Signer vs. Signee — What's the Difference?

A signer is an individual who affixes their signature to a document, indicating agreement, acknowledgment, or obligation. It is an active role, involving the person who holds the pen. In contrast, the signee is typically the party whose name appears on a contract or agreement as the recipient or beneficiary of the signed document. While the signer is the one performing the act of signing, the signee is often on the receiving end of that action.

In legal documents, the signer is the person who is executing or ratifying the document, and this act may be witnessed or notarized depending on the document’s requirements. The signee, however, may not always be present at the time of signing and does not necessarily sign the document themselves. The signer's role is to provide authenticity, whereas the signee's role is often to benefit from or be bound by the signer's action.

Within various contexts, the signer is the initiator of a signature-based transaction or communication. This could be an authorizing official, a celebrity giving an autograph, or an individual endorsing a check. The signee, however, may be an organization accepting the official's order, a fan receiving the autograph, or a bank acknowledging the endorsement on a check. The signer's authority or intent is transferred through their signature to the signee.

The signer's signature can have legal implications, such as binding them to the terms of a contract or confirming their approval of a document’s contents. The signee, on the other hand, is often the entity that requires this legal acknowledgment, such as a company receiving a signed contract from an employee. The signer's action is a commitment, while the signee’s part is typically to enforce or accept that commitment.

In cases where a signer is required to sign in the presence of a witness, the role of the signer is clear—they are the individual whose signature is being witnessed. The signee in this situation may not be involved in the signing process at all but is instead the person or entity for whom the signature is intended to have effect. The signer's signature is their personal mark, and the signee is the party that relies on the validity of that mark.