FAQs: Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) in BoldSign

BoldSign’s Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) feature delivers the highest level of legal assurance for electronic documents, fully compliant with EU eIDAS regulations. Powered by certified Trust Service Provider Evrotrust, QES ensures robust identity verification through government-issued IDs and live video checks, making signatures legally equivalent to handwritten ones across all EU member states.

Below, we address frequently asked questions to help you understand and use this feature effectively.

1. What is a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) in BoldSign?
   QES is the highest e-signature standard under EU eIDAS regulations, providing maximum legal validity and security equivalent to a handwritten signature. It uses encryption, QTSP-issued digital certificates, and strict identity verification to ensure document authenticity and prevent tampering.
2. Why use QES for electronic signatures?
   QES offers the strongest legal standing for high-stakes documents, with tamper-proof security, GDPR-compliant EU data residency, multi-language support, and detailed audit trails—ideal for regulated industries requiring indisputable proof of signer identity and intent.
3. How does BoldSign’s QES ensure signer identity verification?
   Signers verify their identity via Evrotrust using a government-issued ID (e.g., passport), a live video check, and options like personal ID, mobile number, or email approval, ensuring only authorized individuals can sign.
4. What is a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP)?
   A QTSP is an EU-certified organization, like Evrotrust, that issues qualified digital certificates and performs identity verification for QES, guaranteeing compliance with eIDAS standards for legally binding signatures across the EU.
5. What’s the difference between Simple Electronic Signature (SES) and QES?
   SES is a basic electronic signature without mandatory identity verification or QTSP certificates; QES adds strict identity checks and qualified certificates, giving it the highest legal equivalence to handwritten signatures.
6. How much does QES cost in BoldSign?
   QES is billed at $3 per identity verification attempt on a Pay-As-You-Go basis. Charges apply whether the attempt succeeds or fails. You can set limits and budget caps for verification attempts in your Business Profile.
7. Which BoldSign plans support QES?
   QES is available on Business, Premium, and Enterprise API plans; it requires enabling the add-on via support and is not included in Free or Growth plans.
8. How do I enable QES in BoldSign?
   Enable QES in your Business Profile under Settings by contacting support to purchase the add-on; once activated, set verification attempt limits, and toggle it on per signer or document during preparation.
9. Can I enable QES while creating a document or template?
   Yes, after adding recipients, expand the recipient settings, activate QES, and proceed to configure fields—available for both new documents and templates.
10. Is QES available via the BoldSign API?
    Yes. QES is supported in the Enterprise API. To enable it, set the enableQes property to true in the signer object of your API request payload. This requires prior activation of QES in your Business Profile and follows the same pricing of $3 per verification attempt.
11. Can I send a document with QES enabled for multiple signers?
    Yes. QES supports multiple signers in a sequential signing order, and each signer must have a unique signing order. You can enable QES for all signers or only the last signer. However, when QES is enabled for multiple signers, only the first signer can access all field types (such as textboxes and checkboxes). All other signers are limited to Signature, Editable Date, and Date Signed fields.
12. Are all signers required to go through the same identity verification process?
    Yes, every signer for whom QES is enabled (all or just the last one) must complete the full Evrotrust identity verification process (ID scan, selfie, and approval method).
13. What are the usage restrictions for QES in BoldSign?
    • QES can be enabled only for single-signer documents or multiple signers with a unique sequential signing order.
    • For multiple signers, QES must be enabled for all signers or only the last signer.
    • Document size must not exceed 30MB when QES is enabled.
    • Each signer must have a unique signing order; shared signing orders are not allowed.
    • QES is not available for reviewers, or group signers.
    • Combine Audit Trail and Combine Attachments options are not supported; these will download separately.
    • Collaborative editing and signer-specific field configurations are not supported when QES is enabled for multiple signers.
    • When QES is enabled with multiple signers, only the first signer can access all field types (e.g., textboxes, checkboxes). All other signers are limited to Signature, Editable Date, and Date Signed fields.
14. What field types are supported with QES for multiple signers?
    Only the first signer accesses all field types (e.g., textboxes, checkboxes); subsequent signers are limited to mandatory Signature, Editable Date, and Date Signed fields.
15. How do signers complete a QES document?
    Signers receive an email link, agree to disclosure terms, fill fields, and verify identity via the Evrotrust app; the session expires after 30 minutes if incomplete.
16. What are the requirements for signing a QES document with Evrotrust?
    Signers need the Evrotrust app (iOS/Android), an active account with verified identity (ID scan, selfie, SMS/email), a device with a camera, and valid contact details.
17. Can I show the QES signature badge on signed documents?
    Yes, the QES signature badge can be enabled by account administrators in the Business Profile QES settings. It displays visual confirmation below each QES signature, including details from the trusted provider and timestamp.
18. What are the key highlights in the QES audit trail?
    The QES audit trail provides a detailed record of the signing process for compliance and transparency. It includes document details, sender and recipient information, authentication events such as QES verification via Evrotrust with transaction IDs, signature types, cryptographic hashes, event sequencing, and a compliance summary. These elements ensure the document’s integrity and legal validity under eIDAS standards.
19. Is QES legally valid across the EU?
    Yes, under eIDAS Article 25, QES is automatically recognized as legally binding in all EU member states, with tamper-evident certificates ensuring enforceability in courts or disputes.
20. Is there a plan to integrate with more Trust Service Providers (TSPs) beyond Evrotrust?
    Currently, QES is powered exclusively by Evrotrust for EU-wide coverage; BoldSign is exploring additional TSP integrations to expand geographic support and user options—contact support for the latest roadmap updates.

For additional help, reach out to BoldSign support at [email protected]