Replace the Signature Device

RKSV signature certificates have a limited validity of approximately 5 years. Once expired, the signature device must be replaced — otherwise the cash register can no longer sign receipts and every receipt carries the note "Signatureinrichtung ausgefallen". How the replacement works depends on your signature type. No new Startbeleg and no new Sales Point ID are required in any case — the cash register continues under its existing ID; only the signature creation unit changes.

At a Glance

Prerequisites

• A new signature creation unit is available (new signature card or new online signature credentials).

• Recommended: an active FinanzOnline integration so the new signature device is registered with the tax office automatically.

Variant A — Replace the Signature Card

If you use a physical signature card in a stick, the replacement is a purely mechanical operation:

1. Run the Sales Point closing — this closes the last business day under the old certificate.

2. Sign out the cash register — disconnect the cash register from the running session.

3. Swap the card — remove the old signature card from the stick and insert the new one.

4. Sign the cash register back in — the cash register picks up the new card on sign-in.

5. Start the day — the new business day begins under the new certificate. The first receipt (a Nullbeleg is recommended as a functional test) registers the new signature device with FinanzOnline.

Variant B — Replace the Online Signature

Step by step:

1. Run the Sales Point closing — closes the last business day under the old certificate.

2. Sign out the cash register — only then can the signature data be edited in the Manager.

3. In bessa Manager: replace the online signature credentials — overwrite the old credentials with the new ones.

4. Sign the cash register back in — the cash register pulls the updated master data and is connected to the new certificate.

5. Start the day — the first receipt registers the new signature device with FinanzOnline (with active integration).

Variant C — bessa Sign

If you use bessa Sign, certificate renewal runs fully automatically in the background — you do not have to exchange any data, sign out the cash register, or file with FinanzOnline. bessa Sign handles the entire signature lifecycle as part of the service.

Filing the New Signature Device with the Tax Office

• With active FinanzOnline integration — the new signature device is registered automatically with the first signature after the replacement. No manual step required.

• Without FinanzOnline integration — file the new signature creation unit manually via the FinanzOnline portal.

FAQ

Why does the certificate have to be replaced at all? RKSV signature certificates are limited to approximately 5 years of validity for security reasons. Once expired, the signature device can no longer produce valid signatures.

What happens if I forget to replace it? Receipts issued after the expiry date carry the note "Signatureinrichtung ausgefallen" and must be handled according to the signature outage rules. The revenue stays in the DEP and is not signed retroactively after the replacement — once the new certificate is active, the cash register resumes regular signing.

Do I have to create a new Startbeleg? No. A new Startbeleg is only required for the initial commissioning of a cash register, not for a certificate replacement.

Are the existing DEP and the fiscal revenue counter preserved? Yes. The cash register keeps its Sales Point ID, the revenue counter continues uninterrupted, and the DEP is extended — across the certificate replacement.

How do I know the certificate is about to expire? Watch for notices in bessa Manager and for timely communication from your signature provider (e.g. A-Trust for signature cards). With bessa Sign you do not need to monitor — renewal runs automatically.

Related Topics

• bessa Sign

• Signature Device Failed – What to Do?

• FinanzOnline Integration – Create a Webservice User

• Create the Startbeleg and Register the Cash Register