Close signings up to 5x faster with Singpass and WhatsApp Signature

Singpass-verified WhatsApp signing is a signing workflow designed for Singapore, where the signing request is delivered through WhatsApp and the signer’s identity is verified through Singpass, Singapore’s national digital identity, before any signature is applied.

WhatsApp handles delivery on the channel signers check most, and Singpass authenticates each signer against a government identity record, so every signed document carries a verified evidentiary trail recognised under Singapore’s Electronic Transactions Act.

Two friction points slow down every signing cycle in Singapore: low message engagement and unverified identity. Email signing requests can sit unopened for days, while WhatsApp requests get opened in minutes. And standard electronic signatures do not confirm who actually applied them, which becomes a compliance problem for regulated or high-value agreements. WhatsApp delivery closes the engagement gap, and Singpass verification closes the identity gap by binding every signature to a government-verified digital identity that satisfies Singapore’s Electronic Transactions Act.

How does WhatsApp signing work with Singpass in Mekari Sign?

The WhatsApp signing flow with Singpass in Mekari Sign runs in five steps.

1. Prepare: The sender uploads a document to Mekari Sign and enables Singpass under document compliance settings.
2. Address: Signer name and mobile number are added, with WhatsApp selected as the delivery channel.
3. Deliver: The signer receives the signing link on WhatsApp and opens it directly in their browser, with no app install required.
4. Authenticate: The signer verifies through the Singpass app or password before any signature field becomes accessible.
5. Sign and seal: Once verification completes, the signer scans the Singpass QR code to apply the signature, and Mekari Sign returns a stamped document with a full Singpass-verified audit trail.

WhatsApp signing is a delivery channel, while a standard electronic signature is a verification level, so the two describe different parts of the signing process. That is why Mekari Sign supports both, in any combination. A document sent through WhatsApp can carry a standard electronic signature for low-risk internal agreements, or a Singpass-verified signature for high-value contracts where verified signer identity is needed. In practice, most Singapore businesses use Mekari Sign to pair WhatsApp delivery with Singpass verification, because it combines the highest-engagement channel with the strongest identity proof recognised under Singapore’s Electronic Transactions Act.

The document itself never travels through WhatsApp. What WhatsApp carries is a signing link, and the document stays inside Mekari Sign where access is controlled.

Protection works in three layers.

• In transit and at rest: Documents are encrypted with AES-256, and the signing link expires once the document is completed or withdrawn.
• At the point of signing: Singpass authenticates the signer against a government identity record before any signature field becomes accessible, so possession of the link alone is not enough to sign.
• After signing: Every action is recorded in an audit trail with a Singpass-verified identity, and the completed document validates automatically in Adobe Acrobat under AATL.

WhatsApp signing with Singpass fits Singapore businesses of any size that need verified signatures on documents involving local counterparties. Property agencies use it for tenancy agreements and sales options, financial services firms for account opening and loan documents, HR teams for offer letters and onboarding paperwork, and legal teams for vendor contracts and board resolutions. It is especially valuable for teams whose signers rely on mobile more than email, since WhatsApp delivery reaches them on their default channel while Singpass verification ensures every signature carries a government-verified identity trail.

Singpass verification requires the signer to hold a Singpass account, which covers Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and most pass holders. For signers outside that group, including overseas counterparties, the same document can be sent through WhatsApp with a standard electronic signature instead.

Verification level is set per document, so a single agreement can route local signers through Singpass while overseas signers complete a standard electronic signature on the same document.

The Electronic Transactions Act recognises electronic signatures for most commercial documents, including vendor contracts, NDAs, employment agreements, and corporate resolutions.

A small group of documents sits outside the Act: wills, indentures and declarations of trust, powers of attorney, and contracts for the sale or conveyance of immovable property. These still require wet-ink signatures. Note that tenancy agreements are not in this group and can be signed electronically.

Most e-signature platforms with Singpass integration still deliver the request by email, then ask the signer to open the Singpass app and scan a QR code. The verification is the same; the delivery is where requests stall.

Mekari Sign replaces the email step with WhatsApp while keeping the Singpass verification intact. The signer receives the link on the channel they already check throughout the day, and the identity proof attached to the signature is unchanged.