How do I confirm signer authority?

Confirm the signer’s title against formation documents or an officer resolution. If the signer is not listed, attach a corporate resolution or power of attorney to verify authority and prevent enforceability disputes.

Can the form be signed electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures satisfying intent, consent, attribution, and retention are valid under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA where adopted. Use appropriate authentication and retain an audit trail.

Is notarization required?

Not always. Notarization requirements depend on the document purpose and state law. For deed acknowledgements or certain powers, a notarized signature may be required; verify local rules before acceptance.

What happens if TIN is incorrect?

An incorrect TIN can trigger backup withholding at 24% and IRS notices. Verify name/TIN combinations using IRS TIN matching or request a corrected W-9 to avoid penalties.

How long must I keep the completed form?

Retain records for at least three years for tax-related matters (IRC §6501(a)), six years for HIPAA-regulated health information (45 CFR §164.530(j)), and longer if state or contractual obligations require it.

Which authentication level should I use?

Match authentication to risk: email link for low risk, SMS code for medium risk, and knowledge-based or multifactor methods for high risk or regulated transactions.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Miscellaneous
Business Screen Document

Business Screen Document

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

Business Screen Document

THIS BUSINESS SCREENING AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") is entered into effective as of by and between Client Name: with an address at , and Service Provider Name: with an address at .

Recitals

WHEREAS, Client requires business screening services including but not limited to entity verification, adverse media checks, beneficial ownership analysis, and related due diligence (collectively, the "Services") to assess potential third parties and mitigate commercial and regulatory risk; and

WHEREAS, Provider represents that it possesses the expertise, systems, and personnel necessary to perform the Services in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the parties wish to set forth their respective rights and obligations with respect to the provision of such Services.

Scope of Work

Detailed Scope of Work Screening Criteria and Deliverables

Payment Terms

Total Fee:

Payment Schedule

Payment Due: invoices are payable within days of invoice receipt. Late payments shall accrue interest at a rate of on the outstanding balance, compounded monthly, or the maximum permitted by law, whichever is less. Client shall also be responsible for reasonable collection costs and attorneys' fees incurred by Provider in collecting overdue amounts.

Term and Termination

Term: This Agreement shall commence on Start Date: and shall continue in effect until End Date: , unless earlier terminated in accordance with this section.

Either party may terminate this Agreement without cause upon written notice to the other party at least days prior to the effective date of termination. Either party may terminate this Agreement for material breach by the other party that remains uncured for a period of thirty (30) days after receipt of written notice specifying the breach. Termination shall not relieve Client of the obligation to pay for Services performed and expenses incurred through the effective date of termination.

Confidentiality

Definition: "Confidential Information" means any non-public information disclosed by one party ("Disclosing Party") to the other ("Receiving Party") in connection with this Agreement, whether oral, written, electronic, or observed, including business plans, customer lists, screening reports, methodologies, data sources, software outputs, and financial information.

Obligations: The Receiving Party shall (i) maintain the Confidential Information in strict confidence using at least the same degree of care it uses to protect its own confidential information but in no event less than reasonable care; (ii) use Confidential Information solely for the performance or receipt of the Services under this Agreement; and (iii) not disclose Confidential Information to any third party except to those of its employees, contractors, or advisors who have a need to know and who are bound by confidentiality obligations at least as protective as those set forth herein.

Exceptions: Confidential Information does not include information that: (a) is or becomes publicly available without breach of this Agreement by the Receiving Party; (b) was lawfully known to the Receiving Party prior to disclosure by the Disclosing Party; (c) is independently developed by the Receiving Party without reference to the Disclosing Party's Confidential Information; or (d) is rightfully obtained by the Receiving Party from a third party without restriction.

Return or Destruction: Upon termination or written request of the Disclosing Party, the Receiving Party shall promptly return or destroy (at Disclosing Party's election) Confidential Information, except that Receiving Party may retain one archival copy solely for compliance and recordkeeping purposes, subject to the confidentiality obligations herein.

Governing Law

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction of , without regard to conflict of law principles. The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in that jurisdiction for resolution of disputes arising under this Agreement.

Representations; Indemnity; Limitation

Each party represents that it has full right, power, and authority to enter into this Agreement. Provider represents that it will perform the Services in a professional and workmanlike manner consistent with industry standards. Client shall indemnify and hold Provider harmless from any claim, loss, or expense arising from Client's use of screening results in violation of applicable law or third-party rights. EXCEPT FOR BREACHES OF CONFIDENTIALITY AND INDEMNIFICATION OBLIGATIONS, IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER PARTY BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES.

Entire Agreement

This Agreement, together with any exhibits or appendices expressly incorporated herein, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to its subject matter and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, proposals, and communications, whether written or oral. Any amendment or modification of this Agreement must be in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

Administrative Details

Billing Contact Name Billing Address Billing Email

Client:

By:

Date:

Provider:

By:

Date:

What the Business Screen Document Is and When It’s Used

The Business Screen Document is a standardized form used to capture preliminary business information, authorization, and screening details for commercial relationships, vendor onboarding, or contract initiation. It typically collects legal entity name, tax identification, primary contacts, scope of services, risk indicators, and signature authorization. Organizations use it to document due diligence, verify identity and authority, and create a record that supports later contracting, payment setup, or regulatory checks. The form can be delivered on paper or electronically and is often included early in procurement, sales, or supplier registration workflows to speed downstream activities.

Why a Clear Business Screen Document Matters

A properly completed Business Screen Document reduces onboarding delays, supports compliance checks, and creates an auditable record of initial approvals and disclosures. It clarifies who is authorized to sign, what information was relied on during screening, and which policies govern the relationship.

Who Typically Completes and Reviews This Form

Operations teams, vendor managers, procurement staff, and sales support commonly prepare the Business Screen Document when adding new suppliers or entering contractual discussions.

Procurement teams gather supplier legal name, address, and compliance attestations for vendor onboarding and purchase order setup.
Sales or commercial teams collect client contact, decision-maker authority, and transaction scope to prepare proposals or draft agreements.
Compliance and finance review tax identifiers, anti-bribery attestations, and beneficial ownership disclosures to satisfy regulatory requirements.

Legal, compliance, and finance groups review the completed document as part of risk assessment, KYC checks, and payment setup procedures.

Step‑by‑Step: Completing the Business Screen Document

Complete the document in the order below to avoid missing dependencies and to enable automated validation where available.

01

1. Gather Documents: Collect formation papers, EIN confirmation, and resolution if needed.
02

2. Enter Identification: Fill legal name, TIN, and business address exactly as verified.
03

3. Authorize Signer: Record signer details and attach authority evidence when required.
04

4. Sign and Archive: Execute signature, date the form, and save a certified copy.

Configuring an Online Workflow for This Document

Set up fields, routing, and authentication to match your internal approval and compliance requirements.

Field	Configuration
Signature Field	Required for all signers; capture timestamp and signer IP
Conditional Fields	Show beneficial ownership fields when entity type is 'LLC' or 'Corporation'
Authentication	Use email link or SMS code for signer verification; escalate to KBA if high risk
Retention Policy	Set automatic archival and export to secure storage after signature

Delivery and Integration Requirements for Electronic Completion

Choose a platform that supports the document formats you use and integrates with your systems for storage and audit.

Supported Formats: PDF, DOCX, and fillable forms are commonly required
Integrations: Confirm connectors for CRM, ERP, or cloud storage
Authentication: Ensure options for SMS, email, or stronger methods

Integration with enterprise systems reduces manual entry and provides a retained audit trail for compliance and recordkeeping.

Typical Electronic Submission Flow

A standard eSubmission sequence reduces friction and captures an evidentiary log for later review.

Upload Document: Sender uploads the Business Screen Document to the signing platform
Place Fields: Add required text, signature, and conditional fields
Send to Signer: Dispatch by email link, SMS, or integrate via API
Complete Audit Trail: System records IP, timestamps, and authentication events

Common Preparation Errors to Avoid

Entering a trade name instead of the registered legal entity causes tax-reporting mismatches and onboarding delays.
Using a personal email or unsupported address for the signer can hinder automated authentication and raise compliance flags.
Omitting evidence of authority for the signer often triggers requests for corporate resolutions and pauses payment setup.
Failing to set conditional fields correctly leads to incomplete records and additional manual follow-up from compliance reviewers.

Risks and Penalties from Incorrect or Incomplete Submissions

Tax Withholding: Backup withholding may apply if TIN is incorrect or missing

Contract Delays: Operational start and payments can be postponed pending corrections

Compliance Fines: Regulatory penalties can follow for deficient KYC or reporting

Reputational Risk: Repeated errors damage vendor relationships and trust

Legal Challenge: Signatures lacking authority may render agreements unenforceable

Recordkeeping Violation: Failure to retain records can breach statutory obligations

Timeframes and Processing Expectations

Understand local filing and tax timing that may be affected by the Business Screen Document entries.

Provision of W-9 or TIN Data:

Provide promptly upon request; no statutory single deadline for W-9 (IRS guidance)

Vendor Setup Lead Time:

Expect 3–10 business days for verification depending on documentation completeness

Tax Reporting Deadlines:

1099-NEC to recipient and IRS due Jan 31; incorrect TINs trigger backup withholding

I-9 Retention Relevance:

If employment verification is related, retain per 8 CFR §274a.2 requirements

Notarization Turnaround:

If notarization or RON required, allow additional days for scheduling and identity proofing

Real Examples of Business Screen Document Use

Organizations use this form to speed onboarding, reduce errors, and maintain consistent audit records across teams.

Optica Ventures LLC

The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team; more importantly, it is just as easy for our customers.

Resulted in faster vendor onboarding and fewer manual exceptions.
The documented screening steps reduced follow-up requests and improved the completeness of records retained for audits.

Tech Data

Tech Data uses streamlined screening to improve internal and external customer service.

This reduced approval cycle time in procurement.
The standardized form aligned procurement, legal, and finance requirements and decreased time-to-first-payment.

How Electronic Signing Options Differ for This Document

Compare common capability dimensions that matter for secure execution of the Business Screen Document.

Criteria	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	varies	varies	varies	varies
Bulk Send
Audit Trail

Pricing and Compliance Comparison for eSignature Providers

Reference pricing tiers and compliance features relevant to executing the Business Screen Document electronically; signNow is listed first per comparison conventions.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

FAQs and Troubleshooting for the Business Screen Document

Answers to common questions about completing, signing, and storing the Business Screen Document to reduce delays and compliance risk.

Need help? Contact support

How do I confirm signer authority?
Confirm the signer’s title against formation documents or an officer resolution. If the signer is not listed, attach a corporate resolution or power of attorney to verify authority and prevent enforceability disputes.
Can the form be signed electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures satisfying intent, consent, attribution, and retention are valid under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA where adopted. Use appropriate authentication and retain an audit trail.
Is notarization required?
Not always. Notarization requirements depend on the document purpose and state law. For deed acknowledgements or certain powers, a notarized signature may be required; verify local rules before acceptance.
What happens if TIN is incorrect?
An incorrect TIN can trigger backup withholding at 24% and IRS notices. Verify name/TIN combinations using IRS TIN matching or request a corrected W-9 to avoid penalties.
How long must I keep the completed form?
Retain records for at least three years for tax-related matters (IRC §6501(a)), six years for HIPAA-regulated health information (45 CFR §164.530(j)), and longer if state or contractual obligations require it.
Which authentication level should I use?
Match authentication to risk: email link for low risk, SMS code for medium risk, and knowledge-based or multifactor methods for high risk or regulated transactions.

be ready to get more

Join over 28 million airSlate SignNow users

Sign Now