How to Set Up, Send and Track Credit Guides for E-Signature

Overview

Upload your credit guide once, choose where applicants sign and which of your details print on it, and Effi sends it to every applicant on a lead to sign in their client portal. Signed copies are emailed to the applicants and saved on the lead, so you always have proof the guide was provided.

This article covers setting up your credit guide once, sending it from a lead (or automatically), tracking signatures, and what your clients see when they sign.

Before you start:

• Your EffiSign account must be authenticated in your own settings (Step 1). Without it, Effi can't send the credit guide for signing.
• You need your credit guide as a PDF (up to 10 MB).
• Each applicant needs a mobile number or email on the lead so they can log in to the client portal with a one-time passcode.
• Each broker authenticates their own EffiSign account and chooses whether to turn on automatic sending. Your main business admin can share a Credit Guide and signing layout with the team.

New to e-signing in Effi? Read How to Use Effi's E-Sign (EffiSign) first, then follow the steps below.

Step 1: Authenticate your EffiSign account

1. Click your profile picture in the top-right corner, then click Settings.
2. Click the Integrations tab.
3. Click EffiSign.
4. Click Authenticate with EffiSign and follow the prompts. 

If you haven't uploaded a credit guide yet, you'll also see "The broker has not uploaded a credit guide. Set up signing on your profile" at the top of this tab. Click 'Set up' and sign in on your profile to go straight to Step 2.

Expected result: your EffiSign account is authenticated, and you can send credit guides for signing. 

Step 2: Upload your credit guide

1. Click your profile picture in the top-right corner.
2. Click Profile.
3. Upload your credit guide PDF. Once it's uploaded, you'll see the file name (for example Credit_Guide.pdf) with Replace next to it.
4. Click Set up signing.

Step 3: Set up where applicants sign

The Set up credit guide signing window opens with your guide on the right and the fields you can place on the left.

1. Choose who you're placing fields for from Placing fields for (for example Applicant 1). Repeat these steps for each applicant who needs to sign.
2. Under Applicant fills in when signing, add the fields the applicant completes when they sign:
   • Signature
   • Initials
   • Date signed
   • Tick box
   • Text the applicant types
3. Under Details we print for you, add the details you want printed on the guide. Effi fills these fields from the application when the Credit Guide is sent.

4. To place a field, click it (for example Broker name), then click on the guide where it should appear. A box is added at that spot. Drag the box to move it, and resize it so the detail fits. The boxes show sample text so you can check the fit.

5. To change a box, select it on the guide. You can change its Font size or click Remove field.
6. If you're the main business admin for your broker business, you can tick Share this guide with the brokers in my business so your whole team uses the same guide. Only share a guide that doesn't print your own name, CRN or contact details. Use the Broker fields instead, so each broker's details are filled in. Other brokers don't see this option.
7. Click Save layout.

Expected result: your credit guide is ready to send. You only need to do Steps 2 and 3 again if your guide changes.

Step 4 (optional): Send the credit guide automatically

Each broker turns on automatic sending for themselves. It only applies to your own leads.

1. Open Settings and click the Integrations tab.
2. Turn on Automatically send the credit guide for signing. You'll see "Credit guide signing is on."

When this is on:

• The guide is sent when the applicant logs in to the client portal, so some applicant details on it may still be blank.
• The applicant must sign it before they can start the application.
• If the details change before the guide is signed, the unsigned guide is replaced with an updated one.

Step 5: Send the credit guide from a lead

You can send the guide at any time from a lead, even if automatic sending is turned on.

1. Open the lead and click the Client Profile tab.
2. Click Generate Documents.
3. Click Credit Guide (send for signing). To get an unsigned copy instead, click Credit Guide (download).

Expected result: you'll see "Credit Guide sent for signing; it will appear under E-Signature shortly." The guide goes to every applicant on the lead.

Step 6: Track who has signed

1. On the lead, click the Documents tab.
2. Click E-Signature.
3. Find Credit Guide - all applicants. The status shows "Waiting for others" and how many applicants have signed (for example 0 / 3 Done).

Expected result: when everyone has signed, the status changes to Completed and 3 / 3 Done. Click the download icon to save the signed guide.

What your client sees

Each applicant signs from their own client portal login.

1. The applicant logs in to the client portal with the one-time passcode sent to their mobile or email.
2. They open Signatures. Effi shows "Preparing your broker's credit guide..." while it fills in the details.

3. The guide opens in Please read and sign: Credit Guide - all applicants. The applicant reads each page using Pages. The panel on the right shows who has signed and who is Yet to sign.

4. They click their signature box, then sign using Draw, Upload image or Type.
5. They draw or add their signature and click Save.

6. They click Finish.

Expected result: the applicant continues to their application ("Let's get started with your Financial Profile"). A signed copy is emailed to them and saved on the lead's E-Signature tab.

Tips and FAQs

• Why can't I send the credit guide for signing? Check that your EffiSign account is authenticated under Settings > Integrations (Step 1). Each broker needs to authenticate their own account.
• I turned on automatic sending. Does it apply to my whole team? No. Automatic sending is set up per broker, so each broker turns it on in their own settings.
• Why can't I see Set up signing? Upload your credit guide to your profile first. The button appears once a guide is uploaded.
• Why can't I see "Share this guide with the brokers in my business"? Only the main business admin for your broker business can share a guide with the team. If you're not the admin, ask them to share theirs, or set up your own guide.
• Should I share my guide with my team? If you're the main business admin, share it only if it doesn't print your own name, CRN or contact details. Use the Broker fields, and each broker's own details are filled in when they send it.
• Why are some details blank on the guide? With automatic sending, the guide is sent when the applicant first logs in, before they've filled in their application. If details change before they sign, Effi replaces the unsigned guide with an updated one.
• Does every applicant need to sign? Yes. The guide goes to all applicants on the lead, and the status shows Completed only when everyone has signed.
• Where does my client sign?  Each applicant signs in to their own client portal and opens Signatures to review and sign the Credit Guide.
• Does every applicant need to sign? Yes. Each applicant signs using their own client portal login. Once they finish, the Credit Guide disappears from their pending signatures. It stays pending for the remaining applicants, and the broker sees Completed once everyone has signed
• The guide won't load for my client. What can they do? They can click Having trouble? Open the document in a new tab. If they've already signed elsewhere, I have signed, check status refreshes their status.
• How do I remove a credit guide I sent by mistake? On the E-Signature tab, click the delete icon on the row. Deleted envelopes stay in your Deleted bin for a short time (up to 24 hours) before they're removed.
• How do I update my credit guide? Click Replace on your profile, upload the new PDF, then click Set up signing to check the boxes still line up.

Video walkthrough

Watch the 90-second walkthrough: 

Related articles

• How to Use Effi's E-Sign (EffiSign)