Dropshipping rests on trust between the store and the supplier, but a verbal understanding cannot be attached to a case if something goes wrong. A written agreement with a dropshipping supplier records prices, shipping deadlines, liability for defects and returns. There is one problem: the supplier is often in another city or country, and collecting “wet” signatures is inconvenient. An electronic agreement with a QES solves this in minutes. Here is how to conclude and sign it online.
Which contract do you need for dropshipping?
There is no single “dropshipping contract” form in the law — in practice the relationship is formalized with one of the standard contracts, depending on the model:
- Supply agreement — if you buy goods from the supplier and resell them.
- Agency or commission agreement — if you sell the supplier's goods on their or your own behalf for a fee.
- Cooperation (partnership) agreement — a framework agreement on the terms of interaction.
None of these contracts requires notarization, so it is enough to sign it with the QES of both parties. What you should definitely spell out: prices and settlement procedure, shipping deadlines and method, who is responsible for defects and returns, the exchange of buyers' personal data, and termination terms.
Why an electronic contract fits better than paper here
Dropshipping is about speed and remote work. While a paper contract travels by mail, you lose days — and sometimes the supplier. An electronic contract signed with a QES has the same legal force as a paper one (see the legal force of an electronic signature), but is concluded remotely and instantly.
How to conclude and sign a contract with a dropshipping supplier online
- Prepare the contract in your eObig account: upload a ready file or draft the text from scratch. The AI assistant will help produce a draft tailored to your model.
- Sign with your QES right in the browser — no plugins. The mechanics are described in how to sign a document online without plugins.
- Send it to the supplier for signature. If the supplier has no account, use a link without registration: they open the contract and sign with a QES without extra steps.
- Receive the signed contract — a copy stays with both parties, and the status is visible in real time.
Not just the contract: acts and delivery notes
Working with a dropshipping supplier is not one document but a flow: reconciliation acts, delivery notes, amendments about new goods or prices. All of this is just as convenient to sign online and keep in one place. For end-to-end document exchange with counterparties, see exchanging documents with counterparties online, and for scaling via your own dashboard or website — integrating eObig into your CRM.
A supplier abroad
Many dropshippers work with foreign suppliers. A foreign counterparty usually does not have a Ukrainian QES, so in the contract itself it is worth agreeing in advance on an acceptable signing method — a Ukrainian QES, a qualified signature under the European eIDAS regulation (QES), or another agreed format — and the law that governs the contract.
Security and storage
A QES is formed locally in the browser, and the private key never leaves the signer's device — more on that in the security of browser-based signing. Each signature is recorded with the time and the party's data, and the event history remains as an audit trail. Keep signed contracts and acts in a secure electronic archive with search, so you can quickly pull up the terms for each supplier.
In brief
- A “dropshipping contract” is formalized with a standard contract (supply, commission/agency, or cooperation) — no notary needed, the QES of both parties is enough.
- An electronic contract signed with a QES has full legal force and is concluded remotely in minutes.
- The supplier signs via a link without registration; for foreign counterparties, the signing method and governing law are agreed in the contract.
- Acts, delivery notes and amendments are also signed online and kept in the archive with an audit trail.
Start for free at portal.eobig.com or book a demo — and sign a contract with your supplier online, wherever they are.