- Overview
- Prerequisites
- How Do I Send An E-Signature Document?
- Multiple Signers Scenario
- E-Signature Notifications
- What Features Does Adobe E-Sign Work With?
- Enabling the Adobe E-Sign Integration
- Frequently Asked Questions
Overview
Merchant Central’s integration with Adobe E-Sign enables you to easily send documents—such as merchant processing agreements, lease agreements, and more—directly from the lead page for electronic signature.
Once the E-Signature process is completed, a copy of the signed document is automatically emailed to all signers and saved on the lead page for future reference.
By leveraging this integration, you can streamline your document workflow and accelerate the signing process. Key features include:
- Automated Document Creation: Data from the lead page is seamlessly transferred into the E-Signature document, saving time and avoiding repetitive data entry.
- Combined PDF Documents: Merge multiple documents into a single e-signature envelope for a seamless signing experience.
- Multi-Signer Support: Easily collect signatures from multiple individuals when needed.
- Document Uploads: Allow clients to attach supporting documents (e.g., driver’s licenses, bank letters, etc.) with their signed submission.
- Automatic Data Import: Any new information added by the client during signing (such as the social security number, survey data, etc.) is automatically imported back into the lead page.
- Automated Notifications: Receive email or popup alerts when a document is opened or signed.
Prerequisites
To send an E-Signature document to a client the document must be saved as an E-Signature application in Merchant Central and the document fields need to be mapped to the lead fields. For more information please ser our knowledge base article on E-Signature Mapping.
How Do I Send an E-Signature Document?
To send an agreement for e-signature, follow these steps:
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Open the E-Sign tab on the lead page, select the desired e-sign document, and click Generate Document.
- A popup window will appear allowing you to edit the recipient's name and email address.
- By default, the recipient's name and email address are pulled from the email special field and the contact name field associated with it.
- If your document supports multiple signers, click Add Signer to include additional recipients. Otherwise, this button will be disabled.
- Click Preview Email to generate and review the e-sign email. A new email will launch containing a link to Adobe’s E-Signature page, which you can then send to the client.
- The newly generated e-sign document will appear under the E-Sign tab with a 'Generated' status.
From the Actions column, you can:- Resend the email.
- Download the PDF.
- Archive/disable the document.
- Preview it on the E-Signature page.
- Clients will see a pre-filled document on the E-Signature page, populated with lead data based on field mappings.
- If the document includes required fields, they must be completed before submission.
- The Next button (on the left side of the page) helps clients quickly navigate to each editable field.
- The Next Required button (in top-right) helps clients quickly navigate to each required field.
- Any changes made are saved automatically, allowing clients to return and complete the form later if needed.
- After all required fields are completed, a Click to Sign button will appear at the bottom of the page, allowing the client to finalize the signing process.
- Once signed and submitted, a copy of the completed document is:
- Emailed to the client.
- Saved on the E-Sign tab with a 'Signed' status.
- Stored in the Attachments tab of the lead, along with the original unsigned version.
- To see the IP addresses of both the sender and signer, hover your mouse over the signed document icon on the E-Sign tab.
Completed e-signature documents automatically include an audit trail page appended at the end.
Multiple Signers Scenario
When an E-Signature document is sent to multiple signers, each individual must sign in order to complete and submit the document. While awaiting additional signatures, the agreement will appear with a 'Pending' status under the E-Sign tab:
The system automatically determines the maximum number of required signers based on the signature fields assigned to each participant (see: Adobe Signer Fields for more information).
Once the agreement is initially sent, only the first designated signer can access and sign their assigned field. After they complete their part, the system automatically notifies the next signer, and this process continues until all required signatures are collected.
In multi-signer workflows:
- All required fields not assigned to a specific signer must be completed by the first signer.
- Optional fields left blank by the first signer can be filled by the next signer.
- Fields completed by a previous signer are locked for subsequent signers.
After the final signature is added and the agreement is submitted, a completed copy is emailed to all signers and also saved to the associated lead record.
E-Signature Notifications
While an e-signature document is in progress, Merchant Central automatically sends notifications for key events:
- Email Opened: When the client opens the E-Signature email, the sales representative receives a pop-up notification (if link tracking is enabled on the email template used).
- E-Sign Link Clicked: When the client clicks the E-Signature link, the sales rep receives an email alerting them that the document is being viewed.
- Document Completed: Once all required fields are filled out and the document is signed, both the sender and the client receive an email with a PDF copy of the completed agreement.
- Data Edited: If the recipient changes any pre-filled information before submitting the document, the sales rep is notified via both email and a pop-up alert.
What Features Does Adobe E-Sign Work with?
In addition to generating E-Signature documents from the lead page, you can also create them automatically via the Merchant Central web form. For detailed instructions, refer to our knowledge base article on Enabling E-Signatures in Web Forms.
E-Signature documents can also be generated programmatically using the Merchant Central Open API. For further information, please refer to our Open API guide.
Enabling the Adobe E-Sign Integration
To enable Adobe E-Sign integration on your site, contact Merchant Central support and request activation of your Adobe OAuth token.
The token can be activated by navigating to Manage → E-Signature → Manage E-Signature Settings → Configuration → Activate OAuth Token, and following the on-screen instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I combine multiple E-Signature documents into one envelope? Yes. Use the 'Send Multiple E-Sign Documents' button on the E-Sign tab. For details, see our article on Combining Documents For Streamlined E-Signature.
- Why didn't the new merchant information save to the lead? This may happen if your client edits the information that was originally populated in the app. The changes won’t automatically update the lead—instead, the sales rep must review and select which data to import. Learn more in our article on Transferring Data From E-Signature Page to Lead.
- Can the merchant upload a driver's license or other documents via the E-Signature app? Yes, as long as the E-Signature document is set up to allow file uploads. For setup instructions, see Enabling Attachment Uploads in E-Signature apps.
- What if I only need the client to sign, not fill out fields? Make fields read-only to prevent editing. Download the PDF from the E-Signature Applications page (Manage → E-Signature → Import PDFs), open it in Adobe Acrobat (Prepare Form mode), set fields to read-only, save, and re-upload the updated file to Merchant Central.
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Can I update the E-Signature document after it has been generated? Yes. Users can preview the E-Signature document by selecting the preview option from the Actions column on the E-Sign tab. If needed, edits can be made directly in the document. All changes are saved automatically and are immediately visible to the client.
- Does the E-Signature document expire? E-Signature applications do not have a set expiration date. They remain active until either signed by the client or manually archived by a Merchant Central user from the E-Sign tab.
- Can I secure an E-Signature document? Yes. You can secure the document with a password, which is set using the last four digits of a designated secure lead field—such as the Federal Tax ID, SSN, or another secure identifier. For more details, refer to our guide on Secure E-Signature Applications.