Sign a purchase order online in less than 2 minutes
Purchase order (PO) issued by a buyer, electronically signed with RFC 3161 timestamping with legal standing. The signature date certifies the purchase commitment; the PO number is then carried over to the invoice (article L441-9 of the Commercial Code) and the PO is retained 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-year archiving included.
- Legal framework
- Article L441-9 Commercial Code
- Signature level
- AES eIDAS recommended
- Legal archiving
- 10 years included
What is an electronically signed purchase order?
The purchase order (PO) is the document by which a buyer confirms an order with a supplier: product reference or service description, quantities, unit price, delivery and payment terms. Article L441-9 of the Commercial Code requires the invoice to carry the number of the purchase order drawn up by the buyer, and article L123-22 requires merchants to retain their supporting documents, including POs, for 10 years. Advanced electronic signature (AES) timestamps the PO issuance with a level of evidence that has legal standing before commercial court. Article 1366 of the Civil Code grants electronic documents the same probative force as paper documents — Certyneo guarantees signer identification (dual-channel OTP) and document integrity (SHA-256 hash embedded in the PDF).
Why sign the purchase order electronically?
RFC 3161 timestamping with legal standing
RFC 3161 timestamping certifies the PO issuance date — the starting point for delivery and invoicing deadlines (article L441-9 of the Commercial Code). It prevents any dispute over the commitment date or the ordered version. Admissible before commercial court in case of supplier dispute.
Multi-signer buyer + approver
For POs committing a high amount, add an approver (procurement director, finance director) as co-signer. Each approval receives its own secure link with SMS OTP — the audit trail traces the approval chain required by your internal procedure.
Automatic 10-year retention
Article L123-22 of the Commercial Code requires PO retention for 10 years. Certyneo automatically archives the signed PO and its eIDAS audit trail for the entire duration, accessible in one click from your dashboard for tax audits or Urssaf audits.
eIDAS audit trail with legal standing
Each signed PO comes with a proof PDF: signer identity (email + SMS OTP phone), RFC 3161 timestamping, SHA-256 hash, IP and rough geolocation. Admissible before commercial court in case of dispute over the order, price, or commitment date.
Sign a purchase order in 4 steps
From PO issuance to probative archiving in less than 5 minutes.
1. Upload the PO
Upload your PDF (PO from Sage, EBP, Cegid, Pennylane, or Certyneo template) or start from a template. Mandatory information: buyer reference, product/service description, quantity, unit price excluding tax, payment terms, delivery terms, place of performance.
2. Add the signer and approvers
Enter the buyer signer's name and email. For POs committing a high amount, add an approver (procurement director, finance director) as co-signer. Each party receives a personalized secure link.
3. Choose the eIDAS level
Advanced signature (AES) recommended for B2B POs: identity verification via SMS OTP, unique certificate per signer, RFC 3161 timestamping. Compliant with article 26 of the eIDAS regulation. Simple signature (SES) remains possible for very low-value POs.
4. Sign and archive
The buyer (and possible approvers) sign from their phone or computer. The validated PO + proof PDF are automatically archived for 10 years, accessible at any time from your dashboard for tax audits or supplier disputes.
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.
- Which signature level to choose: SES, AES, or QES?
- For a B2B PO committing the company's commercial liability, advanced signature (AES) is the professional standard — identity verification via SMS OTP, unique certificate per signer, RFC 3161 timestamping. SES (simple signature) remains possible for very low-value POs. QES is rarely necessary for routine commercial orders.
- How to manage a multi-approval PO (procurement + finance director)?
- Certyneo natively handles sequential or parallel signatures. You configure the order (for example: buyer first, then procurement director, then finance director above €50k), each approver receives their link at the right step, and a unique audit trail traces all signatures with their respective timestamps.
- How long must a PO be retained?
- 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 PO satisfy the written requirement for invoicing?
- Yes. Article 1366 of the Civil Code grants electronic documents the same probative force as paper documents. Certyneo's advanced signature (AES) satisfies the signer identification requirement set by article 1367. For invoicing, the electronically signed PO constitutes an acceptable supporting document, whose number must appear on the invoice (article L441-9 of the Commercial Code).
- Can the PO be linked to the invoice issued later?
- Yes — the SHA-256 hash of the signed PO can be referenced in the invoice issued later (PO number + timestamped issuance date). This traceability facilitates supplier reconciliations and tax audits, especially in case of dispute over price or delivered quantity.
- Does Certyneo integrate with my ERP or management tool?
- Yes, via native Zapier, Make connectors and our webhooks. You can automatically trigger the creation of a Certyneo envelope when a purchase order is validated in Sage, EBP, Cegid, Pennylane, SAP, or any other ERP. Our REST API is documented at certyneo.com/developers for custom integrations.
- Is an electronically signed purchase order enforceable in commercial court?
- Yes — French case law recognises eIDAS-compliant electronic signatures. An advanced electronic signature (AES) is admissible as evidence (art. 1366 and 1367 of the Civil Code); the presumption of reliability being reserved for the qualified signature, its reliability is demonstrated by producing the eIDAS audit trail in court (evidence PDF delivered automatically by Certyneo). Recognized by French commercial courts for supplier disputes.
Also read
Sign your first purchase order online
Permanent free plan (5 envelopes for 14 days, then 2/mo), no credit card required. RFC 3161 timestamping. Audit trail and 10-year archiving included.