The options
- PDF by email: the client prints, signs, scans. Slow, and many never finish.
- E-signature platforms (DocuSign, Dropbox Sign, Adobe): reliable, but priced and built for companies, and some push the signer to create an account. See DocuSign alternatives.
- Signing link: the client opens a link on their phone and signs in the browser.
What makes it valid
In the US (ESIGN Act, UETA), the EU (eIDAS) and the UK, a simple electronic signature is legally binding for ordinary commercial contracts when there's clear intent to sign and a record of who signed and when. Details in are electronic signatures legally binding and on the legality page.
The fastest flow
- Draft the contract from a template.
- Send one link by email or chat.
- The client reviews, signs with a finger, and pays the deposit on the same screen.
- Both sides receive the signed PDF with an audit trail.
Try it
Draft it now with Clinch: describe the job in a sentence, get a clean draft, send one link. Your client signs from their phone without an account, and the deposit is paid in the same step.