Is a signature drawn with a finger on a phone valid?

Yes, it's a simple electronic signature. Its validity doesn't depend on what the line looks like, but on whether you can show who signed, when, and which document.

Are electronic signatures valid internationally?

Most countries accept them, and the EU, UK and US all have laws that say an electronic signature can't be rejected just for being electronic. Check local rules for documents like wills or property deeds.

eIDAS is the EU regulation on electronic identification and trust services. It defines simple, advanced and qualified electronic signatures and applies across the EU and EEA.

Can an AI agent sign a contract for me?

An agent can draft a contract and send it for signature, but the signature should come from a person. In Pledge, the agent sends only when you tell it to, and each signer signs from their own link.

Are electronic signatures legally binding?

Published 30 October 2026

Short answer

Yes. In the EU, the UK and the US an electronic signature is legally binding and can't be rejected just because it is electronic. For most business agreements a simple electronic signature is enough, as long as you can show who signed, when, and that the document hasn't changed since. Stronger signatures are only needed where the law, your industry or the other party asks for them.

What the law says

European Union. The eIDAS regulation says an electronic signature can't be denied legal effect or be refused as evidence just because it is electronic. It applies across the EU and the EEA, including Norway.

United Kingdom. UK law has long accepted electronic signatures, and the Electronic Communications Act 2000 lets them be used as evidence. After Brexit the UK kept its own version of the eIDAS rules.

United States. The federal ESIGN Act and the state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) say a contract or signature can't be denied legal effect because it is electronic.

In most countries, most contracts don't need any particular form at all: they can be agreed by email or with a click. The signature is rarely what makes the agreement valid. It is the evidence that the agreement was made, and by whom.

Three levels of electronic signature (EU)

Level	What it is	Typical use
Simple	A typed name, a click or a drawn signature, usually with email verification and a log	Engagement letters, consulting agreements, proposals, NDAs
Advanced	Uniquely linked to the signer, and reveals any later change to the document	Higher-risk agreements
Qualified	An advanced signature with a qualified certificate, such as a national eID	Where the law or the other party requires it

Only the qualified signature automatically has the same legal effect as a handwritten one across the EU. The other levels are valid too, but their weight depends on how well you can show what happened.

When do you need more than a simple signature?

For everyday agreements between businesses, rarely. It mostly comes up when:

A law or regulation requires a qualified signature, for example in some finance and property deals
You contract with a public body that requires it
The other party or your industry expects it

Some documents can't be signed electronically at all in many countries, such as wills, and some need a notary or witnesses.

What makes a simple signature strong?

If an agreement is ever disputed, it comes down to evidence. A simple electronic signature holds up well when you can show:

Who. The signing link went to a specific email address, and the person opened it from there.
When. The time it was sent, opened and signed.
What. Exactly which version of the document was signed, with a checksum that proves it hasn't changed.
How. A log with the IP address and browser for each step.

How signing works in Pledge

Pledge uses simple electronic signatures. Every signed agreement gets a final PDF and a certificate of completion with all signatures, an event log with times, IP addresses and browsers, and a SHA-256 checksum for the document and its appendices. The events are chained, so a later change to the log can be detected, and anyone can check a signed document against its checksum on Pledge's verify page. Your agent can send a contract for signature from Claude, ChatGPT, Codex or Cursor, but only when you tell it to. Pledge doesn't offer qualified signatures, such as BankID, today.

This article is not legal advice. If you're not sure whether an agreement needs a qualified signature, ask a lawyer.

Questions

Is a signature drawn with a finger on a phone valid?: Yes, it's a simple electronic signature. Its validity doesn't depend on what the line looks like, but on whether you can show who signed, when, and which document.
Are electronic signatures valid internationally?: Most countries accept them, and the EU, UK and US all have laws that say an electronic signature can't be rejected just for being electronic. Check local rules for documents like wills or property deeds.
What is eIDAS?: eIDAS is the EU regulation on electronic identification and trust services. It defines simple, advanced and qualified electronic signatures and applies across the EU and EEA.
Can an AI agent sign a contract for me?: An agent can draft a contract and send it for signature, but the signature should come from a person. In Pledge, the agent sends only when you tell it to, and each signer signs from their own link.

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