Sign an online purchase order in less than 2 minutes
Order form (BDC) issued by a buyer, signed electronically with an RFC 3161 timestamp. The date of signature certifies the order commitment; the BDC number is then carried over to the invoice (Article L441-9 of the Commercial Code) and the BDC is kept for 10 years as a supporting document (Article L123-22). Compliant with Article 1366 of the Civil Code and the eIDAS regulation — advanced signature recommended, bulk sending for supplier volumes, 10 years of archiving included.
- Legal framework
- Article L441-9 of the Commercial Code
- Signature level
- AES eIDAS recommended
- Legal archives
- 10 years included
What's an electronically signed purchase order?
The purchase order (BDC) is the document by which a buyer confirms an order from a supplier: product or service reference, quantities, unit price, delivery and payment conditions. Article L441-9 of the Commercial Code requires the number of the purchase order drawn up by the buyer to be shown on the invoice, and Article L123-22 obliges traders to keep their supporting documents, including BDCs, for 10 years. The advanced electronic signature (AES) timestamps the issuance of the BDC with a level of evidence that can be relied on before the commercial court. Article 1366 of the Civil Code gives electronic writing the same probative force as paper writing — Certyneo guarantees the identification of the signatory (dual-channel OTP) and the integrity of the document (SHA-256 fingerprint embedded in the PDF).
Why sign the purchase order electronically?
RFC 3161 timestamping optional
The RFC 3161 timestamp certifies the date of issue of the BDC the starting point of delivery and invoicing times (Article L441-9 of the Commercial Code). It blocks any dispute on the date of commitment or on the version ordered. Admissible before the commercial court in case of a supplier dispute.
Multi-signature buyer + validation
For BDCs involving a large amount, add a validator (purchasing department, finance department) as co-signer.Each approval receives its secure link with OTP SMS the audit trail traces the approval chain required by your internal procedure.
Automatic storage for 10 years
Article L123-22 of the Commercial Code requires the storage of BDCs for 10 years.Certyneo automatically archives the signed BDC and its eIDAS audit trail for this entire period, which can be accessed with a click from your dashboard for tax or Urssaf checks.
The eIDAS audit trail is open to objection
Each signed BDC is accompanied by a PDF of proof: identity of the signatory (email + OTP telephone), RFC 3161 timestamp, SHA-256 fingerprint, IP and gross geolocation.
Sign a purchase order in 4 steps
From the BDC to the evidence archive in less than five minutes.
1. Increase the BDC
Upload your PDF (BDC Sage, EBP, Cegid, Pennylane, or Certyneo template) or start from a template.
2. Add the signatory and the validators
For BDCs involving a large amount, add a validator (purchasing department, financial department) as co-signer. Each party receives a personalised secure link.
3. Choose the eIDAS level
Advanced signature (AES) recommended for B2B BDCs: identity verification by SMS OTP, unique certificate per signatory, RFC 3161 timestamping. Complies with Article 26 of the eIDAS Regulation. Simple signature (SES) is still possible for very small BDCs.
4. Sign and file
The purchaser (and any validators) sign from their phone or computer.The validated BDC + the proof PDF are automatically archived for 10 years, accessible at any time from your dashboard for tax checks or supplier litigation.
Frequently asked questions
- Does an electronically signed purchase order bind the buyer?
- Yes. The PO is a firm offer of purchase once signed. Article 1101 of the Civil Code qualifies it as an agreement of wills creating obligations. Certyneo's advanced electronic signature formally identifies the signer (SMS OTP code) and guarantees PO integrity as issued (SHA-256 hash embedded in the PDF). Admissible before commercial court in case of dispute by the supplier.
- What signature level to choose: SES, AES or QES?
- For a B2B BDC with corporate commercial responsibility, the advanced signature (AES) is the professional standard identity verification by SMS OTP, single certificate per signer, RFC 3161 timestamping.
- How to manage a multi-validation BDC (purchasing directorate + finance directorate)?
- Certyneo manages sequential or parallel signatures natively.You configure the order (for example: buyer first, then purchasing manager, then finance manager over €50k), each validator receives their link at the right stage, and a single audit trail traces all signatures with their respective time stamps.
- How long does a BDC need to last ?
- 10 years from the close of the fiscal year, in compliance with article L123-22 of the Commercial Code. Certyneo retains the signed PO and its eIDAS audit trail for the entire duration, free of charge, with immediate access from your dashboard to respond to a tax audit, Urssaf audit, or large account advertiser annual audit.
- Does the electronic BDC satisfy the written obligation for invoicing?
- Yes. Article 1366 of the Civil Code gives electronic writing the same evidentiary value as paper writing. The advanced signature (AES) Certyneo fulfils the requirement of identification of the signatory set out in Article 1367. For invoicing, the electronically signed BDC is an admissible supporting document, whose number must appear on the invoice (Article L441-9 of the Commercial Code).
- Can we tie the BDC to the bill that was issued later?
- Yes the SHA-256 signature of the signed BDC can be referenced in the subsequent invoice (BDC number + date of issue with time stamp).
- Does Certyneo integrate with my ERP or management tool?
- Yes, via the native Zapier, Make and webhooks connectors. You can automatically trigger the creation of a Certyneo envelope upon validation of a BDC in Sage, EBP, Cegid, Pennylane, SAP, or any other ERP. Our REST API is documented at certyneo.com/developers for custom integrations.
- Is the electronically signed BDC enforceable in the commercial court?
- Yes — French case law recognises eIDAS-compliant electronic signature. The advanced signature (AES) is admissible as evidence (Articles 1366 and 1367 of the Civil Code); the presumption of reliability being reserved for the qualified signature, its reliability is demonstrated by the production of the eIDAS audit trail in court (PDF of proof automatically delivered by Certyneo). Recognised by the French commercial courts for supplier disputes.
See also
Sign your first online purchase order
Permanent free plan (5 envelopes for 14 days, then 2/mo), no credit card, RFC 3161 timestamps are optional, audit trail and archiving 10 years included.