## Overview

The **issuing company** is the "contracted" party of your contracts — the one that issues and, where
applicable, **signs the document automatically** on your side. You can register **as many issuing
companies as you need** (for example, one per brand, branch or tax ID), each with its own details,
branding and digital certificate.

To use a **qualified** signature (ICP-Brasil), the issuing company needs an **A1 digital
certificate** — a password-protected `.pfx`/`.p12` file. That certificate is uploaded to the platform
and used to sign contracts with stronger legal validity.

## Prerequisites

- Contracts module **enabled** for the account and a user with **permission** to administer
  Contracts.
- The company's registration details (legal name, tax ID, address, contact).
- For qualified signatures: a **valid A1 certificate** in `.pfx`/`.p12` format and its **password**.
- The **A3** certificate (hardware token/card) is **not** supported in this version — only the A1,
  which is a file.

## Step by step

1. In the **Contracts** area, open the **issuing companies** section.
2. Create a new issuing company and fill in its registration details.
3. Add the **branding** (logo and colors), which will appear on the contract and the public pages.
4. To enable qualified signatures, **upload the A1 certificate** (`.pfx`/`.p12`) and enter its
   **password**.
5. The platform validates the certificate: if the password is wrong or the file is invalid, the
   upload is rejected with an error message.
6. When valid, the **certificate holder** and the **expiry date** are shown.
7. Save. The issuing company is now ready to be used when generating contracts.

## Settings & options

- **Multiple issuers**: keep as many issuing companies as your business requires.
- **Branding per company**: each one's own logo and colors, reflected in the document and the
  validator.
- **Certificate status**: the platform shows holder, file and expiry; replace the file when you
  renew it.
- **Time-stamp (TSA)**: in the module settings you can point to an accredited time-stamp server to
  strengthen validity (TSA authentication is kept in the environment, not on screen).

## Use cases

- A company with **multiple brands/tax IDs** issuing contracts under different identities.
- An operation that needs **stronger legal validity** via an A1 certificate.
- Standardizing the **look** of contracts (logo and colors) per issuing company.

## Tips, limits & best practices

- Keep the **A1 certificate always valid** — an expired certificate blocks new qualified signatures.
- Treat the **certificate password** as a secret: it is required in order to sign.
- The certificate is **sensitive** data — only users with admin permission should manage it.
- For full validity in Brazil, combine the **A1** with an accredited **time-stamp (TSA)**.

## Troubleshooting

- **The certificate upload was rejected**: check that the **password** is correct and that the file
  is a valid, uncorrupted `.pfx`/`.p12`.
- **The expiry shows as expired**: the certificate has expired; generate/renew a new A1 and upload it.
- **I can't sign in qualified mode**: make sure the selected issuing company has a valid A1 loaded.
- **I need A3 (token/card)**: it is not supported in this version yet; use the A1 (file).

## See also

- [Contracts & E-signature overview](/hc/ajuda/articles/contracts-esignature-overview-en)
- [Templates, variables and auto-fill](/hc/ajuda/articles/contracts-esignature-templates-variaveis-auto-fill-en)
- [Internal and external signing](/hc/ajuda/articles/contracts-esignature-assinatura-interna-externa-en)
- [Public contract page and validator](/hc/ajuda/articles/contracts-esignature-pagina-publica-e-validador-en)