VEU Processing

EBICS Banking Server supports the Distributed Electronic Signature (VEU), which allows multiple partners (or subscribers) to authorize an order.

VEU is a German abbreviation meaning Distributed Electronic Signature. With VEU, multiple partners(or subscribers) can authorize an order. Different partners from different customers or the same customer can sign a particular order. Partners can request their orders that have pending signatures and sign or cancel them. The VEU management system in EBICS Banking Server saves the orders for which signatures are pending from different partners until one of the following occurs:
  • The necessary number of authorized signatures have been received.
  • The order is canceled.
VEU uses the following order types:
  • HVU
  • HVD
  • HVZ
  • HVE
  • HVS
  • HVT (Optional)

Authorized signatories of a customer can use different signature processes which may support different hash processes resulting in different hash values. In the VEU process, the hash value of the order data is provided when the order types HVD and HVZ are executed. This hash value is derived from the signature version used by the subscriber executing HVZ and HVD. The hash value is provided with the signature version used as an attribute.

Here is a summary of the typical VEU process:
  1. An EBICS Customer (PartnerA) initiates an order by transmitting the order data in an EBICS transaction with the order attribute OZHNN and signing with signature class E, or T.
  2. When received by the EBICS Banking Server, the VEU management system analyzes the order type and signatures that have already been submitted, including their class. If further signatures are necessary for processing of the order, it is stored intermediately for the VEU process together with its hash value.
  3. Another EBICS customer (Partner B) who has a pending signature and needs to sign a stored order will inquire using order type HVU or HVZ to find out which orders they are authorized to sign. The response includes information about the:
    • order type
    • order number
    • number of signatures required and number already provided (including whether their own signature is still required or has already been provided)
    • original order party
    • size of the uncompressed order data
    • (Order type HVZ only) hash value of the order data
    If order type HVZ was used, skip the next step.
  4. Partner B uses order type HVD to check the order and get the hash value of that order.
  5. Optional. If order type HVT is supported by the bank, Partner B can download additional order details using order type HVT. Depending on the request parameters, they receive either information on the individual order transactions (account data, amount information, processing date, utilization data and other descriptions) or the complete order data.
  6. When all required information is received, Partner B can sign the order using order type HVE. The VEU management system in EBICS Banking Server validates and adds the signature to the order.
  7. Partner B could choose to cancel the order using order type HVS.
  8. When all signatures are completed, EBICS Banking Server will completely process the order.