Signing authority (Prokura)
A registered power of attorney is an authority entered in the commercial register that permits all legal acts the company’s purpose may entail; real estate transactions are excluded unless expressly granted.
Definition
Because the authority stands in the register, a third party may rely on it — and revocation only takes effect towards third parties once entered. That is the practical difference from an internal authority, which applies only between the business and the agent.
The signing arrangement is registered too: sole or joint by two. Whoever holds a joint signature cannot act bindingly alone — which should be reflected in the software when payments are released.
The wording
A registered attorney is a person who has been expressly or tacitly authorised to conduct the business of the owner of a trading, manufacturing or other commercial enterprise on their behalf and to sign the company name «per procura».
Where to read it
What the software must be able to do
The signing rule belongs in rights management: whoever signs jointly by two should not be able to release a payment run alone. Programs with only one administrator role cannot represent this.
Checked Aug 2026
More terms under Legal form and register: AG (public limited company) Association Auditor Commercial register Cooperative General partnership GmbH (limited liability company) Liquidation Sole proprietorship UID number