Zoho Invoice - Zoho Sign Integration

Digital signatures have come to be a great alternative to conventional signatures with pen and paper- especially for online invoicing software like Zoho Invoice. Digitally signing a document can add a layer of authenticity as well as prevent unauthorized changes to them. 

Zoho Sign makes the process of digitally signing documents as simple as it can get. Here’s what the integration with Zoho Invoice can do:

• You and your users will be able to sign invoices and estimates with a single click before they are sent to your customers. 
• You can restrict invoices and estimates from being sent to your customers unless they have been signed.
• Your customers can be required to sign estimates before they can accept them from the customer portal. 

Set up the Integration

• Log in to your Zoho Invoice organisation.
• Go to Settings > Integrations > Zoho Apps.
• Click the Connect button next to Zoho Sign.

• Click Connect Now on the next screen.

• Configure the documents for which you require digital signatures.
  • User Signature for Invoices: Enable this option if you want to restrict invoices from being sent unless they have been signed.
  • User Signature for Estimates: Enable this option if you want to restrict estimates from being sent unless they have been signed.
  • Customer Signature for Estimates: Enable this option if you want your customers to sign an estimate before they accept it from the customer portal. 
• Click Integrate.

Now, the integration has been set up and you’re all set to digitally sign documents in Zoho Invoice.

Sign Invoices

Only admins and users with approval permission for invoices will have access to sign an invoice. Additionally, you will have to invite users to your Zoho Sign’s organisation so they can configure their own signature, without which, they will not be able to sign invoices in Zoho Invoice–even if they have permission to do so.

The signature that you configured in Zoho Sign can be used to sign invoices in Zoho Invoice. To do this: 

• Go to the Invoices module from the left sidebar. 
• Select the invoice that you want to sign.
• Click Sign Invoice. 

• Check the preview of your signature in the pop-up that follows and click Sign Invoice.

Now, the PDF copy of this invoice will be digitally signed. The signature will be placed in the Signature section of your invoice template. 

You will not be able to view the digital signature in:

• A PDF obtained by printing more than one copy of the invoice at a particular time.
• A PDF obtained by printing or downloading invoices in bulk.
• The preview shown on the invoice details screen.

Handling signatures for system-generated invoices

Zoho Invoice creates invoices automatically in certain cases. Here’s how to handle digital signatures for them:

• Recurring invoices: For invoices created through a recurring profile, a digital signature will be added automatically. If you do not want this to happen, you must choose the Create Invoices as Drafts option in your recurring invoice’s preferences. 
• Invoices from estimates: If you’ve configured your estimates to get converted to invoices automatically when they’ve been signed by your customers, you can choose to add a digital signature to them by selecting the Yes, Save, Sign and Send option in your estimate’s preferences. 

Sign Estimates

Signing an estimate is similar to signing invoices in Zoho Invoice. To sign:

• Go to the Estimates module from the left sidebar. 
• Select the estimate that you want to sign.
• Click Sign Estimate. 

• Check the preview of your signature in the pop-up that follows and click Sign Estimate.

Now, the PDF copy of this estimate will be digitally signed. The signature will be placed in the Signature section of your estimate’s template.

Getting customer signatures on estimates 

Your customers will be required (if configured) to sign their estimates from the Customer Portal before they can accept them.

Whenever your customers choose to accept an estimate, a pop-up will appear asking them to sign the estimate before they can continue. Your customers will be able to seamlessly sign the estimate from that pop-up using their preferred signing method, which could be a drawn signature, a typed signature or an uploaded image. 

Once your customers have signed and accepted an estimate, you will be able to view their signature on the estimate’s PDF copy. 

Edit Signed Documents

If you edit a signed estimate or invoice, you will not be able to perform the following actions unless you re-sign the document:

• Download a PDF
• Email the document
• Print the document
• Convert an estimate into an invoice
• Send Snail Mail
• Share the document’s link
• Notify via SMS
• Mark the document as Sent

To re-sign the document, follow the same steps as signing it. 

Note: You can view the different PDF versions of a signed invoice or estimate from the Comments & History tab.

Delete the Integration

If you’d like to stop digitally signing documents in Zoho Invoice:

• Go to Settings > Integrations > Zoho Apps.
• Click View Details next to Zoho Sign. 
• Click the Delete Integration button in the top right corner. 
• Click Delete. 

Now, the integration with Zoho Sign will be deleted. However, your digitally signed documents will be available to download as PDF from the Comments section even after deleting the integration.