Signing example
Sign a promissory note online
A promissory note is a one sided promise, so only the maker signs it. This four page note, WB-2026-03 for $45,000 at seven per cent, is signed for Wren and Boyle Timber Co by its director Harriet Boyle behind a six digit code, then by the witness the note asks for, who types their own address. The holder, Cassia Holdings, receives the certified copy but signs nothing.
The document itself is written out in full on its own page: read the wording there. This page is only about signing it.
Who signs what
- Harriet Boyle, director, for the Maker, Wren and Boyle Timber Co Pty Ltd, first
- Signature in the Signed for Wren and Boyle Timber Co block on page 4 · Name, filled from her recipient row · Position, typed · Date, stamped at submission · Verified by an emailed six digit code
- The witness, second
- Signature in the Witness block on page 4 · Name, filled from the recipient row · Address, typed by the witness · Date, stamped at submission · Email link
The signing journey
Step 1
Eight fields, all on page 4
The note ends with two blocks: Signed for Wren and Boyle Timber Co Pty Ltd with Name, Position and Date lines, and Witness with Name, Address and Date lines. Each recipient gets a signature, a name field, one typed text field and a date. Pages 1 to 3 carry no fields.
Step 2
A code in front of the promise
The director's link opens a verification card rather than the note. The code is six digits, lasts ten minutes and is redeemable once.
Step 3
Sign in order goes on
The maker signs first because the promise is the maker's. The witness has no link until the director's signature is stamped, so the witness block can never be filled over an unsigned note.
Step 4
The witness types an address
The witness block asks for an address, so the witness types it in their own session. The note says the director signs in the presence of the witness, so the witness should be beside Harriet when she signs, then sign straight after on their own link.
Step 5
The holder gets the copy, not a signature spot
The note says only the Maker signs. Cassia Holdings is not a recipient; the sender, or a copy forwarded after completion, puts the certified note in its hands.
Every field, and who fills it
Eight fields, all on page 4. The maker's block takes a signature on the signature line, a name field filled from Harriet's recipient row, a text field on the Position line that she types, and a stamped date. The witness block takes a signature, a name, a text field on the Address line and a stamped date. Everything above is already written: the $45,000 principal advanced on 1 October 2026, simple interest at 7.00 per cent, four quarterly payments of $787.50 with the principal on 1 October 2027 for $48,150.00 in total, default interest at 11.00 per cent, the transfer clause and the statement that the note is unsecured. The execution line says the note is signed on 1 October 2026 at Wauchope, so send the envelope that day and the stamped dates will agree with it.
How to adapt this envelope
A note signed by two directors of the maker is two recipients on that side, each with their own code and block, and the witness block can be dropped if the company executes under its constitution with two officers. A secured note is a different document with a security deed beside it, which is what the loan agreement envelope handles. And where the witness will be at the same desk as the director, the sender can host both signatures in person from the status page instead of sending two links.
What makes this valid in Australia
The Electronic Transactions Act 1999 allows a signature to be given electronically where the method identifies the person, shows their intention and is as reliable as the circumstances require. A promissory note is also a negotiable instrument under the Bills of Exchange Act 1909, and it is transferred by endorsement and delivery. The note itself tells the holder to keep the signed original and hand it back marked cancelled after the final payment, and it warns that working from a scan makes both steps harder to prove, so take advice before relying on a PDF you intend to pass on.
What makes this signing flow work
Only the maker signs, as the note says
The note prints a panel headed A note is a promise, not a contract of two sides, and says only the Maker signs. Adding the holder as a signer would contradict the document. The second recipient is the witness the execution paragraph calls for, not a second party.
A code on the side that owes the money
The maker is taking on forty five thousand dollars plus $3,150 of interest. A six digit code in front of the director's link means a forwarded email is not enough to open the note, while the witness, who promises nothing, signs on a plain email link.
The witness is identified on the page
A witness line with only a signature is hard to follow up years later. The witness block asks for a name and an address, the name fills from the recipient row, the address is typed by the witness, and the certificate adds their email address, IP address and signing time.
Questions people ask
Is a promissory note valid when it is signed electronically?
The Electronic Transactions Act 1999 accepts an electronic signature where the method identifies the signer and shows intention. A note is also a negotiable instrument, and transfer by endorsement and delivery assumes a physical original, which is why this note warns against working from a scan. Take advice before relying on an electronic note you intend to pass on to someone else.
Why doesn't the holder sign the note?
Because the promise is the maker's alone. The note says only the Maker signs, that there are no obligations on the Holder to breach, and that this is what makes a note short and transferable. The holder's receipt of the money is covered by the maker acknowledging the advance in clause 1.1. The holder is emailed nothing unless the sender adds them or forwards the certified copy.
Why does the maker get a code and the witness does not?
The maker is promising forty five thousand dollars and the interest on it. A six digit code in front of that link means a forwarded invitation is not enough to open the note. The witness promises nothing and only confirms who signed, so a plain email link is proportionate on that side, and the certificate still records their address, time and IP.
Does the witness have to watch the director sign?
The note says the director signs in the presence of the witness, so yes, the witness should be with Harriet when she signs. The service cannot see the room: it records two separate sessions, each with its own time and IP address. Where both are at one desk, the sender can host both signatures in person from the status page, which records that the session was hosted.
What happens if the maker declines?
The envelope moves to declined, the witness is never invited, and the sender is emailed with the reason typed into the decline box. No note exists, so the advance has to be documented some other way or returned. A declined envelope can still be withdrawn with a note, and a corrected note goes out as a fresh envelope.
Can the note be changed after it is sent for signature?
No. A sent envelope is locked and the editor redirects to the status page from then on. A wrong figure or a wrong maturity date means withdrawing the envelope, which expires the live links and emails anyone who had not yet signed, then sending a corrected note as a fresh envelope with its own certificate.
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Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .