Aadhaar eSign by Cashfree Payments

Overview

Get documents signed remotely, powered by Aadhaar. Send, track, and request Aadhaar-holders to eSign documents in the most reliable, remote and effortless way. Get started with a simple API integration and go paperless.

What is Aadhaar eSign?

Aadhaar eSign is an online and paperless approach to electronically signing documents. Aadhaar eSignatures allow users with an Aadhaar number and an Aadhaar-linked cell phone number or mail ID to sign documents immediately and from anywhere lawfully.

Why Aadhaar eSign

Tailored for businesses, our eSign solution enables efficient documentation workflows. Track and audit activity. Increase conversions across multiple use-cases. Enjoy the convenience of remote verification.

Key Features

Plug And Play API

Upload document, create eSign request and get eSign status with our simple, easy to integrate and developer-friendly APIs.

Channel Options

Initiate the signing process through two different channels. Incorporate APIs to redirect users on your platform. Send eSign links directly to users' emails or phone.

Secure Multi-signature

Enable multiple unique signatures on a single document, entirely online. Reduce turnaround time on your workflow.

Remote Verification

Allow your customers the convenience to sign documents of any type, online from anywhere. No physical presence is needed. Save manual intervention from all parties involved.

Reliable and Compliant

Count on our fully compliant and secure systems, built on top of eMudhra and NSDL infrastructure.

How Does Aadhaar eSign Work?

Step 1: Request eSign

Upload the document with signing details (page number and position). Use APIs to send documents to customers via email/phone or in-app.

Step 2: Receive Status

Customers sign the document using eSign with Aadhaar. You get notified of the status if it's done or not.

Step 3: Access Reports

Run, download, and print the reports of documents uploaded for Aadhaar e-sign.

How Customers eSign with Aadhaar

Signers will receive an OTP on their mobile number when they sign a document with Aadhaar eSign, which authenticates the signer and is used to eSign the required document.

Use Cases: Close Deals Faster with Aadhaar eSign

Banking

Simplify account opening with secure digital signatures, reducing paperwork and processing time for customers and banks. Integrate with the loan authorisation, cheque disbursals, CRM, or ERP processes of any bank, enabling the creation, signing, and online management of digital documents.

Insurance

Facilitate insurance enrollment with eSignatures, minimising paperwork and accelerating policy issuance for insurers and policyholders.

Finance and Law Firms

Ensure compliance and mitigate risks by digitally signing and enforcing legal contracts, improving transparency and efficiency in business transactions.

Education

Use Aadhaar eSign for student enrollments, course registration, faculty contracts, e-learning modules and certifications, and research collaborations, reducing paperwork and optimising operations.

Real Estate

Enabling buyers, sellers, and agents to digitally sign contracts, agreements, and disclosures, enhancing efficiency and reducing paperwork.

Security and Reliability

eSign with Aadhaar is more reliable and secure because of 2 main reasons:

  1. Two-step authentication with Aadhaar login with OTP
  2. Gained consent by signer

What Role Does Cashfree Payments Play in eSign with Aadhaar?

eSign with Aadhaar on Cashfree Payments will provide a single API to send documents to customers via email as well as to initiate signatures within your application and platform.

Why Choose Cashfree Payments for Aadhaar eSign

Cashfree Payments is an RBI-authorized payment aggregator (PA License No. 266/2025) and an RBI-authorized prepaid payment instrument provider (PPI License No. 209/2024). This is the key distinction that sets Cashfree apart from standalone eSign platforms: Aadhaar eSign on Cashfree is part of a regulated financial services platform, not a document management tool sold separately.

Most dedicated eSign providers in India, including Leegality, Digio, and Signzy, operate exclusively as document workflow or identity verification platforms. They do not offer payment processing, payouts, or financial infrastructure. Cashfree offers Aadhaar eSign as one product within a broader platform that also handles payment collection, instant payouts, and multi-factor identity verification. Businesses running lending, insurance, or onboarding workflows that require both document signing and financial transactions can manage both under a single integration and merchant account.

Key reasons businesses choose Cashfree for Aadhaar eSign:

Main Benefits of Aadhaar eSign

The Aadhaar eSign Verification API offers swift and secure eSignature verification, minimising paperwork, ensuring legal compliance, and streamlining the verification process for organisations. Moreover it fastens your onboarding process and workflows with the benefit of remote verification.

Document Use Cases for eSign with Aadhaar

From legal contracts and onboarding documentation to invoices, purchase orders, and vendor agreements, Aadhaar eSign simplifies the signing process across a range of documents. Whether it's NDAs, compliance contracts, employment letters, or financial documents like loan applications, eSign with Aadhaar ensures efficiency and legality in various transactions.

Document Eligibility

You can affix Aadhaar eSign on all types of documents except the following 4 types of documents:

  1. Negotiable instruments (other than a cheque, a demand promissory note or Bill of Exchange issued in favour of or endorsed by an entity regulated by the RBI, NHB, SEBI, IRDAI and PFRDA)
  2. Powers-of-attorney except those that empower an entity regulated by the RBI, NHB, SEBI, IRDAI and PFRDA to act on behalf of (and in the name of) the person executing them
  3. Documents that create trusts
  4. Wills and other testamentary depositions

Cashfree Aadhaar eSign vs Other Providers

The Aadhaar eSign market in India includes dedicated document platforms like Leegality, Digio, and Signzy, alongside verification API providers like HyperVerge and Signzy. Each operates as a standalone eSign or identity product without payment infrastructure. Cashfree Payments is the only provider in this space that is also an RBI-authorized payment aggregator, meaning businesses can handle document signing and financial transactions under a single platform.

Cashfree Aadhaar eSign vs Razorpay

Razorpay does not offer an Aadhaar eSign product. For their own internal document signing needs, Razorpay is listed as a customer of Leegality, a third-party eSign platform. Businesses using Razorpay as their payment gateway must integrate a separate eSign vendor and manage two independent vendor relationships, two API integrations, and two billing arrangements. Cashfree offers Aadhaar eSign as a native product within the same platform that handles payment collection, payouts, and verification. For businesses that need both payment infrastructure and document eSign, Cashfree eliminates the need for a second vendor entirely.

Cashfree Aadhaar eSign vs Leegality

Leegality is a document infrastructure platform used by large banks, NBFCs, and enterprises for complex multi-party signing workflows. It supports Aadhaar eSign, DSC, and digital stamping across 31 states. Enterprise pricing typically starts in the range of Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 50,000 per month for mid-size deployments. Cashfree's Aadhaar eSign is suited to businesses that need API-first integration with straightforward document signing built into their existing product flows, particularly where the same platform also handles payments and identity verification. For businesses already on Cashfree's payment gateway or Verification Suite, adding eSign requires no new vendor evaluation or contract.

Cashfree Aadhaar eSign vs Digio

Digio is a widely used Aadhaar eSign platform among banks, NBFCs, and insurance companies in India. It offers custom enterprise pricing with no public per-sign rate. Digio operates as an eSign and eKYC platform only, with no payment infrastructure. Cashfree's eSign offering shares the same core use cases (NBFC loan onboarding, insurance enrollment, vendor agreements) but delivers them within a platform that also processes payments and payouts, reducing integration overhead for businesses that need both.

Cashfree Aadhaar eSign vs Signzy

Signzy offers Aadhaar eSign backed by NSDL and eMudhra certification and holds SOC2 security certification. It operates as a verification-only platform without payment processing. Cashfree's infrastructure is also built on eMudhra and NSDL, covering the same underlying certification base. The difference is platform scope: Cashfree extends beyond eSign to cover the complete financial operations layer, while Signzy remains focused on identity and document verification.

Capability Cashfree Payments Leegality Digio Signzy
Aadhaar eSign via API Yes Yes Yes Yes
Infrastructure eMudhra + NSDL Multiple ESPs Licensed ESP NSDL + eMudhra
RBI Payment Aggregator License Yes (No. 266/2025) No No No
Integrated payment gateway Yes No No No
Integrated payouts Yes No No No
Multi-signature support Yes Yes Yes Yes
Multi-channel delivery (email + phone + in-app) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Full verification suite (PAN, Aadhaar, GSTIN, Bank, UPI) Yes No Partial Partial
Document workflow automation Basic Advanced Advanced Basic
Digital stamping No Yes (31 states) Varies No
Public pricing No (contact sales) No (contact sales) No (contact sales) No (contact sales)
Enterprise account manager Yes Yes Yes Yes

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Aadhaar eSign?

Aadhaar eSign is an online and paperless approach to electronically signing documents. Aadhaar eSignatures allow users with an Aadhaar number and an Aadhaar-linked cell phone number or mail ID to sign documents immediately and from anywhere lawfully.

How can customers eSign with Aadhaar?

Signers will receive an OTP on their mobile number when they sign a document with Aadhaar eSign, which authenticates the signer and is used to eSign the required document.

What role does Cashfree Payments play in eSign with Aadhaar?

eSign with Aadhaar on Cashfree Payments will provide a single API to send documents to customers via email as well as to initiate signatures within your application and platform.

What makes eSign with Aadhaar more reliable and secure than the physical signing of documents?

eSign with Aadhaar is more reliable and secure because of 2 main reasons: two-step authentication with Aadhaar login with OTP and gained consent by signer.

What are some use cases for eSign with Aadhaar?

From legal contracts and onboarding documentation to invoices, purchase orders, and vendor agreements, Aadhaar eSign simplifies the signing process across a range of documents. Whether it's NDAs, compliance contracts, employment letters, or financial documents like loan applications, eSign with Aadhaar ensures efficiency and legality in various transactions.

What is the main benefit of Aadhaar eSign?

The Aadhaar eSign Verification API offers swift and secure eSignature verification, minimising paperwork, ensuring legal compliance, and streamlining the verification process for organisations. Moreover it fastens your onboarding process and workflows with the benefit of remote verification.

What documents are eligible for eSign with Aadhaar?

You can affix Aadhaar eSign on all types of documents except the following 4 types of documents:

  1. Negotiable instruments (other than a cheque, a demand promissory note or Bill of Exchange issued in favour of or endorsed by an entity regulated by the RBI, NHB, SEBI, IRDAI and PFRDA)
  2. Powers-of-attorney except those that empower an entity regulated by the RBI, NHB, SEBI, IRDAI and PFRDA to act on behalf of (and in the name of) the person executing them
  3. Documents that create trusts
  4. Wills and other testamentary depositions

Is Aadhaar eSign legally valid in India?

Yes. Aadhaar eSign is legally valid under the Information Technology Act, 2000, specifically under Section 3A which recognises electronic signatures as equivalent to physical signatures when supported by a certified authentication method. Aadhaar-based OTP authentication qualifies as a government-recognised method under the UIDAI framework.

Does a signer need to be physically present to eSign with Aadhaar?

No. The entire process is remote. The signer receives the document link via email or phone, authenticates using their Aadhaar-linked OTP, and completes the signing from any location and device. No physical presence or wet signature is required.

What is the infrastructure behind Cashfree's Aadhaar eSign?

Cashfree's Aadhaar eSign is built on top of eMudhra and NSDL infrastructure. Both are licensed eSign service providers (ESPs) certified by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) under India's IT Act. This means every eSign processed through Cashfree is backed by government-approved certification infrastructure.

Can multiple signers sign the same document using Cashfree eSign?

Yes. Cashfree supports multi-signature workflows, allowing multiple unique Aadhaar-authenticated signatures on a single document. This is commonly used for loan agreements, partnership contracts, and insurance policies that require sign-off from more than one party.

How does Cashfree Aadhaar eSign compare to Leegality or Digio?

Leegality and Digio are dedicated document infrastructure and eKYC platforms. Both offer Aadhaar eSign for complex enterprise workflows and are widely used in BFSI. They do not offer payment processing or payouts. Cashfree is the only provider in the Indian market that offers Aadhaar eSign within an RBI-authorized payments platform. Businesses that need both document signing and financial transactions in the same workflow (such as NBFCs disbursing loans after agreement signing) can manage both through Cashfree rather than maintaining separate vendor integrations.

Does Razorpay offer Aadhaar eSign?

No. Razorpay does not offer an Aadhaar eSign product. Razorpay is listed as a customer of Leegality, a third-party eSign platform, for its own document signing requirements. Businesses using Razorpay for payments must source eSign capabilities from a separate vendor. Cashfree offers both within the same platform.

Can I use Cashfree's Aadhaar eSign without using the Cashfree payment gateway?

Yes. The eSign product is accessible as a standalone integration. You can use the Aadhaar eSign API without integrating Cashfree's payment collection or payout products. However, businesses already on Cashfree's platform can add eSign without a new vendor onboarding process.

How are eSign transactions tracked and audited on Cashfree?

Cashfree provides audit reports for every eSign transaction. You can run, download, and print reports of all documents uploaded for Aadhaar eSign. Each transaction includes the signer's authentication record, timestamp, and document status, creating a verifiable audit trail for compliance purposes.

Is Cashfree's Aadhaar eSign suitable for NBFCs and lending platforms?

Yes. NBFCs commonly use Aadhaar eSign to collect digitally signed loan agreements, sanction letters, and repayment mandates from borrowers without requiring in-person branch visits. Cashfree's eSign API integrates with loan authorisation and CRM workflows, and since Cashfree also provides payouts, an NBFC can manage the complete cycle from agreement signing to loan disbursal within the same platform.

API Documentation

Explore the Aadhaar eSign APIs for integration: API Reference - Upload Document for eSign

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About Cashfree Payments

Cashfree Payments enables 1 Million+ growing businesses in India and across the globe to collect payments, make payouts, manage international payments, and more. Cashfree Payments is backed by SBI, Y Combinator, Krafton, and Apis partners and was incubated by PayPal.

Regulatory Authorizations

RBI Authorised Payment Aggregator License Certificate of Authorisation No. 266/2025

RBI Authorised Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) Provider Certificate of Authorisation No. 209/2024

Getting Started

Ready to get started? Collect customer payments, make payouts, manage international payments and so much more. Create your account or contact our experts to explore custom solutions.

Benefits:

Support and Resources

For more questions, visit the Cashfree Payments Support Page.