag and drop” fields throughout your document where the signer needs to complete, like date and name. With eSignToday, you simply upload your own document, which can be a PDF, Google Docs, or a Microsoft Word file. Then, you list the email addresses of those who need to sign the document, and then you send it off. In turn, eSignToday will put all of the signatures you need on the last page of your document. That’s it. Yes, it really is that simple and easy to use.
In addressing eSignToday’s unique qualities of affordability and simplicity, we hope we have saved you some time when considering which electronic signature software to use. Setting up an account with eSignToday is easy and free, so we encourage you to try it out for your esignature needs!
The two most distinguishing differences of eSignToday compared to other electronic signature software are its cost and simplicity. There are NO monthly subscriptions with eSignToday. Instead, you only pay $0.50 for each signature that you need. The flat fee pricing of just 50 cents per signature is hard to beat. As for simplicity, you simply upload your document, email whoever needs to sign, and all signatures appear on the last page of your document. There is no “drag and drop” or fields to enter with eSignToday. eSignToday is a very easy to use tool where all you need are esignatures.
PandaDoc
PandaDoc’s focus is on the business/enterprise level given the features available to help drive revenue and close deals. While their solutions have an esignature component, Pandadoc also helps businesses with document automation to improve workflow. They offer a variety of plans, which vary by available features.
HelloSign
Now part of DropBox, HelloSign has you first upload your document that needs to be signed. Then, you have to drag and insert fields such as names and dates into the areas of your document you want signed, so you can customize your document as necessary. HelloSign has different pricing plans depending of the features and capabilities with document creation and integration.
Finding the right esignature software is important, and knowing that DocuSign is not the only choice is helpful. From a very affordable and easy to use eSignToday to a more robust and integrated solution like HelloSign, there are definitely DocuSign alternatives to consider.
Docusign is one of the most popular services out there for esignatures. But, for small landlords, esigning leases using Docusign has a huge problem that is hard to overlook: a high price which is even worse than you think the more you do the math.
Esignatures Make Sense
It makes a lot of sense to esign a lease – it is safe, convenient, and way faster than dealing with paper, printers, and stamps. However, for the large number of small landlords who have one to ten properties, Docusign is expensive.
Docusign is Pricey
A landlord is likely to do either a new lease or lease extension for every property they have yearly. So, for a small landlord with five units, that is five leases or extensions per year.
Docusign’s pricing for real estate starts at $10 per month for a single user and is limited to 5 documents per month! If you need something more (let’s say one month per year you do more than five leases), the plan price doubles to $20 per month. So, a Docusign plan for a small landlord will be at least $120 per year, and sometimes $240/year.
For a landlord who has five leases or lease extensions to esign per year, the cost per esigned document works out to $24 per document on Docusign’s least expensive plan ($120/5). That is incredibly expensive!
While Docusign is pricey, there is no reason a small landlord should be denied the benefits of esignatures – such as the ability for roommates to sign a lease document on their smartphones and without the need for a printer.
eSignToday is an Affordable Lease Signing Solution
eSignToday brings the advantages of esigning leases and lease extensions to small landlords at a reasonable flat rate price. With eSignToday there is NEVER a monthly fee. Just pay a flat $0.50/esignature. If you and your tenants esign five leases or lease extensions with eSignToday, the price is around $5/yr (you and your tenant esign 5 online documents … which is 2 x 5 x $0.50/esignature) versus Docusign’s $120/yr – a savings of $115/yr!
Set up up an account at eSignToday.com and enjoy an affordable esignature service that is priced perfectly for small landlords and their leasing needs. With eSignToday, you’ll save year in and year out over Docusign.
Tradition (some call it routine) plays a large role in how we do things even if it’s not an efficient process. While change can be difficult, it can also be highly rewarding to the point that we tell ourselves later, “Self, why didn’t I make that change earlier? My life would have been so much easier!” In today’s era of technology and mobility, landlords are recognizing the benefits of electronic signatures for lease agreements and taking the leap to incorporate them into running a successful rental property business.
Benefit #1: Save Time
Probably the most significant and noticeable benefit for landlords using electronic signatures for lease agreements is the time they will save. With esignatures and online leases, landlords eliminate all of the steps involved with a traditional paper method – printing leases, meeting tenants for signing, making copies for all parties, and filing them in a cabinet. Just the time for travel and meeting tenants for a signature can be significant, especially if landlords do not live near their rental property. With an esignature service like eSignToday, landlords email the lease, tenants esign on their phones, and all parties receive a fully signed lease, which is also automatically stored. Electronic signatures make the entire lease signing process fast, painless, and highly efficient.
Benefit #2: Improve Document Management
Electronically signed lease agreements can easily be stored on your own digital device or in your electronic signature service account. By eliminating paper and going electronic, you have better storage and retrieval. Plus, you save money and help the environment.
Benefit #3: Build Reputation
Just like landlords, tenants also want to make their lives easier. Because esigning a lease agreement is fast and easy, tenants are happy when they can esign on their smartphones while on the move. They don’t have to take time to meet the landlord and wait for a signed copy. Esigning the lease agreement is simple. Happy tenants will recommend their landlord to others, which can lead to fewer vacancies and overall easier landlording.
Take the Leap
When it comes to finding the right electronic signature software for landlords, there is a lot of choice. Factors such as cost and ease of use will help determine which tool to use. Nevertheless, electronic signatures for lease agreements are highly beneficial for landlords looking to save time, improve operational efficiencies, and build strong tenant relationships.
