Signature Capture Simplifies Business

Does your retail or wholesale business have customers that regularly purchase on account by signing an invoice? If so, you probably have extra paperwork to do as a result; making duplicate copies to keep on file for yourself, for the customer and to send to the customer at the end of the month. If there were an easier way, wouldn't you like to know about it?

Signature capture is now available as part of Windward Software’s powerful POS software. This technology allows the customer to digitally sign the invoice, saving you from having to generate and file extra copies. Captured signatures can also be printed directly onto the invoice for the customer, speeding up payments on charge accounts. When generating a statement for the customer, the signature collected for the invoice can be printed on the statement to show the customer who signed for what.

  • Signature capture means peace of mind
  • Reduce paperwork and filing
  • Streamline account sales
  • Remove guesswork from partial pickups
  • Credit card support provides payment convenience
  • Legally binding signatures protect your interests
  • Works with tablet PCs
  • View signatures in common document types (MS Word etc.)
Windward's signature capture is security-based to prevent fraud

Handles Partial Pickups

You might be wondering: "What happens if there’s a partial pick up and someone else charges on the account? Will the first signature be signing for any subsequent purchases?"

No. Like the rest of our POS software, our electronic signature capture feature is security based. So, when another person charges on the same invoice, they also have to sign. The system stores the most recent signature.

Options for Tablet PCs

Windward’s point of sale software also provides signature capture for tablet PC's. This allows the capture, encryption and storage of electronic signatures in electronic documents. This enables the users to add legally binding electronic signatures to any electronic document type supported by the signature capture software. For instance, digital signatures can be added and viewed in common document types such as:

  • MS Word
  • MS Excel
  • Adobe PDF (using free bundled plug-ins)
Signature capture allows your customers to sign electronic documents

Supports Legal Signatures

In basic terms for the legal signature option, the electronic document is loaded into the signature capture software, which then generates an encrypted key. The customer signs the signature device, after which an encrypted signature file is created. To view the signature, the original unchanged electronic document, as well as the encrypted signature file, must be reloaded into the signature capture software. If the electronic document or signature file is changed or altered, the signature does not appear.

Windward Software’s point of sale software stores and retrieves the electronic document and signature file. Only unalterable single documents may be signed. For example, invoices cannot be signed, but PDF files or slip receipts can. Credit card slips can also be signed, but it’s dependent on whether your credit card merchant agreement accepts this method.

Fulfilling Legal Criteria

It’s important to note is that with legal paper documents, legal signatures must show:

  • Date of signing
  • Place of signing
  • Printed name of the signee 
  • Printed name of a witness

That's a lot to cover. Most invoices and credit card slips don’t have this information on the document, and therefore, may not hold up in court in the event of a dispute. It’s also important to understand electronic signature capture laws vary from state to state, province to province and country to country. As of yet, there is no universally accepted standard for electronic signature formats.

Nonetheless, using Windward Software's ability to capture signatures effectively limits paperwork, stress and potential disputes. Let our point of sale software simplify your business processes today.

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