✍️ Require a Signed Agreement Before Payment

By default, renters book first and sign your rental agreement afterwards. With Require a signed agreement before payment turned on, the order flips: the renter signs first, and only then can they pay and get a confirmed reservation. If they don't sign, nothing is charged and nothing is reserved.

🎯 Why Require Signing First?

• No unsigned bookings: Every confirmed online reservation already has a signed agreement on file.
• No chasing signatures: You're not following up with renters who paid but never signed.
• Clean cancellations: A renter who won't agree to your terms never pays, so there's nothing to refund.

✅ Before You Start

You'll need:

• The Standard or Premium plan. See Fleetwire Pricing Plans Explained.
• A rental agreement template attached to your listings. See What is Automatic eSign?, or build one in Fleetwire if you don't have a PDF.

🛠 How to Turn It On

Step 1: Check Your Listings Have an Agreement

The requirement only applies to listings that have an agreement template.

1. Go to Listings and select a vehicle.
2. Click the Settings tab.
3. Under Document eSign, make sure Use eSign Template is on, with a template chosen or Use Branch Default selected.

Step 2: Turn On the Requirement

1. Go to Settings > Checkout.
2. Find Before a renter can reserve.
3. Turn on Require a signed agreement before payment.

The change applies to new checkouts right away.

Step 3: Test It

1. Open your online store and start a booking on a listing that has an agreement.
2. Submit the checkout form. You should land on a page titled Almost there, with a countdown showing how long the dates are held.
3. Click Sign Agreement, sign, then click Continue to your reservation.
4. Click Complete reservation and finish the booking.

👀 What Your Renter Sees

1. They choose dates, enter their details, and submit checkout. Nothing is charged or reserved yet.
2. They land on their reservation page, which says Almost there. Their dates are held for 30 minutes.
3. They click Sign Agreement and sign.
4. They return to the reservation page and click Complete reservation.
5. The booking finishes according to how the listing takes payment:

• Charge now: they pay, then the reservation is confirmed.
• Pay at pickup: the reservation is confirmed with no online payment.
• Ask customer: their choice (pay now or at pickup) applies.
• Require approval: their signed request is sent to you to approve.

See Listing Payment Collection Mode for how each mode works.

❓ Good to Know

What if the renter doesn't sign?
No payment is taken and no reservation is created. When the 30-minute hold ends, the dates become available to other renters, and the unsigned agreement is cancelled without any email being sent.

What if they sign but don't finish?
The dates are released when the hold ends, and the signed agreement is voided. Because both of you received a signed copy, you'll both get a notice that it was voided.

What if the hold runs out while they're signing?
They can still complete the booking, as long as nobody else has taken the dates in the meantime.

Can someone else book the same dates during the hold?
No. A second renter who picks those dates is told the vehicle isn't available.

When do I get notified?
You receive the signed agreement by email as soon as the renter signs, which is before they've paid. Your normal new-booking notification arrives once the reservation is confirmed.

Where is the unfinished checkout in my dashboard?
It doesn't appear in Orders until the renter has signed and completed it.

Does this apply to orders I create myself?
No. Orders you create in the dashboard are not affected. Send those for signature from the order as usual.

What about secondary drivers?
Only the primary driver's signature is required to complete the booking. Secondary drivers sign afterwards. See Adding Secondary Drivers.

Does this also require ID or insurance verification first?
Not yet. ID verification and insurance verification still happen after the booking is made.

🌟 Signed First, Then Booked

Every online reservation on your gated listings now comes with a signed agreement before any money changes hands. Run a test booking from your store to see the flow the way your renters will.

🚀 Next Steps

• Set up your agreement: What is Automatic eSign?
• Add fields to your template: Setting Up e-Signature Fields
• Choose how payment is taken: Payment Options at Checkout
• Agreement not showing up? Why Isn't My eSign / Rental Agreement Sending?
• Need help? Contact us at hi@fleetwire.io or via the in-app chat.

Updated on: 24/10/2026