Signer Verification
Signer verification is the process of confirming that a signing party's declared identity matches a trusted authoritative source before permitting them to execute a document.
What it means
Verification methods include email and phone possession checks (basic), knowledge-based authentication (KBA) using questions drawn from credit bureau data, government ID scanning with OCR and liveness detection, and biometric facial matching. The appropriate level depends on document sensitivity and regulatory requirements.
Why it matters for e-signatures
For documents with significant legal or financial consequences, signer verification in SignOwl provides an extra layer of assurance beyond email-link access, creating a stronger evidentiary record of signer identity.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What is knowledge-based authentication (KBA)?
KBA presents the signer with multiple-choice questions about their personal history (previous addresses, loan amounts, etc.) drawn from credit bureau records. The signer must answer a minimum number correctly within a time limit.
Is government ID verification the most reliable signer verification method?
ID scanning with liveness detection (confirming the ID matches a live selfie) is currently one of the strongest non-PKI verification methods, combining document authenticity checks with biometric matching.
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