You are currently applying for electronic certification services from China Financial Certification Authority (hereinafter referred to as CFCA).
To safeguard your legitimate rights and interests, please carefully read the following content.
If you are unwilling to apply for electronic certification services from CFCA, please exit the relevant application process. If you agree to the following terms and proceed to apply for electronic certification services from CFCA, it signifies that you (the subscriber) have established an electronic certification service contractual relationship with CFCA and will be bound by its terms.
I. Definitions
1.Electronic Signature refers to data in electronic form that is attached to or logically associated with a data message and used to identify the signatory and to indicate the signatory's approval of the contents thereof
2.Digital Certificate (also referred to as an Electronic Signature Authentication Certificate) refers to a data message or other electronic record that serves to verify the connection between a signatory and the data used to create an electronic signature. It could include an electronic document issued by an electronic certification service provider containing information such as the name of the certification service provider, the name of the certificate holder, certificate serial number, validity period, the certificate holder's signature verification data, and the service provider's own electronic signature.
3.Electronic Certification Service Provider (CA Institution) refers to an entity that provides third-party authentication services for electronic signatures and holds a valid Electronic Certification Service License issued by the competent department of the State Council in charge of the information industry. CFCA was established under the initiative of the People's Bank of China in 1998 and has obtained the said license.
4.Digital Certificate Registration Authority (RA Institution) refers to the entity responsible for the application, review and management of subscribers' digital certificates. It directly interfaces with digital certificate subscribers and acts as the intermediary between the subscriber and the CA institution for certificate management information.
5.Subscriber refers to a natural or legal person or organization applying to the electronic certification service provider for a digital certificate.
6.Relying Party means any person who undertakes relevant activities in reliance upon a digital certificate or an electronic signature.
7.Revocation: i.e., the "cancellation" as referred to in Article 29 of Administrative Measures on Electronic Certification Services.Revocation means that, during the certificate's validity period, the CA terminates the validity of the certificate in advance from a specified time based on certain grounds. A certificate whose validity period has expired can no longer be revoked, and the revocation of a certificate does not affect any certificate-related actions that have already occurred.
II. Your Application for a Digital Certificate from CFCA Signifies the Establishment of a Contractual Relationship Between You and CFCA.
1.If you apply for a digital certificate from CFCA through an RA institution, it shall be deemed that you have authorized the RA institution to apply on your behalf for a digital certificate and have consented to the RA institution providing CFCA with your identity verification materials, application records, and other personal information. If you have not given such authorization, please exit the application process immediately.
2.Upon your acceptance of this Agreement, you shall be deemed a subscriber of CFCA's digital certificates. Upon the formation of an electronic certification service contractual relationship between you and CFCA, CFCA shall, upon your application, issue a digital certificate to you for the purpose of providing authenticity and reliability verification services to all parties involved in electronic signatures.
III. Conditions for Use of Digital Certificates and Electronic Signatures
1.The subscriber is entitled to use the digital certificate to conduct lawful civil, commercial, and governmental legal activities and to perform electronic signatures.
2.When the subscriber enters into an electronic contract or signs an electronic document, either independently or through an electronic signature service platform, the digital certificate and electronic signature shall be used to verify the subscriber's true identity and signing intent.
3.Upon receiving information bearing the subscriber's electronic signature, the relying party may verify the validity of the digital certificate and use the public key contained therein to confirm the authenticity of the signature. On this basis, the relying party may verify the validity of the subscriber's electronic signature contained in the received information. By receiving the subscriber's electronically signed data, the relying party may access the subscriber's personal information included in the digital certificate.
4.Pursuant to the Electronic Signature Law, digital certificates and electronic signatures shall not apply to the following:
(1) Documents involving marriage, adoption, inheritance, or other personal relationships;
(2) Documents involving the suspension of public utility services such as water, heating, or gas supply;
(3) Other circumstances where laws or administrative regulations prohibit the use of electronic documents.
IV. Items and Standards for CFCA's Service Charges
The Subscriber may apply for a digital certificate from CFCA either directly or through an authorized third party (including an RA). The applicable service fees shall be disclosed or agreed with the Subscriber in the actual business scenario on which the application is based. If no fees are disclosed or agreed, it shall be deemed that no fees are charged.
V. Rights and Obligations Regarding the Retention and Use of Certificate Holder Information
1.CFCA fully understands the importance of user information security. The trust placed in us by our subscribers is of paramount importance to us and CFCA shall adopt security protection measures in accordance with applicable laws and regulations to ensure safety and controllability of subscribers' personal information.
2.CFCA has formulated a detailed Legal Statement and Personal Information Protection Policy, available on its Website. This policy explains how CFCA collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects subscriber information, and how subscribers may exercise their rights. For details, please refer to the Website.
VI. Rights and Obligations of CFCA
1.CFCA provides a 7x24-hour customer support hotline (400-8809888) and a complaint hotline (010-80864105). CFCA will respond to subscriber feedback or suggestions within seven (7) working days.
2.In the event of a legal dispute arising from the use of a CFCA-issued digital certificate, CFCA may provide the following services:
(1) Provision of the CA certificate chain to verify the certificate's source;
(2) Proof of the certificate's validity (including whether it has expired or been revoked) at a specified point in time;
(3) Technical verification of the authenticity and integrity of digital certificates, electronic signatures, and timestamps.
3.CFCA reserves the right to revoke a digital certificate under any of the following circumstances:
(1) The subscriber provided false, incomplete, or inaccurate information during application;
(2) The subscriber failed to perform contractual obligations;
(3) The subscriber submitted a written request for revocation;
(4) There is evidence indicating that the certificate's security has been compromised;
(5) The certificate has been used in illegal or criminal activities;
(6) Other circumstances as prescribed by laws or regulations.
VII. Limitation of Liability of CFCA
1.CFCA has, in accordance with laws, established Certification Practice Statements (CPS) published on the Website, which set forth the functions of CFCA digital certificates, rights and obligations of users, the scope of CFCA's liability, and other rules governing electronic certification services.
2.CFCA shall provide relevant services to subscribers during the digital certificate's lifecycle in accordance with the Service Agreement and the CPS.
3.Provided that CFCA has carried out authentication services in accordance with reasonable measures stipulated by the Service Agreement and the CPS, CFCA shall bear no legal liability for any losses incurred by civil activities of subscribers or relying parties based on CFCA's certification services.
4.CFCA may limit its liability as provided in the Service Agreement and the CPS. In the event that CFCA is legally liable for damages, the maximum compensation for digital certificates applied for by institutional subscribers shall be RMB 500,000(in words:Five Hundred Thousand Yuan only); for digital certificates applied for by individual subscribers, the maximum compensation shall be RMB 20,000(in words:Twenty Thousand Yuan only).
5.CFCA's digital certificates are issued solely for subscriber identity verification and electronic signature purposes. CFCA does not participate in any civil, commercial, or governmental legal activities conducted by subscribers using digital certificates, and shall not be held liable for any indirect losses or loss of anticipated benefits incurred by subscribers' use of digital certificates.
6.A subscriber seeking to make a valid and reasonable claim for compensation against CFCA must do so within one (1) year from the date on which the subscriber became or should have become aware of the damage. Any claim not submitted within this period shall be deemed waived, and CFCA shall have the right to refuse any claim submitted thereafter.
For other aspects of CFCA's liability, please refer to the provisions of the CPS.
VIII. Scope of Responsibilities of the Certificate Holder
1.The subscriber acknowledges that an electronic signature created with a digital certificate has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature. A digital certificate can be used to identify the subscriber as the signatory and to indicate the subscriber's acknowledgment of the legal effect of the electronic signature.
2.The subscriber shall act in good faith and provide true, complete, and accurate information or materials when applying for a digital certificate to CFCA. In the case that the subscriber is an individual, the following personal information must be provided to CFCA:
(1) Name;
(2) Type and number of identification document.
The provision of the above personal information by the subscriber is necessary for the conclusion and performance of contracts in which the subscriber is a party, and shall be deemed as consent for CFCA to process such personal information.
During the verification of a subscriber's personal identity by CFCA or RA institution, additional personal information, including but not limited to mobile phone number, bank card number, ID document photographs, and facial recognition data, may be required depending on the authentication method. CFCA does not normally retain such personal information. If it is necessary to retain any of this information, the subscriber will be informed of the relevant personal information protection policy at the time of identity verification.
3.Subscribers must promptly notify CFCA of any changes in their information or materials. In the event that, due to the subscriber's fault, the application materials are false, incomplete, inaccurate, or the subscriber fails to promptly notify CFCA of any changes thereto, the subscriber shall be liable for the resulting losses and shall further compensate CFCA and relying parties for any damages caused thereby.
4.The subscriber shall only have the right to use the digital certificate and shall not transfer any rights conferred by this agreement or the digital certificate. Any act of using the certificate by the subscriber shall align with their true intentions or be carried out solely for the purpose of handling authorized matters, and the subscriber shall bear corresponding legal liabilities for their acts involving the use of the digital certificate.
5.The subscriber may generate the private key corresponding to the digital certificate for digital signatures, either personally or through an authorized third party, and shall take all necessary measures to safeguard the private key and any associated passwords. If the subscriber entrusts a third party to generate, store, or use the private key on their behalf, the scope of such authorization must be clearly defined, and the subscriber shall periodically verify compliance. The subscriber shall be solely responsible for any legal liability or adverse consequences arising from the theft, misuse, or unauthorized use of the private key or password due to the subscriber's fault.
6.If the subscriber's private key, password, or passphrase associated with the digital certificate is compromised or lost, or if the subscriber no longer wishes to continue using the digital certificate, or if any other circumstance arises that may affect the security or reliability of the digital certificate, the subscriber or the lawful right-holder shall immediately apply to CFCA for revocation of the digital certificate. Once the certificate is revoked, the subscriber shall cease any further use of the certificate.
7.Where the subscriber entrusts a third party (including an RA organization) to apply for a digital certificate from CFCA, the application information or materials shall be concurrently submitted to CFCA. The subscriber acknowledges and agrees that CFCA shall have the right to require the entrusted party to cooperate.
IX. Authority and Responsibilities for Retention and Use of Digital Certificate Holder Information
1.CFCA shall have the authority and responsibility to retain and use information regarding the digital certificate holder. CFCA shall exercise reasonable care and diligence in reviewing the information or materials submitted by the subscriber when applying for a digital certificate. CFCA shall properly safeguard all received subscriber information and materials. Information related to certificate authentication shall be retained for at least five (5) years following the expiration of the digital certificate, unless otherwise provided by applicable laws or administrative regulations.
2.The relevant authority and responsibilities of CFCA are set forth in the CPS published on CFCA's website (www.cfca.com.cn), as well as in other provisions of this Agreement.
X. Dispute Resolution
Any dispute arising between the subscriber and CFCA in connection with the electronic certification services shall first be attempted to be resolved through amicable consultations. If such consultations fail to resolve the dispute, either party shall submit the dispute to the Beijing Arbitration Commission for arbitration in accordance with its rules, to be conducted in Beijing. The arbitral award shall be final and binding on both parties.
XI. Miscellaneous
1.The roles of "Subscriber" and "Relying Party" may, at times, overlap. In a transaction, the party generating the signature shall be the "Subscriber," while the party verifying the signature shall be the "Relying Party".
2.Subscribers should regularly visit CFCA's Website (www.cfca.com.cn) to stay informed about updates to CFCA certificate management rules, CPS revisions, and this Agreement.
China Financial Certification Authority
November 2025
中文
English