What contracts can I sign with the Ultima RATIO e-signature?

99% of contracts and documents in everyday legal transactions. Among others, contracts for:

• loans,

• sales,

• orders,

• work contracts,

• cooperation,

• insurance,

• agency,

• construction work contracts,

• management contracts,

• employment contracts,

• settlements,

• ... and soon leasing contracts.

The law does not require them to be signed personally or with a qualified electronic signature. Therefore, the document form is fully effective.

What is the procedure for signing a contract with Ultima RATIO?

You fill out a simple form in our system. This takes a few seconds. Then your client receives an email with a link to the contract. To sign it, they must log in to login.gov.pl. After that, signing the contract is reduced to a single click. There is no requirement for your client to create a user account with us. They also do not leave any of their data with Ultima RATIO. Signing the contract is absolutely hassle-free and completely free of charge for them.

From their point of view, it looks as follows:

After the contract is signed by all parties, the system adds a signature card, qualified electronic seals, and qualified timestamps to it. The prepared document is then distributed via email to all interested parties. The document repository is accessible in the user panel.  

Can documents signed with the Ultima RATIO e-signature be falsified?

It would be extremely difficult. Our system "sews" qualified electronic seals and qualified timestamps into the document. This ensures that any subsequent interference with the content of the document is immediately visible in specialized software. Compared to traditionally signed contracts, e-contracts thus have the advantage that there is no need to summon expert graphologists to establish their credibility in case of issues.

How does the Ultima RATIO e-signature differ from a qualified electronic signature?

A qualified electronic signature has the same legal validity as a handwritten signature. To obtain one, you must go to a specialized firm that will issue the appropriate certificate and verify your identity. Since the cost of a qualified electronic signature is about 200 zlotys per year, the average citizen does not feel a special need to obtain one. Perhaps that's why there are only about 200 thousand Poles with a qualified signature - mainly accountants, lawyers, and professionals in larger companies.

The Ultima RATIO e-signature, on the other hand, is an advanced electronic signature. In practice, it has the same legal effects as a qualified signature. However, there are actions that the law specifies must be made in writing or with a qualified signature. For example: a general power of attorney should be granted in writing under the pain of nullity (Article 99 §2 of the Civil Code). The same form should be followed for the guarantor's declaration (Article 876 §2 of the Civil Code).

How does the Ultima RATIO e-signature differ from the trusted signature in the Gov.pl service?

They are similar solutions. However, with Ultima RATIO, you initiate the signing of the document and control the entire procedure. Your contractor therefore only signs the document that you have previously placed in the system.

There are indeed more technical differences. The Gov.pl service places graphic markers on documents. Their default placement is rather unfortunate (top right corner of the document), and if multiple people sign the document, the markers may "overlap". Such markers can also be removed from the document.

A document signed with the Ultima RATIO e-signature has a detailed signature card. This card is added to each document as the last page and cannot be edited. It also contains more detailed data: among others, the last three digits of the PESEL numbers and - optionally - photos of the signing individuals. This ensures there is no doubt as to who signed the document. In the case of the Gov.pl service, such doubts may sometimes arise, especially concerning individuals with the same names.

With Ultima RATIO, you can also sign several documents at the same time, and the file size is not limited to 10 MB. Additionally, our documents have qualified timestamps. The legal actions stated in them have a certain date (Article 81 §2 point 3 of the Civil Code).  

What if my client does not have a trusted profile?

This is very unlikely. According to the latest data, over 15 million Poles have a trusted profile. This accounts for about 68% of the working-age population in our country. Moreover, the login.gov.pl service has other methods of identity verification available: electronic ID and bank login. Let's be honest: it’s the 21st century. If someone wants to sign a contract with you online but claims they don’t have a trusted profile or a bank account, you’ll probably conclude that it’s better to keep your distance from them.

How can I obtain the Ultima RATIO e-signature?

Contact us. The basic package: Safe Company "Ultima RATIO" is available for just 499 zlotys net per month. Within this package, your company has the ability to sign 100 documents each month. Additionally, you can use online commercial arbitration. Ultima RATIO works with about 30 experienced economic arbitrators, who will fully recognize your case online and issue an arbitration award. According to Article 1212 §1 of the Civil Procedure Code, an arbitration court's award, once given enforceable status, has the same legal effect as a state court ruling. The current average duration of a case in Ultima RATIO is 22 days.

See also: A judgment in a week and a half? Attorney Rosłon: The client was in shock. A positive shock

Where can I check if the Ultima RATIO e-signature is a safe and reliable solution?

The register of electronic identification systems connected to the national node can be found here: https://mc.bip.gov.pl/wezel-krajowy-zintegrowani-dostawcy-uslug/wezel-krajowy-zintegrowani-dostawcy-uslug.html

The Ultima RATIO e-signature is also listed among the non-qualified trust services maintained by the National Certification Center NCCert. The list is available here: https://www.nccert.pl/uslugiNK.htm

The Ultima RATIO Team.