What if leasing processes were fully digital?

Getting a new car is always exciting. There is that particular smell, and all the new features to explore. However, before a vehicle is truly yours, there are formalities to complete, especially since most new cars are leased rather than sold directly today. Last week's blog post examined three major pain points that still exist in most leasing processes. Now, we want to explore how things could be, and how leasing providers and customers could benefit from new digital solutions.

The solution lies in building digital trust. With reliable and safe remote identification and qualified electronic signatures (QES), the leasing process becomes seamless, secure, and fully digital. Remote identification enables customers to verify their identities online within minutes, while QES ensures that contracts meet the strict EU legal requirements under eIDAS. Together, they eliminate media disruptions and allow contracts to be signed directly in digital environments – anytime, anywhere.

Building trust through digital processes

The biggest game-changer for digital leasing is the combination of remote identification and QES. These technologies eliminate media disruptions, enabling the entire customer journey — from configuration to handover — to occur online.

• Remote identification enables secure identity verification within minutes, eliminating the need for a physical presence.
• Qualified electronic signatures carry the same legal validity as handwritten signatures under the EU’s eIDAS and Swiss ZertES regulations. Contracts concluded digitally are fully enforceable and recognized in court.

This combination creates a seamless, mobile-first process. Customers can configure their vehicle online, pass an automated credit check, and sign a legally binding contract before their first test drive. For subscription models, QES even secures vehicle delivery by digitally confirming receipt through two-factor authentication and time-stamped proof.

The benefits are clear:

• Higher conversion rates: No drop-offs due to paperwork delays.
• Fraud prevention: Vehicle delivery is confirmed via a QES, secured with two-factor authentication, and includes a digital timestamp.
• Regulatory compliance: QES guarantees legal certainty across the EU.
• Customer delight: A smooth, mobile-first experience that meets digital-native expectations.

Looking ahead, the recently revised eIDAS regulation will harmonize standards for digital identity and trust services across Europe. This creates the foundation for truly scalable, cross-border leasing solutions. Dealers and platforms that adopt digital identification and signatures today position themselves to win tomorrow by unlocking efficiency, fostering customer loyalty, and gaining a competitive advantage.

While the digital identity and signature provider landscape is diverse, not all solutions meet the stringent requirements of eIDAS. Partnering with certified, forward-looking vendors like Swisscom Trust Services ensures compliance from the outset and eliminates the need for costly modifications later on.

Are you curious to learn more about how remote identification and QES can help mobility-as-a-service providers optimize their leasing processes? Download our latest guide, "The Road to Fully Digitized Leasing."