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Qualified electronic signature vs a timestamp. A QES says who signed and that the signed file is unchanged. A timestamp says when exact data existed.
TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes.
A TimeBind is a dated, checkable record that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches. The fingerprint is made in the browser, and the file stays on your device. It is not a signature and not a qualified eIDAS time stamp.
QES vs a timestamp: the short answer
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A qualified electronic signature (QES) is the top tier of electronic signature under the EU’s eIDAS Regulation (EU) No 910/2014. It ties a signature to an identity-checked person and to the exact data signed, so any later change is detectable. Article 25(2) gives it the equivalent legal effect of a handwritten signature in every member state.
A timestamp does a different job. It shows that exact data existed no later than a certain time. It does not say who signed, wrote or approved anything. In the EU only a qualified electronic time stamp, issued by a qualified trust service provider (QTSP), carries a legal presumption that its date and time are accurate (Article 41(2)).
So the two are not rivals. A QES answers who signed, and is this the signed version? A timestamp answers when did this exact file exist? The gap people miss is that a QES on its own does not reliably fix when it was signed, and it never covers the drafts that came before. This is general information, not legal advice.
QES vs a timestamp at a glance
| Qualified electronic signature (QES) | Timestamp (and a TimeBind) | |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | Who signed this, and has the signed data changed since? | Did this exact data exist by a given time, and does a later copy still match? |
| EU legal basis | eIDAS Art 3(12) and 26: an advanced signature, made on a qualified signature creation device, based on a qualified certificate. Art 25(2): equivalent legal effect of a handwritten signature. | eIDAS Art 3(33) and 41: an electronic time stamp binds data to a time. Only a qualified time stamp (Art 42) gets a presumption of accurate time and integrity. A TimeBind is not qualified. |
| Identifies a person? | Yes. A qualified trust service provider checks the signer’s identity before issuing the certificate (Art 24). | No. A time stamp, and a TimeBind, say nothing about who made, owns or approved the file. |
| Reliable time? | Only if a time stamp token is added to the signature (PAdES/XAdES/CAdES B-T level or higher). Otherwise the time shown is the one the signing setup claims. | Yes, that is the whole point. For a qualified time stamp, the time comes from a QTSP clock linked to UTC (Art 42). For a TimeBind, from the Bitcoin block that records the fingerprint. |
| Unsigned files and drafts | Not used. A QES covers the version that is signed, not earlier drafts. | Yes. Any exact file, signed or not, at any stage. |
| Cross-border in the EU | A QES based on a qualified certificate from one member state is recognised as qualified in all others (Art 25(3)). | A qualified time stamp from one member state is recognised as qualified in all others (Art 41(3)). A TimeBind relies on a public ledger, not on the EU Trusted Lists. |
| What you need | A qualified certificate and signing service from a QTSP (often via an e-signature platform or a national eID). | For a TimeBind, a browser. For a qualified time stamp, a QTSP time-stamping service. |
Sources: Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS), Articles 3, 24, 25, 26, 41 and 42; European Commission, eSignature FAQ (signature levels, time stamps, B-T/LT/LTA levels). Checked 13 November 2026. eIDAS was amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/1183; the articles cited here keep their core wording. Terms: digital signature, eIDAS timestamp, trusted timestamp, SHA-256.
The signing time on a QES is not a timestamp
This is the point most guides skip, and it is the one that comes up in disputes. When you sign, the signature records a “signing time”. That value comes from the signer’s device or the signing service. ENISA, the EU cybersecurity agency, puts it plainly in its guidance on qualified electronic time stamps: an electronic signature provides authenticity, integrity and non-repudiation, but without a trustworthy time stamp the signer can declare whatever time they choose. ENISA recommends adding a qualified electronic time stamp where the time of signing matters.
In practice that means checking the signature level, not only the word “qualified”. The European Commission’s eSignature FAQ explains the ETSI baseline levels:
- B-B (basic): valid while the certificate is valid. No trusted time.
- B-T: adds a time stamp token on the signature, proving the signature existed at that time.
- B-LT and B-LTA: add the validation material, then further time stamps, so the signature can still be checked after the certificate expires or algorithms age.
The Commission’s free DSS validator reports “the best time at which there exists proof of the existence of the signature”. If there is no time stamp on the signature, that best time is simply the moment you run the validation. A perfectly valid QES can therefore leave the date of signing open to argument.
Where each one fits
Use a QES when the law or the other side needs a handwritten-equivalent signature
eIDAS does not override national form rules (Article 2(3)), so whether you need a QES depends on the document and the member state. Courts are a good example. In German civil proceedings, § 130a(3) of the Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO) requires an electronic filing to carry a qualified electronic signature of the responsible person, or to be signed and sent through a secure transmission route such as the lawyers’ special electronic mailbox. For many commercial contracts, a simple or advanced signature is enough, because Article 25(1) says an electronic signature cannot be refused legal effect just because it is not qualified.
Use a timestamp when the question is when
- Drafts, models, drawings, recordings or code that will never be signed
- Each negotiated version of a contract, before anyone signs
- The signed PDF itself, if you want a record of the exact file that sits outside the signature’s own validation chain
- Exhibits and attachments that are referred to but not signed
Where a presumption of accurate time under EU law matters, use a qualified time stamp from a QTSP. A TimeBind is not qualified. It is a dated, checkable fingerprint anchored to Bitcoin, useful as an independent record you can make for any file in seconds. How much weight any record carries is for the court, on the facts.
An illustrative routine (not a real case)
A supplier in Lyon and a buyer in Munich negotiate a framework agreement over three weeks. Each party exports and fingerprints every version it sends (v1 to v6). The final version is signed by both with a QES at B-LTA level, so the signing time is backed by a qualified time stamp. The supplier also fingerprints the fully signed PDF. If a later dispute turns on what v4 said, the signature cannot help, because v4 was never signed; the dated record of v4 can. If it turns on who signed the final version, the QES does that job, and a timestamp cannot.
If you are in the US or the UK
United States. There is no “qualified” tier. The federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. § 7001) says a signature or contract may not be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic, and most states have adopted UETA. What courts look at is intent. In J.B.B. Investment Partners, Ltd. v. Fair (Cal. Ct. App. 2014), a printed name at the end of an email was held not to be an electronic signature under California’s UETA, because nothing showed it was adopted with intent to sign that record. An EU-style QES may be used in the US, but it has no special statutory status there.
England and Wales. The UK kept its own version of the eIDAS rules after Brexit, alongside section 7 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000. The Law Commission’s 2019 report on electronic execution concluded that an electronic signature is generally capable of meeting a statutory requirement for a signature. In Neocleous v Rees [2019] EWHC 2462 (Ch), an automatically generated email footer was enough to sign a land contract under section 2 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989. Simple signatures are often enough in England; when you need to show when a file existed, that is still a separate question.
Do not carry an EU rule into a US or UK matter, or the reverse. Check the law that governs the document.
What a TimeBind shows, and what it doesn’t
What it shows
- That an exact file existed no later than the recorded time
- That a later copy still matches, bit for bit, if the fingerprint is the same
What it doesn’t show
- Who signed, made or owns the file
- That the contents are true, original or human-made
- That it meets a legal form requirement, or how a court will weigh it
The SHA-256 fingerprint is made in your browser, and the file stays on your device. The record is anchored to Bitcoin. This is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does a qualified electronic signature include a timestamp?
Not always. A signature carries the time claimed by the signing device or service, which the signer’s setup controls. A trusted time is added only if the signature includes a time stamp token, for example at the PAdES B-T level or higher. ENISA advises adding a qualified electronic time stamp where the exact time of signing matters.
Is a TimeBind a qualified electronic time stamp under eIDAS?
No. TimeBinder is not a qualified trust service provider, and a TimeBind carries no eIDAS presumption of accurate time. How a court treats or weighs any record depends on the court and the facts. A TimeBind is also not a signature of any kind.
Can a QES prove when a contract draft existed before signing?
No. A QES is applied to the version that is signed. It says nothing about earlier drafts, or about when they were written. If draft history might matter, record each version as you go, for example with a dated fingerprint of each exported file.
Do I need a QES for a contract in the EU?
Usually not. eIDAS says a simple or advanced electronic signature is not denied legal effect just because it is electronic or not qualified. A QES matters where national or EU law requires a handwritten-equivalent signature or a specific form, or where you want the strongest presumption across member states. Form rules are national, so check the law that governs the document. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is there a qualified electronic signature in the US or UK?
The US has no qualified tier: the federal ESIGN Act and state UETA laws treat electronic signatures as valid in general, and intent to sign is what courts look at. The UK has its own retained version of eIDAS after Brexit, and English courts have accepted very simple electronic signatures. Do not assume an EU rule applies in the US or UK, or the reverse.
What does a TimeBind cost?
Your first Pooled TimeBind is free. After that, Pooled TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
Date each version before anyone signs
A signature covers the final version. A dated fingerprint can cover every version before it.
- Open the app and sign in with email or Google.
- Add your files. They stay on your computer.
- Seal them and download your Proof of Time certificates.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5; ASAP is US$15. See pricing.