Trust Services: what they are, how they work, and why they matter

Most companies only notice them when something goes wrong: a document whose authenticity is questioned, a signature that cannot be proven, insufficient electronic evidence, or an audit that reveals integrity failures in files.

In an environment where electronic processes are at the core of business operations, the question is not whether an organization "needs" trust services, but whether it can afford to work without them.

Trust services provide rigor, traceability, and evidence for every document that is signed, sent, or stored.

They are not a decorative element or an optional extra.

They allow facts to be verified. They protect electronic transactions with guarantees.

And they do so based on three key points:

• They guarantee the integrity of the document over time.
• They provide verifiable evidence of each action: who, when, and how.
• They reduce risks in audits, disputes, or tax reviews by providing solid evidence.

Digitization is only reliable if the processes can be demonstrated. Trust services are the mechanism that makes this possible.

From here, we can move on to definitions and classifications.

Let's get started.

What makes a service trustworthy (and why some are worth more than others)

In the physical world, no one confuses a certified document with a handwritten note.

The same is true in the digital world: not all signatures, stamps, or evidence offer the same level of reliability.
That is why there is a clear distinction between qualified and unqualified trust services.

A non-qualified service can be useful for many internal and operational processes: it streamlines tasks, provides control, and allows electronic documents to be managed with a reasonable level of security.
But it operates with limited scope when it comes to proving facts accurately.

A qualified service, on the other hand, relies on stricter controls, audited infrastructures, and processes designed to generate much more robust evidence.

This makes it an especially useful tool when traceability, integrity, and accurate attribution of each action are important.

To put it bluntly: With qualified trust services, the evidence is so solid that the burden of proof is reversed.

It has to do with the actual ability to prove the existence, origin, and integrity of any electronic data or document, even years after it was generated.

• It has nothing to do with laws.
• It has nothing to do with formalities.

It has to do with the security that comes from having solid evidence to clarify electronically documented commitments in the event of any possible litigation.

Trust Services regulated in Europe by eIDAS

When we talk about trust services, we tend to lump very different concepts together. However, each one fulfills a specific function and provides a specific type of evidence to protect critical digital processes.
The eIDAS Regulation governs this ecosystem in Europe and defines which services actually fall into this category.
These are the most relevant for any company that manages electronic documents in operational, fiscal, or integration environments.

Issuance of qualified certificates for electronic signatures and electronic seals

Qualified certificates are the foundation of the entire trust ecosystem.
They enable identities—of individuals and companies—to be linked to secure signature or seal mechanisms.

Validation of electronic signatures and electronic seals

Qualified validation allows you to verify whether the certificate was valid at the time of signing, whether it had restrictions, whether it was revoked, or whether the content of the document has remained intact.

Long-term electronic storage

Preserves documents with evidence that allows you to prove, even years later, that they have not been altered.

Qualified time stamping

Certifies an exact moment on a document or transaction and prevents subsequent manipulation.

Certified electronic delivery

Proves what was sent, when, to whom, and what happened to that shipment.

EDICOM as a Qualified Trust Service Provider in Europe

In the European ecosystem, EDICOM acts as a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP). But what is really relevant is not the accreditation itself, but how these services are integrated into EDICOM's architecture.
EDICOM does not work with separate platforms for EDI, Electronic Invoicing, or Tax Reporting.
There is a single global platform, designed to deploy all the necessary solutions according to the characteristics and requirements of each project.
EDICOM's Trust Services are also integrated into this same platform, as a natural part of each process.

This integration provides three clear advantages:

• Consistency: all services operate under the same logic of security, traceability, and integrity.
• Autonomy: we do not depend on third parties to sign, stamp, validate, deliver, or store documents.
• Robustness: evidence is automatically generated within the process, reinforcing each electronic exchange without additional effort for the user.

So, when a company uses EDICOM to manage EDI messages, electronic invoices, or tax reports, it is relying on a platform that incorporates electronic signatures, electronic seals, time stamps, validation, certified delivery, and long-term storage from the source, without external connectors or loose parts.

If you would like to learn more about how these services reinforce integration and compliance solutions, you can find further information on our EDICOM Trust Services page.

EDICOM as a Certification Service Provider (CSP) in Mexico

In Mexico, EDICOM operates as a Certification Service Provider (CSP) accredited by the Ministry of Economy, and what is relevant is not the accreditation itself, but how this capability is integrated into our unique platform. From a single environment—without separate parts or external dependencies—EDICOM deploys projects for Electronic Invoicing, Electronic Accounting, CFDI Reception, EDI, and regulatory compliance, natively incorporating the services of a CSP:

• advanced electronic signature
• time stamping
• data message preservation in accordance with NOM-151

All this to reinforce security, traceability, and the ability to prove facts in any process managed by a CFDI.

In addition, EDICOM was the first PAC (Authorized Certification Provider) certified by the SAT in Mexico. This status reinforces our role as a trusted third party in the country's tax ecosystem by certifying CFDIs before they are stamped, providing additional guarantees of authenticity, integrity, and tax value in each electronic receipt.

If you would like to learn more about how EDICOM unifies all these capabilities in a single environment, please visit our EDICOM Trust Services page.

EDICOM Trust Services for international projects beyond Europe and Mexico

Europe and Mexico have solid regulatory frameworks for the provision of trust services.
In Europe, the eIDAS Regulation articulates a comprehensive model for structuring services such as signing, electronic sealing, certified delivery, and long-term storage.

In Mexico, the Ministry of Economy regulates the provision of these services through the PSC, and the SAT articulates the electronic tax ecosystem where EDICOM also operates as a PAC, certifying CFDI from the origin of the electronic invoice in the country.

Both frameworks—the European and the Mexican—are different in form, but they share a common goal:

to ensure that electronic documents with operational or fiscal impact are managed with authenticity, integrity, and traceability.

However, many companies operate outside these regulated environments.

The United States, Canada, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania markets may not have a formal scheme defining how data messages should be preserved, how actions should be accredited, or what mechanisms should support the integrity of a document.

This is where EDICOM's global platform provides a differential value:

our trust services do not depend on the country, but on the process.

The EDICOM platform natively incorporates mechanisms for signing, sealing, validating, time stamping, certified delivery, and preservation, applying them with the same rigor in any region of the world.

This allows our customers to operate with consistent guarantees, even where regulations do not explicitly define how this evidence should be managed.

In simple terms:

EDICOM offers a global standard of digital trust for international EDI, electronic invoicing, and tax reporting projects, regardless of the country in which they operate.
To see how we apply these services in global environments, you can find more information on our EDICOM Trust Services page.

Why Trust Services are a strategic pillar within the EDICOM platform

Moving documents is easy.

Any system can send purchase orders, shipping notices, or electronic invoices.
The challenge comes when you have to do it on a large scale, in multiple countries, with different regulations, integrating heterogeneous applications and managing everything in real time.

In this scenario, it is not enough to exchange information: you need to be able to prove what happened in each transaction within a continuous flow of data.

Managing the evidence that proves that an order was received, an invoice was sent, a document was validated, or a process was executed correctly is an essential part of any serious integration project.

And this is where trusted services become a key pillar.
The EDICOM Platform integrates these services from the design stage, not as accessories. Therefore, each transaction—whether it is an EDI message, an electronic invoice, or a tax report—can incorporate:

• verified identity,
• protected integrity,
• verifiable timestamp,
• full traceability,
• and evidence certified by a trusted third party.

This makes the flow a demonstrable process, not just a functional one.

And the value of this evidence lies not only in the technology, but also in who backs it up. It is not generated by the company operating the process itself, but by a neutral provider.

That third party is EDICOM, which—in addition to being one of the leading international players in the development of EDI and Electronic Invoicing solutions—is a Certification Service Provider accredited by the Mexican Ministry of Economy, a Qualified Trust Service Provider in the European Union in accordance with the eIDAS Regulation, and a leading authority in the deployment of digital identity verification systems in accordance with the requirements in force in more than 80 countries and in compliance with the most demanding international standards.

In other words: you don't just process documents.

You process documents backed by an accredited third party that independently attests to their existence, authenticity, and integrity.

The result is clear:

when EDI and Electronic Invoicing solutions are supported by trusted services integrated from the outset, the process becomes more consistent, more secure, and much easier to defend to customers, technology partners, or authorities.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about Trusted Services

What exactly is a trust service?

They are mechanisms that provide verified identity, integrity, and traceability to electronic documents and transactions. They make it possible to demonstrate what happened, who did it, and when.

What is the difference between a qualified and an unqualified service?

An unqualified service is useful for internal and operational tasks.
A qualified service generates much more solid evidence because it is based on audited processes, strict controls, and certified infrastructures.

What are they really used for in a business environment?

To reduce risks.
To prove facts.
And to protect critical processes—EDI, electronic invoicing, tax reporting—with evidence that can be verified even years later.

What services does the eIDAS Regulation regulate in Europe?

The main ones are:

• qualified certificates for electronic signatures and seals
• signature and seal validation
• qualified time stamping
• certified electronic delivery
• long-term electronic storage

Each provides a different type of evidence.

How does EDICOM integrate these services into its solutions?

Not as separate pieces, but within a single global platform that automatically signs, seals, validates, delivers, and stores documents throughout their entire cycle.

Do these services work outside Europe or Mexico?

Yes.
EDICOM applies the same standard of integrity, traceability, and evidence in any country, even where there is no specific regulation.

Why is it important for evidence to be generated by a third party?

Because it provides neutrality.
It is not enough to say "my system says so."
What counts is when an accredited third party—such as EDICOM—independently attests to the authenticity and integrity of each document.