# Let customers sign on a tablet: a legal guide > Have customers sign directly on a tablet: what the law says, which device is enough and how the process with identity verification works in detail. Source: https://smartdocs.de/en/blog/let-customers-sign-on-a-tablet/ --- Your customer is standing right in front of you: in the showroom, on the construction site, at the front desk. Everything has been discussed, and all that is missing is the signature. Printing the document now, having it signed and scanning the sheet back in later is a detour nobody needs. When you let customers sign directly on a tablet, you close the deal while everyone is still in the room and have the document neatly filed within the same minute. This article shows what you need, what the process looks like in detail and what the law says. ## What you need: a tablet and the Kiosk App The barrier to entry is lower than many people expect. A standard iPad or Android tablet is enough. It runs the SmartDocs Kiosk App, where your team logs in and opens the prepared signature requests. Special signature pads, like the ones you know from parcel delivery services, are not needed. Your customers need neither their own app nor an account: they sign with a finger or a stylus directly on your screen. The only requirement is an internet connection, Wi-Fi or mobile data. That is all the infrastructure it takes. ## Is a signature on a tablet legally valid? Yes, for two reasons. First, most contracts in Germany have no form requirement: they would even be valid if made verbally or with a handshake. Second, the European eIDAS Regulation gives electronic signatures a clear legal framework; they may not be denied legal effect solely because they are in electronic form. The signature drawn on the tablet is only the visible part. Legally, it counts as a simple electronic signature (SES), and that is enough for the vast majority of everyday business documents: quotes, orders, acceptance and handover reports, consent forms. What makes the difference in a dispute is the documentation behind it. A signature platform records every step in a tamper-evident audit trail and cryptographically seals the finished PDF, so any later change stands out. That is exactly what a mere signature image in a PDF cannot do. Our pages on [legal validity](/en/legal-validity/) and [signature levels](/en/signature-levels/) explain the details. Only where the law expressly requires the statutory written form, for example for a fixed term in an employment contract or a fixed-term residential lease of more than one year (§ 550 BGB), do you need the [qualified electronic signature (QES)](/en/qualified-electronic-signature/). In day-to-day business with customers on site, that is the exception, not the rule. ## How to let customers sign on a tablet With [in-person signing](/en/in-person-signing/) from SmartDocs, the process takes four steps: 1. **Prepare the document.** The quote, report or form is ready as a template with signature and text fields. You fill in variable details before the appointment or right on site. 2. **Open the request in the Kiosk App and verify identity.** Your employee selects the request in the Kiosk App and checks the signer's identity, for example by looking at their ID. This note goes into the audit trail as a separate event. 3. **Hand over the tablet.** The customer reads the document at their own pace, fills in the required fields and signs with a finger or a stylus directly on the screen. They see only the document, not your account. 4. **Done.** The sealed PDF with its audit trail is in your account immediately. If they wish, the customer receives a copy by email or as a printout. ## The point that decides a dispute: identity verification With a remote signature, the personal signing link points to an email inbox. On site, you have something better: your employee sees the person who is signing and can ask to see their ID. What matters is that this check is also documented. SmartDocs records it as a separate event in the audit trail, before the document is even opened. So if in doubt, you can prove not only the signature but also that the signer's identity was verified before signing. ## Even without the customer's email address An underrated advantage of signing on a tablet: it also works when the customer has no email address or does not have it at hand. The signature is created on your device, and a customer account or inbox is not required. The signed copy can then be delivered to any address or printed. Especially with walk-in customers and older customers, this removes the last hurdle. ## Where the tablet replaces the paper pad - **Trades:** The acceptance report is signed right on the construction site instead of being typed up in the office in the evening. Our article on the [acceptance report](/en/blog/sign-acceptance-report-digitally/) shows how this works in detail, and the [e-signatures for the trades](/en/industries/trades/) page gives an overview. - **Car dealerships:** The purchase contract and handover report are completed [at the vehicle](/en/industries/car-dealerships/), not at the desk. - **Medical practices:** Consent forms and patient information sheets are signed [at the front desk](/en/industries/medical-practices/) and go straight into the file. - **Property management:** The handover report is completed [in the apartment](/en/industries/property-management/) while both parties are standing in front of the meter. - **Retail and consulting:** Service orders at the counter, quotes during appointments, forms at the trade show booth. ## What to look for when choosing a solution Not every piece of software that captures a signature on screen holds up when it really counts. These points are worth a look: - **Standard hardware instead of special devices:** Does the solution run on a regular iPad or Android tablet, or do you need proprietary signature pads? - **Audit trail with identity note:** Is only the signature image stored, or also who checked what and when? - **Sealed result:** Is the finished PDF cryptographically protected so that changes stand out? - **Delivery without requiring email:** Can the customer sign even without their own email address? - **Data protection:** Where are the documents processed? SmartDocs hosts exclusively in German data centers, with no transfer to third countries; learn more on our [security](/en/security/) page. - **Fair entry:** Is there a free plan to try it out, and can the subscription be canceled monthly? ## What does it cost to let customers sign on a tablet? With SmartDocs, in-person signing is included in every plan: you can try it on your own tablet in the permanently free [Free plan](/en/pricing/) with five signature requests per month, using real requests. The Pro plan at €25 per seat per month removes this limit and adds identification by SMS code, cancelable monthly. You do not need any extra hardware: your existing iPad or Android tablet with the Kiosk App is enough. ## Frequently asked questions **Which tablet works best?** Any current iPad or Android tablet that runs the SmartDocs Kiosk App. A stylus makes the signature feel more natural, but it is not required. **Does it work on the go without Wi-Fi?** Yes, a tablet with a mobile data connection is enough: the Kiosk App works anywhere the tablet has reception. **Does the customer get a copy?** If you want, yes: the sealed copy can be delivered to any email address or printed. ## Conclusion Letting customers sign on a tablet is no longer a question of technology: a standard iPad or Android tablet with the Kiosk App and a clean audit trail are all you need. Legally, the simple electronic signature covers most day-to-day business, and the documented identity verification on site even makes your evidence in a dispute stronger than with some remote signatures. The [in-person signing](/en/in-person-signing/) page shows how kiosk mode works in detail, and you can try SmartDocs [for free](/en/pricing/).