During our development of cuForms we conducted research into electronic signatures. This included our own web research and legal advice from a local solicitor.
There is much written on the subject such as the following link.
http://www.scl.org/site.aspx?i=ne36188
Electronic signatures are created by linking a credit agreement to the loan application through a dynamic link
When the credit application is agreed set the workflow to 'Ready' and cuForms will send an email to the applicant with the dynamic link to the credit agreement.
The workflow link [ENCRYPTED_EMAIL?url=runform.php?htmltype=html5&article_id=625&source_article_form_id=[FIELD?name=Ref]&validfor=2&source_article_form_admin_audit_id=[FIELD?name=AuditRef]&make_pdf=true&link=this link] links the loan application form to, in this example, Form Ref ID 625 (the credit agreement)
The customer will see the credit contract populated with their own personal details and loan terms. They then type 'I Agree' into the signature box before submitting the form.
When 'I Agree' is entered and the form is submitted the loan application workflow updates to read 'Agreed' and the first repayment date is added to the loan agreement.
We also questioned the use of electronic credit agreements with the DWP eligible loan deduction scheme. The DWP responded positively but we suggest credit unions contact the DWP ELDS team individually so their team can look out for your loan agreements signed electronically
You should be aware that CU Forms Ltd accepts no liability from issues arising through the use of electronic systems on the cuForms platform and users should not enter into the use of electronic signatures without having first carried out their own due diligence and research.