What is the legal value of an eIDAS SES signature?

The Simple Electronic Signature (SES) is defined by Regulation (EU) n°910/2014. It is legally valid in all 27 EU member states for the vast majority of civil and commercial legal acts. It is enforceable before a European court in case of dispute.

What is the difference between eIDAS SES, AES and QES?

SES (Simple): basic identification (email, OTP). AES (Advanced): unique and controllable link to the signer. QES (Qualified): qualified certificate, maximum level. For common commercial contracts, SES is sufficient and easiest to integrate. Scell implements SES through OpenAPI.com, an eIDAS-certified signature provider.

How is signer authentication handled?

Two methods available: auth_method: 'email' (signing link sent by email) or auth_method: 'sms' (OTP SMS). The signer proves identity before signing. Authentication proof is included in the signature certificate.

Can I place the signature at a specific location on the PDF?

Yes, via signature_positions. You define the page, X/Y coordinates and dimensions, in % (relative to the page) or px (absolute). The signature field appears exactly where you define it.

How many signers can one document have?

The signers[] array accepts N signers. Signatures can be parallel (all sign at once) or sequential (signer 2 receives their link after signer 1 has signed). Order is configured via signing_order in the payload.

How is the requester notified of a completed signature?

Via webhook: the signature.completed event is sent to your configured endpoint as soon as all signers have signed. No polling needed.

Is the signed document accessible via API?

Yes, via GET /api/v1/signatures/{id}/download/signed. The returned document is the original PDF with the applied signature and embedded audit certificate. It is immediately archivable.

Can Scell.io sign quotes directly?

Yes. Scell quotes have an integrated Simple Electronic Signature (eIDAS SES). Once signed, the quote PDF is sealed using the same cryptographic circuit as invoices: PAdES signature (PKCS#7, Scell.io server certificate), timestamping and anchoring of the SHA-256 fingerprint onto the Bitcoin blockchain via OpenTimestamps (an offline-verifiable proof of existence). A quote response then exposes a sealing object (is_sealed, signed_pdf_sha256, ots_status, bitcoin_block_height, ots_proof_base64...). This is a sealed and anchored SES — not a QES nor a qualified TSA timestamp. See the Quotes page for details.

How much does an eIDAS signature via Scell.io cost?

Usage-based pricing, per created signature. The sandbox is free and unlimited. See /pricing for current volumes and rates. No seat subscription, no minimum commitment.

eIDAS SES · OpenAPI.com certified · 21 UI params · Regulation (EU) 910/2014

eIDAS SES signature via API — legal value in 27 EU countries.

21 interface parameters. Multi-signers. Email or OTP SMS auth. Positions in % or px. Through OpenAPI.com, an eIDAS-certified provider (EU-SES). PHP and TypeScript SDK.

Test the signature →View SDKs

$pdf = file_get_contents('contract.pdf');

$signature = $api->signatures()->builder()
    ->title('Employment Contract')
    ->document(base64_encode($pdf), 'contract.pdf')
    ->signer(new Signer('John', 'Doe', 'john@example.com', AuthMethod::Email))
    ->create();

echo 'Signing URL: ' . $signature->public_url;

The problem

✕Docusign: €30–120/month, imposed branding — Not programmably integrable in a B2B flow. Docusign interface visible to the client.
✕French alternatives: QES required for everything — Qualified certificates required even for simple commercial contracts where SES is legally sufficient.
✕Zero webhooks, mandatory polling — Most solutions require polling the signature status every N seconds. Unacceptable in production.

Our solution

✓eIDAS SES via API, 100% white-label — 21 configurable UI parameters (sidebar, header, footer, buttons). Your interface, not a third-party provider's.
✓Email or OTP SMS auth — SES sufficient — Legally valid in 27 EU countries for the vast majority of contracts. No expensive QES certificate.
✓signature.completed webhook — zero polling — Instant notification as soon as all signers have signed. Fully automated flow in production.

6 eIDAS SES guarantees

Email or OTP SMS auth

No certificate required by the signer. auth_method: 'email' or 'sms'. The signer proves identity before signing. Authentication proof included in the certificate.

Signature in < 5 min

21 white-label UI parameters

Full branding: sidebar_*, header_*, footer_*, button_*, sign button, draw or type mode. Your interface, not Docusign's.

100% white-label experience

% or px positions multi-page

signature_positions with unit: 'percent' or 'pixel'. Page, X, Y, dimensions. Precision on multi-page PDF. Optionally: page_width_px/page_height_px for auto parsing.

Pixel-perfect placement

N parallel multi-signers

The signers[] array accepts N signers. Parallel or sequential via signing_order. Complex contracts (tripartite, approval cascades) natively handled.

N simultaneous signers

eIDAS SES legal value 27 EU countries

Regulation (EU) n°910/2014. Enforceable in court in 27 EU member states. Suitable for most commercial contracts. Through OpenAPI.com, an eIDAS-certified signature provider.

Legally enforceable EU

signature.completed webhook

Instant notification to your endpoint as soon as all signers have signed. No polling. Fully automated flow: webhook → archiving → confirmation email.

0 polling required

Hébergé en FranceScaleway Paris

RGPDDonnées FR

Factur-X conformeDGFiP EN16931

eIDAS SESRègl. 910/2014

ISCA SHA-256Ledger immuable

TLS 1.3Chiffrement bout-à-bout

Frequently asked questions

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