The United Arab Emirates or UAE is a land buzzing with commercial pursuits, bustling with business endeavors, roaring with excitement as digital technologies and innovation make waves all around making it aptly named the land of opportunities. The innovation of technology in UAE is evident even through the ever-evolving and constantly updating legislations of UAE. One of the examples is the implementation of Electronic signature cards or E-signature cards that have innovated traditional signatures by turning them digital.
E-signatures are legal in the UAE. E-signature cards are a strategy implemented by the UAE government. It has been implemented to assist Emirati citizens with legal procedures as well as to enable them to engage in commercial activities in the simplest manner.
MBS Consultancy as business consultants in UAE has got this comprehensive guide right here for businesses that require an E-Signature card in UAE. Our guide highlights the benefits of availing E-signature cards, attempts to explain the philosophy behind their implementation as well as shed some spotlight on the best practices when it comes to availing E-signature cards.
What is an E-Signature Card? An Introduction
Before applying for an E-signature card, it is highly important that you have an elaborate understanding of what an E-signature card actually is and the significance that it holds for businesses in UAE.
An electronic signature card is a novel approach as it makes signing electronic documents and messages both easier and more efficient. The card is designed in such a way that it confirms the identity of the person signing, ensuring that there is no disparity involved. Furthermore, it has an electronic chip embedded in it. This chip stores your fingerprints making it a secure system.
Other than your fingerprints, your e-signature card will contain following information:
- Your name
- Your date of birth
- Your address
- Your social security number
The purpose of an E-signature card is to authorize transactions and contracts. The card is a way for signing the documents digitally. In addition, electronic signature cards can be utilized in agreements and contracts since they happen to be faster than a traditional signature. Moreover, local authorities in UAE have found a more reliable solution to simplify and expedite legal procedures: integrating E-signature cards. Likewise, application of E-signature cards has also made modernizing marketing methods possible in UAE.
If you have a business set up in UAE, you can put forward your request for an E-signature card exclusive for businesses or companies. Having an E-signature card for your business will help you out in smoothly performing your commercial operations.
Key benefits of E-signature Cards in UAE
E-Signature cards offer a wide range of benefits. Ranging from being essential in opening up a bank account to being more eco-friendly and a sustainable choice for our environment, these little cards definitely possess huge merits to them. Some of the key benefits to availing E-signature cards for businesses in UAE are:
- Enhanced security
- Fraud prevention
- Cost-efficient
- Time-saving
- Improved customer satisfaction
- Enhanced customer experience
- Sustainable and eco-friendly choice for environment
- Seamless integration with digital platforms
- Flexibility and accessibility
Enhanced Security and Fraud Prevention
E-signature cards offer enhanced security and play a keen role in prevention of frauds. The implementation of encryption and authentication makes these cards comparatively more secure than conventional methods and traditional signatures. Application of E-signature cards minimizes possibilities of fraud preventing fraudulent activities since the card holder is the only one with authorization to sign documents. Additionally, electronic signature cards also play a role in reducing any legal disputes that may arise from different parties signing a legal document.
In instances where you have to open a bank account for your business, e-signature cards are vital to confirm and verify your signature. They serve as a reliable resource to authenticate any account-related transaction. Not only that, electronic signature cards are essential to keep your assets protected and safeguarded.
Cost-Efficiency and Time-Saving
Save both your time and cost with E-signature cards. With an e-signature card, you can instantly authorize any transaction or contract saving both your time and resources. With these cards, you can easily bid farewell to the time consuming processes and costly physical paperwork that cost you both money and patience. Using electronic signature cards for your businesses not only help save cost but your precious time as well that you can pour into running your business operations more smoothly.
Improved Customer Experience
Availing e-signature cards can result in improving your customer’s experiences with your business. Since the usage of these cards makes the process of signing documents easier and quicker without having the need to print out a document, sign it and then again scan physical documents, it turns a long exhausting process to a more efficient one increasing customer satisfaction. These e-signature cards minimize the frustration and maximize overall customer satisfaction.
Environmental Benefits
It is a need of today’s time to be sustainable and conscious of our choices that affect our environment. Using more eco-friendly products or making likewise decisions are highly imperative today than ever before. Availing e-signature cards in UAE has environmental benefits as it reduces wastage of papers and carbon emission, saving trees and resources that can be better spent elsewhere.
Integration with Digital Platforms
Another benefit of availing e-signature cards is that these can easily be integrated with digital platforms as well as CRM software. Easier integration of electronic signature cards with digital platforms can also translate to running an ecommerce business without a hitch.
Flexibility and Accessibility
In today’s world where modes of work have started being restructured — from switching to remote to transforming to hybrid form of work — and hobbies have turned into side-hustles, flexibility and accessibility have become something much favored that can also give you an edge over your competitors too. If a business follows rigid practices leaving no room for flexibility or offers little in terms of accessibility, high chances are its customers will switch to other options or competitors that offer it.
Your business can provide both flexibility and accessibility to its customers by integrating e-signature cards in your business practices. It will help you reduce the consumption of time for e-commerce transactions by enabling the customers to sign in minutes instead of waiting for a long time. This way, the integration can help you bring more income and revenue from your business.
How to Obtain This Document in Digital Format
Now that you know what an e-signature card exactly is, the significance it holds, the benefits it possesses when availed for businesses, the strategy behind its implementation, it’s time to understand the full procedure to obtain this document in digital format.
Firstly, you should know about digital certificates. Digital certificates are electronic documents that are issued by a certification service provider. A digital certificate is crucial in the process to apply for an e-signature card as it verifies the identity of a person or organization.
A digital certificate is issued by a Digital Certification Service Provider or DCSP. DCSP is an organization that holds the authority to issue digital certificates or provide services related to digital signatures. Digital Certification Service Providers are imperative in the landscape of digital signature verification as they verify the authenticity of digital certificates. Digital Certification Service Providers or DCSPs are essential in the authentication process of a digital certificate.
Secondly, to obtain a digital signature, you must possess a device that facilitates electronic signature and attain a digital certificate that will authorize its use. The certificate will act as a proof of identity for the signature device’s holder.
Required Documents Delivery
If you are applying for an electronic signature card for your business in the UAE, you might need to submit the related documents required for your application to move forward. These documents may encompass the following:
- Company’s documents
- A commercial license
- Statement of your company’s commercial activities
- Financial statements and details
- Insurance policy
Application Process and Issues
The procedure to obtain this document in digital format is as follows:
- For online channels, you log in with username and password
- Submit an application to obtain e-signature card
- Application will be referred to Ministry for verification of being compliant to the requirements and documents
- Application will be approved If all conditions and documents are in compliance with the requirements specified
You are required to use the reference number on which agency guarantee had been entered when the establishment’s card for an agency was issued.
In instances where you have misplaced your e-signature card or if it has been stolen, you need to take an immediate action to avoid any inconvenience that may occur or issues that may arise. You should contact relevant authorities immediately and apply for a replacement card. The new issued card will maintain the same expiry date as the original one. You will need to show valid proof of identity, residence, employment, or education to apply for a replacement card.
Conclusion
E-signature card is an efficient resource in executing business operations, authorizing transactions, and continuing commercial activities in UAE. Availing electronic signature cards benefit businesses in a variety of ways. These electronic signature cards not only provide enhanced security and flexibility, these cards also improve customer experience as well as benefiting the environment. A true win-win for all. To explore more insights and informative blogs, you can connect with us.
