Approval and technical evidence

Cord keeps a verifiable record of who approved, when they did it, and which document version they accepted.

The “OK” via email problem

Traditionally, a sales rep sends a PDF and the client replies “Authorized, proceed.” It can later be difficult to show which version, line items, or amount each person was reviewing.

Cord adds an electronic approval and technical evidence layer at that moment.

The approval process

When your client clicks Approve Quote inside the link, Cord shows a confirmation modal before changing the status.

To proceed, the client must:

1. Enter their Full Name.
2. Enter their Corporate Email.
3. Check a confirmation box declaring that they have authority to accept the terms and commercial obligation described in the quote.

Audit trail data

At confirmation, Cord stores a technical audit trail:

• Public IP Address from which the approval was made.
• Exact Timestamp synchronized with secure servers.
• Cryptographic fingerprint of the approved version and scope, used to detect later changes to the data covered by the approval.

The Audit Stamp

Once approved, the quote’s status changes visually. At the bottom of the document (both in the web view and the subsequently generated downloadable PDF), an Audit Stamp is permanently embedded.

This stamp clearly shows:

“Digitally approved by [Client Name] ([Client Email]) on [Date and Time] from IP address [192.168.x.x].”

What it is useful for

• Preparing a dispute: if the client disputes a card charge, the record can form part of the evidence you submit. The issuing bank decides the outcome, and Cord does not guarantee that a dispute will be won.
• Partial approval, also signed: if your client only wants to accept some line items from a lengthy quote, they can approve it partially — the same audit stamp covers exactly the lines and amount they accepted, not the original total.
• Collections context: the team can review who accepted, when, and for what amount instead of relying only on a verbal “yes” or a stray email.
• Connecting the commercial workflow: the approved version can be used to begin collection and prepare the invoice available for the account’s market.