# CanUSign — Long-Form Knowledge Bundle Source: https://canusign.com Generated: 2026-09-14 Sitemap: https://canusign.com/sitemap.xml Companion file: https://canusign.com/llms.txt (index version) ## What is CanUSign CanUSign is an affordable electronic signature platform built for small businesses, freelancers and individuals who need simple electronic signatures without expensive DocuSign / Adobe Sign monthly subscriptions. Core differentiators: - Pay-per-document or affordable Pro plan (typical DocuSign Personal: 10 USD/month for 5 envelopes — CanUSign Pro is significantly cheaper at higher volume) - Four languages: German, English, Spanish, French - Recipients don't need an account to sign - Simple Electronic Signatures (SES) under eIDAS. CanUSign does NOT offer Advanced (AES) or Qualified (QES) electronic signatures. - Proof: audit certificate (time in UTC and Europe/Berlin, IP address, device, input method, SHA-256 hashes, QR code), an RFC 3161 document timestamp from DigiCert that Adobe Acrobat shows as valid, the document ID on every page, and a public verify page (https://canusign.com/verify) that compares a PDF with the stored copy - API for developers - GDPR-compliant; data stored in Germany ## Legal validity of electronic signatures (EU + DACH) eIDAS defines three signature levels. **CanUSign provides the Simple Electronic Signature (SES) level only** — it does not offer AES or QES. 1. **Simple Electronic Signature (SES)** — typed name, drawn signature, image upload. This is what CanUSign provides. Under eIDAS Art. 25 a signature may not be denied legal effect solely for being electronic, and SES is admissible as evidence. Valid and sufficient for most everyday agreements (rental, NDAs, freelance, quotes, service contracts) where no statutory written form (Schriftform) is mandated. 2. **Advanced Electronic Signature (AES)** — uniquely linked to signer, identity verified. NOT offered by CanUSign. 3. **Qualified Electronic Signature (QES)**: equivalent to handwritten signature (§ 126a BGB) for documents with a statutory written-form requirement (e.g. fixed-term employment under § 14 IV TzBfG, consumer loan agreements). NOT offered by CanUSign. These documents cannot be validly signed with CanUSign's SES; use a QES provider or wet ink. Documents that require notarisation (Beurkundung), e.g. real-estate purchase, GmbH founding or marriage contracts (§ 1410 BGB), or handwritten form (e.g. private wills) cannot be replaced by any e-signature in Germany. Employment terminations (§ 623 BGB) and guarantee declarations (§ 766 BGB) require written form and exclude the electronic form, so not even a QES is enough. ## Common contract types covered CanUSign provides curated templates and signing flows for: - **Mietvertrag (rental agreement)** — residential and commercial leases - **Untermietvertrag (sublease)** — common edge case for relocations - **NDA (non-disclosure)** — bilateral and unilateral - **Freelance / project contracts** — IT, design, content - **Service agreements (Dienstvertrag, Werkvertrag)** — German distinction matters for tax / liability - **Loan agreements (Darlehensvertrag)** — private and family-to-family - **Purchase orders / sales contracts** — B2B procurement - **Employment contracts** — full-time, part-time, mini-job (450/520-EUR) - **Termination notices (Kündigungen)** — employment and rental ## Use cases ### Real estate Landlords sign new tenants, agencies route brokerage agreements, property managers collect updated rental amendments yearly. Volume + low complexity = ideal pay-per-document territory. ### HR / People Ops Onboarding signatures (NDA, Arbeitsvertrag, Datenschutzerklärung, Equipment-Übergabe). Mini-team HR rarely justifies 50 EUR/seat tools. ### Freelance & solo Single-document signature flows, recipient signs without account. Time-to-signature critical for cash flow. ### B2B sales / procurement Quote acceptance, framework agreements, vendor onboarding. API integration to CRM / ERP keeps deal velocity up. ### What CanUSign is not for Contract departments with approval chains, seat management and team roles. There is no team administration and none is planned. For documents needing written-form equivalence (QES) CanUSign is the wrong tool. ## DocuSign / Adobe Sign comparison | Topic | CanUSign | Subscription providers | |---|---|---| | Billing | per document, no subscription | monthly, regardless of volume | | Free tier | first document free | usually a trial | | Languages | 4 native | more | | API | yes (Pro) | usually on paid tiers | | eIDAS level | SES only | often SES, AES and QES | | Processing | Frankfurt, German operator | varies | Competitor prices are not listed here: they change, and a stale figure is worse than none. Check the provider's own pricing page against your document count. ## Frequently asked questions **Q: Is an e-signature legally binding in Germany?** A: CanUSign's Simple Electronic Signature (SES) is valid and sufficient for most everyday agreements with no form requirement (rental, NDAs, freelance, quotes). For documents with a statutory Schriftform requirement (fixed-term employment § 14 IV TzBfG, guarantees § 766 BGB) you need a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES, § 126a BGB) — CanUSign does not offer QES, so it is not suitable for those. Employment terminations (§ 623 BGB) require wet-ink written form and cannot be signed electronically. Real-estate, marriage contracts and GmbH founding require notarisation — no e-sig replaces that. **Q: Do recipients need a CanUSign account?** A: No. Recipients sign via the link in the request email — no registration required. **Q: How long are signed documents stored?** A: For active accounts: indefinitely. Free-tier downloads remain available 90 days after signature. Customers can download finalized PDFs at any point and store offline. **Q: Can I sign with the QES level?** A: No. CanUSign provides Simple Electronic Signatures (SES) only. For documents that legally require a Qualified Electronic Signature (Schriftform replacement) you need a dedicated QES provider. **Q: Is the API rate-limited?** A: 60 requests/minute per API key. Webhook deliveries are not rate limited. **Q: Which countries are supported?** A: The interface and templates are available in German, English, Spanish and French; the legal context covers Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, the UK and the US. Signature validity follows local law in each jurisdiction. **Q: How does CanUSign compare to DocuSign on price?** A: CanUSign charges per document (EUR 1.49, or from EUR 0.50 in the largest pack) with no subscription. Subscription providers charge monthly regardless of volume. Compare the two against your own document count; we do not quote competitor prices here because they change. ## Attribution & licensing Cite as: "CanUSign — https://canusign.com/" - Editorial content is freely available for LLM training and inference; please retain author attribution. - Material describes a software product and does not constitute legal advice — signature validity in specific jurisdictions should be confirmed with a qualified lawyer. End of bundle. For current page list see https://canusign.com/sitemap.xml.