Done in 30 seconds: How Lodg made tax easier with simple signing

For New Zealand's sole traders and independent contractors, tax is one of those things that never gets easier. Between calculating what's owed, paying the IRD on time, and keeping records straight, it's a constant distraction from the work that actually earns them money.

Lodg was built to fix that. The Christchurch-based platform lets sole traders deposit their income into Lodg, which automatically calculates and deducts their tax, pays it directly to the IRD, and sends the rest back. Lodg co-founder Vincent Holloway puts it simply: "The mission of Lodg is to help sole traders and small business owners actually focus on doing what they're meant to be doing."

Ease of use is central to everything Lodg does. So when it came to getting users to sign documents, the old approach was a problem. Printing, signing by hand, scanning, and emailing documents back was slow and awkward.

Other online platforms didn't quite work either. The wider team had been using DocuSign, but they wanted a partner based in New Zealand, one they could meet face to face in a critical area of their business. Lodg found that partner in Lumin.

From 30 minutes to 30 seconds

Lodg's users — freelancers, small business owners — are busy people. They don't have time to wrestle with paperwork. Lodg’s signing process had to reflect that.

With Lumin Sign, the process is now fully automated. Lodg initiates a document, the user receives an email, opens the link, and signs within a few clicks. "Using Lumin Sign has improved the process a lot. It's basically cut down the time that a user would traditionally need to take to sign a document with Lodg," says Luke Kilworth, co-founder.

The time savings have been dramatic. "Previously, it was taking about 30 to 45 minutes for a user to print out a document, sign it, and send it back to us. Now, it takes about 15 to 30 seconds," Luke says.

Co-founder Oliver Hickman agrees: "The difference between the process now with Lumin and what we had before is night and day. It's so simple now, it's literally the click of a button."

That speed matters for the business, too. Luke says Lodg was losing potential customers who dropped off during the old signing process simply because it took too long. "The key issue users had with our traditional approach was basically just how much time it took. It meant that we missed out on a lot of business due to people not being able to easily sign a document and send it back to us."

Lumin Sign has also given Lodg a single dashboard to track every document being signed, so the team can see the status of everything in one place. The ability to co-brand documents with the Lodg logo has helped build trust with users, reinforcing brand visibility at a key moment in the customer journey.

Built for compliance, backed by support

Lodg operates in the tax space, which means compliance and security aren't optional. Any software partner they work with needs to meet the same standards they hold themselves to.

"There's a lot of compliance and security procedures that we have to follow at Lodg, and it's important to us that all of our partners adhere to the same policies. That's something that Lumin Sign definitely meets," says Luke.

Tax is also complicated in practice. Lodg needed a signing partner that could adapt to the specific way their platform operates. Oliver says the team had confidence that Lumin could handle the complexity: “We have that tax framework working in the background and it’s quite complicated. We just had faith that Lumin would sort it, and they did.”

Getting up and running was quick, too. The Lumin Sign API implementation took about a week, and Luke says the standup process and surrounding support made it straightforward.

A team that goes the extra mile

The Lodg team has felt supported by Lumin since the very start of the relationship. Luke says his first impression was of a warm, approachable team, and that feeling hasn't changed.

Being able to work with a local New Zealand-based partner has also made a real difference. In-person meetings, direct access to the team, and the ability to have quick face-to-face catch-ups when needed have all strengthened the relationship.

"The fact that they've got a team you can contact anytime, and every time you get in touch with them they truly do want to support you. They really go the extra mile," Luke says.

When Lodg has requested new features, the Lumin team has responded quickly. Luke describes them as "one of the rare companies where they've got over 130 million users across the world, but they still almost have a startup mentality in terms of moving fast and being willing to really support customers."

Vincent says the same sense of confidence extends to everything: "Lumin makes us feel completely supported, with all of our document signing being made so easy and simple, not just for us, but for our customers as well."

Asked whether he would recommend Lumin Sign to another company, Luke doesn't hesitate: "I'd definitely say go for it. I think it is an unbelievable platform with an awesome team behind it."

Ready to simplify your signing process?

Lodg needed a signing solution that could keep up with the speed and simplicity their users expect. Lumin Sign delivered that, and backed it up with responsive support, fast implementation, and a genuine partnership.

Vincent sums it up: "It's definitely a lot quicker and easier for the customer, and a lot cheaper for us as well."

If your business needs a secure, digital signing API that works the way you do, talk to the Lumin Sign team.