# The three ways to sign a contract

> Electronic acceptance, digital signature and physical signature — what changes for the student, for the office, and for the proof that gets stored.

## What you will get

A clear basis for choosing which of the three signature methods to put on a
contract template. **The choice is made once, on the template** — and it applies
to every enrolment that uses it.

## The three, side by side

| | The student does | The office does | How long it takes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Electronic acceptance** | Ticks a box and clicks **Confirm acceptance** | Nothing | Seconds |
| **Digital signature** | Draws a signature on screen or types their name | Nothing | Seconds |
| **Physical signature** | Prints, signs on paper, photographs and uploads | **Checks and approves, one by one** | Depends on the student and the queue |

The first two settle themselves. The third **creates recurring work**: every
contract submitted goes into the **Pending Signatures** queue and waits for
someone to approve it.

## What gets stored in each

All three record the same core facts: **date, time, IP address and the device**
of whoever signed, plus a history of every time the contract was opened. What
goes alongside differs:

- **Electronic acceptance** — the confirmation of the ticked box.
- **Digital signature** — the signature image, which appears in the PDF.
- **Physical signature** — the files the student sent and a record of who
  approved them.

In all three, the contract text is **frozen at the moment the signature
happens**. Changing the template afterwards does not alter what was signed.

## How to choose

**Electronic acceptance** is the default for short courses, online enrolment and
anything with volume. Fewer steps, fewer people dropping out halfway.

**Digital signature** fits when the school wants a drawn signature on the
document — out of habit, because whoever reads the contract later expects one,
or because the PDF will travel outside the system.

**Physical signature** is for when paper is mandatory: a minor with a guardian
co-signing, a requirement from the governing body, a contract that goes to
another authority. It is the most laborious of the three — choose it out of
necessity, not habit.

## What is the same in all three

![The contract panel inside the enrolment in the portal, with method, deadline and the sign button](/Apps/edupay/ajuda/assinatura-portal-card-contrato.png)
*The student reaches the contract through **Read and sign contract**, inside the enrolment. The panel shows which of the three methods was chosen.*

- **The student needs portal access.** Without it, there is no way to sign.
- **The deadline is the same field on the template.** Once the deadline passes
  and the nightly routine runs, the contract becomes **Expired** and can no
  longer be signed.
- **While the contract is unsigned**, the enrolment sits at **Awaiting
  contract**: the instalments already exist, but the enrolment has not moved.

## Where the choice is made

Under **Academic › Contract Templates**, in the template's **Signature method**
field. The contract templates article shows the screen.

Changing the method on the template **does not touch contracts already
generated**. Whoever was already waiting keeps waiting the old way.

## If something goes wrong

> [erro]
> **You chose the wrong method and the enrolment already exists.** You cannot
> switch the method on an existing contract. The way out is to cancel the
> enrolment and create it again with the right template.
>
> **The school wants two methods at once.** Not possible per template — but
> nothing stops you having two templates, one of each, and choosing at enrolment
> time.


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https://edupay.estudiosite.com/en/ajuda/day-to-day/three-ways-to-sign
2026-08-05