How to get a contract signed in person on an iPad
The best time to get a contract signed is while the customer is sitting across from you and has just said yes. An iPad is the right size for it: big enough to read the contract, light enough to hand over. Here's how to run in-person signing on an iPad so the customer signs only what they should, and you get a record that holds up as well as one signed by email.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
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Before the appointment
Have the contract ready as a template, so at the table you only fill in the customer's details. You'll need the customer's name and email, because that's where their signed copy goes. Make sure the iPad has a connection: signing in person needs one.
At the table
- 1
Send the envelope
In SignMaster in Safari, start a new envelope from the template, add the customer with Add recipient and yourself with Add me, and click Send for signature. Signing in person starts from a sent envelope.
- 2
Choose Sign in person
On the envelope page, next to the customer's name, tap Sign in person. SignMaster asks you to confirm you're handing the device to them; tap Start.
- 3
Hand over the iPad
The screen reads Hand the device to and the customer's name. They tap the button that confirms who they are, read and accept the e-signature consent, and fill each field with the page guiding them, one at a time.
- 4
Take it back
When they finish, the screen asks them to hand the device back to you. Tap the button with your name and confirm with Yes, and your account comes back. The certificate notes that the customer signed in person and that you hosted.
- 5
Countersign and finish
If you sign next, do it now from the same envelope with Sign now. When the last signature is in, everyone gets the signed PDF by email, often before you've packed up.
Keep the customer in the contract
On the web, the customer only sees that envelope, and you confirm the handback before your account returns. For extra peace of mind, turn on Guided Access in the iPad's Accessibility settings so the iPad stays in Safari until you triple-click to end it.
With the iPhone and iPad app
The SignMaster app for iPhone and iPad runs on the same account, with Sign in person in each envelope's actions. In the app, signing mode fills the screen and can't be swiped away, and only your Face ID, Touch ID or passcode ends it, or a PIN you set if the iPad has none. If you're the next signer, the app takes you straight to your own signature once you have the iPad back.
Two people signing
Each in-person session is for one signer. When a couple both sign, start a session for the first, take the iPad back, then tap Sign in person next to the second name. If one of them can't be there, they sign from the emailed link instead, and both signatures land in the same envelope.
One thing to know: the print-and-sign-on-paper option isn't available during in-person signing. The customer signs on the screen with a finger or an Apple Pencil, or types their name if they prefer.
Questions? Answers.
Is a contract signed on my iPad as valid as one signed by email?
Yes. The ESIGN Act gives electronic signatures legal effect, and signing in person goes through the same consent step and produces the same certificate and audit trail, with a note that you hosted it.
Do I need the app to sign in person on an iPad?
No. In-person signing works in Safari on any iPad. The app adds the Face ID lock and the full-screen signing mode.
Can the customer see my other contracts?
No. On the web, the session shows only that envelope, and you confirm the handback before your account returns. In the app, only your Face ID, Touch ID, passcode or PIN ends signing mode.
Does it work offline?
No. The iPad needs Wi-Fi or a mobile connection while the customer signs.