Read well before signing, also on digital devices

27/03/2025

The contracting of financial products and services by electronic means is a reality, and opening an account, making payments or even formalizing a mortgage are operations that we can perform on our mobile with the app of our entity.

The entities offer us digital channels to provide information, deliver documentation and ask for our consent when we carry out operations.

The rules recognise these digital media as paper-equal for all purposes. Therefore, hiring online does not mean less protection of our rights as customers.

Even if you are one of those people who prefers to go to the office, you will not get rid of technology since it is usual that digital devices are also used for the signing of operations.

Some tips as a responsible consumer. We do not discover anything new if we remind you once again the importance of reading well what you sign. Almost certainly, on occasion, your entity has offered you a tablet and has asked you to sign in a box at the end of a text.

Sometimes, you only sign one receipt of a certain piece of information. Entities can register your signature immediately and digitally. This way of acting means less transparency for you and more comfort for the entity.

Other times, it may be a contract and it may happen that once signed you notice some condition that you were not aware of and regret having done so. Remember that the signature on these devices is the same as that initialled on a paper document and carries the same responsibility.

Ask them to provide you with the entire document and to explain the highlights of its content. Once read and understood, sign it if you agree.

“Disclaimer: Please note that this is a translation of the original in Spanish that has been obtained using eTranslation (the machine translation tool provided by the European Commission), with the intention of giving you a basic idea of the content in English until a human translation becomes available. The Banco de España accepts no liability whatsoever in connection with this translation.”