For patents, if the owner of the invention qualifies as a small entity or micro entity, the filing, issue, and maintenance fees are reduced by 60 percent or 80 percent, respectively.
Do you have to pay maintenance fees on design or plant patents?No. Patent maintenance fees are only required for maintaining an original or reissue patent, except for a design or plant patent, based on an application filed on or after December 12, 1980.
What is the filing fee to apply for a patent?Information is available on the Patent FAQs page.
Information is available on the Maintain Your Patent page.
Information is available in the Trademark fees section of the Fee schedule.
Yes, most of our fee changes are announced via Patents Alerts and/or Trademarks Alerts. Visit the USPTO Subscription Center to sign up.
Where can I learn more about fees and payments at the USPTO?For more information, visit our Fees and Payment page or the Trademark Fee Information page.
What address should I use to mail applications, payments, or other correspondence that will be delivered by the United States Postal Service or by other delivery services?
Refer to the Mailing and Hand Carry Addresses for the United States Patent and Trademark Office for more information on where to direct your payment or other correspondence. Special mail stop designations should be used for certain correspondence to allow forwarding of particular types of mail to the appropriate areas as quickly as possible.
How can I obtain a printed copy of the USPTO fee schedule?The online fee schedule contains a link to a printer friendly version (PDF).
Are USPTO fees subject to change?Yes, fees are subject to change. Information on any upcoming fee adjustment is posted in the Important Notices section of the USPTO Fee Schedule.
Fees vary depending on the type of patent application you submit. Fees may also vary according to the way you "claim" your invention. More information on filing fees and the number and type of claims.
There are three basic fees for utility patents:
You are strongly advised to check the current fee schedule before submitting your application.
No, filing fees are not refundable. The filing fee is not for a patent, but is a statutorily prescribed payment to the USPTO for services rendered in processing a complete application. This statutory fee is due upon filing of the application. For additional information, you may contact the Inventors Assistance Center (IAC).
Are my filing fees refundable if my patent application is not approved?No, filing fees are not refundable. The filing fee is not for a patent, but is a statutorily prescribed payment to the USPTO for services rendered in processing a complete application. This statutory fee is due upon filing of the application. For additional information, you may contact the Inventors Assistance Center (IAC).
You may call the USPTO Contact Center at 800-786-9199 or 571-272-1000.
Additional contact information is available on this site at our Contact Us page.
The following correct information constitutes a proper invoice and is required as payment documentation:
A vendor may access Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform http://www.ipp.gov/ to determine payment status (call U.S Treasury at 866-973-3131 for access). A vendor may also contact the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Office of Finance at phone number 571-272-6400 or via email at OfficeofFinance@USPTO.gov.
How do I send an invoice to the USPTO?Invoices should be submitted:
In accordance with the Prompt Payment Act, the Office of Finance is committed to the timely payment of vendor invoices. Payment will be issued to the vendor by day 30 of the receipt date in the Office of Finance, or acceptance date, whichever is the later date.
How will I receive payment for an invoice?The USPTO is in full compliance with the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, and accordingly is required to pay all vendors by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). However, if you qualify for a waiver pursuant to 31 CFR Part 208.4, you can be paid by check.
What is the USPTO's Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)?The USPTO's Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) is 53-0197085.
Individual transactions greater than $24,999.99 may not be split into two or more transactions over one or multiple days. Splitting an amount owed greater than $24,999.99 into several payment transactions using one or multiple cards violates the credit card network and the Department of the Treasury rules.
Existing alternatives for submitting large dollar payments are debit card, deposit account, electronic funds transfer (EFT) on uspto.gov, and wire transfer.
If I use a credit/debit card to pay multiple fees at once, will they all appear on one entry on my credit/debit card statement?
When you pay multiple fees at once, the transaction will appear as one entry on your credit/debit card statement. Your itemized receipt will include details about fees paid, patent/application number, and attorney docket number. You can also retrieve transaction details in Financial Manager.
Can I use my card to initiate a general authorization to charge any deficiency in the payment of required fee(s)?
No. You must specify the amount to be charged to your credit or debit card for each payment transaction. The USPTO will not accept a general authorization to charge fees to a credit or debit card; this option is available for deposit accounts only.
Can I make a payment electronically on uspto.gov?Yes. Currently, you may pay patent maintenance fees, most patent and trademark fees, and fees for ordering copies of documents electronically via uspto.gov. Online payment methods available on uspto.gov include credit or debit card, deposit account, or electronic funds transfer (EFT). Visit the Fees and Payment page to access resources for filing and paying online and for payment information.
How do I use a credit or debit card to make a payment?Most fees can be paid with a credit or debit card using Online Services at uspto.gov. For credit or debit card payments submitted outside of uspto.gov (i.e., fax, mail, or hand-delivery), use the Credit Card Payment Form (PTO-2038). If the credit or debit card number appears on any form or document other than the PTO-2038, the USPTO will not be liable in the event the credit or debit card number becomes public knowledge. (See 37 CFR 1.23(b).)
Why can’t I use my credit or debit card to replenish my deposit account?Due to the Department of the Treasury rules, cards are only available for fee payments. Replenishments are not considered fee payments as there has not been an exchange of goods or services.
How can I obtain more information about establishing and maintaining a USPTO Deposit Account?Visit the Deposit Account Rules and Information page for more information.
How do I replenish my Deposit Account to ensure that the required minimum balance is maintained?You may make replenishments to your deposit account as often as you like using one of four replenishment payment options offered by the USPTO. Visit the Deposit Account Replenishment Options page for more information.
What is a Deposit Account?For the convenience of attorneys, agents and the general public in paying fees for products and services, pre-paid deposit accounts may be established with the USPTO. This eliminates the need to submit a check, credit card, or other payment type each time a fee is required. Further, in an instance of miscalculation of a fee due, the balance required may be charged to the account with authorization, thus preserving the filing date of the application.
Will the patent/application/registration/order number appear on my bank account statement or credit card statement?
For EFT and debit card transactions, the USPTO transmits the patent/application/registration/order number to your financial institution. Please contact your financial institution for more details. For credit card transactions, you must have a corporate or purchase credit card for the patent/application/registration/order number to appear on your monthly statement.
Please contact your credit card company for details.
How can I view payment history information or search for transactions processed by the USPTO?Financial Manager provides access to transaction history information for all transactions completed at the USPTO. In Financial Manager, you can:
To submit EFT payments at the USPTO, you'll need to first set up your EFT in Financial Manager. Once you've set up the EFT in Financial Manager, you can add other user from your organization and grant them permission to access and/or manage the EFT. Each user with Fee Payer permission for the EFT will need to create their own, unique EFT profile name and password in Financial Manager in order to use the EFT for payment.
New EFTs are subject to an eight day verification process. Once the EFT has been verified, you will receive an e-mail from the USPTO indicating that your EFT has been activated and may be used to pay fees online.
Please verify with your financial institution that EFT payments can be processed through your checking or savings account before creating an EFT. If you have an ACH/EFT block or filter on your account, your account must be set up properly and you must provide your financial institution with the USPTO's ACH company ID number before submitting EFT payments online. The USPTO's ACH company ID number is 1310000101 .
Who should I make a check, cashier's check, or money order payable to?All checks, cashier's checks, or money orders must be made payable to "Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office". (See 37 CFR 1.23(a).)
What is the maximum daily limit for credit card and debit card payments?As of June 1, 2015, there is a $24,999.99 daily limit per credit card account. There is no daily limit for debit cards.
All credit card and debit card payments are processed through the Department of the Treasury's Pay.gov system. The daily limit for credit cards is automatically enforced through the Pay.gov system. If cardholders exceed the daily limit, a message indicates that the maximum daily limit has been reached and the payment will be rejected.
Related FAQs:
The USPTO accepts American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard®, and Visa® credit cards and MasterCard® and Visa® branded debit cards.
What methods of payment are accepted at the USPTO?Information is available on the Accepted Payment Methods page.
Are there any benefits if I make a payment electronically on uspto.gov?Yes, the benefits of paying fees electronically via uspto.gov are: eliminates the hassle of writing checks; saves on postage and mailing expenses; avoids late payments; and reduces delays in processing the payments.
You may send your wire payment through the Federal Reserve Fedwire System by providing the below wire transfer information to your bank. Your bank may charge a fee, and your sending bank may use an intermediary bank to transfer the funds (and the intermediary bank may withhold their fee from the payment that is transmitted). Please ensure the full amount of the fee required in U.S. dollars is transmitted.
You must provide the purpose of the wire payment and information that helps identify the transaction (e.g., patent maintenance fee, patent#, application#) in the appropriate field or line to ensure timely processing of your payment. Failure to provide the required information in the correct fields or lines may result in delays or rejection of your wire payment. If you need assistance, please contact the Receipts Accounting Division at RADHelpdesk@uspto.gov.
Note: Trademark fees cannot be submitted via a wire payment. (See the Trademark Fee Information page for acceptable methods of payment.)
Instructions for sending a domestic wire payment to the USPTO:
| Fedwire Field Tag | Fedwire Field Name | Required Information |
|---|---|---|
| Type/Subtype | 1000 | |
| Amount | (enter payment amount) | |
| Receiver ABA Routing Number | 021030004 | |
| Receiver ABA Short Name (account is with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York) | TREAS NYC 33 Liberty Street New York, NY 10045 | |
| Business Function Code | CTR (or CTP) | |
| Beneficiary ID Code | D | |
| Beneficiary Identifier (account number) | 13100001 | |
| Beneficiary Name | USPTO 600 Dulany Street Alexandria, VA 22314 | |
| Originator | (enter your company name) | |
| Originator to Beneficiary Information (up to 4 lines of 35 characters each) | (enter the brief purpose of payment and information that helps identify the transaction (e.g., maintenance fee, patent#, application#), and a phone number) |
Instructions for sending an international wire payment to the USPTO:
Payment Details (Line 70)
(up to 4 lines of 35 characters each)
13100001 USPTO
(also enter the brief purpose of payment and information that helps identify the transaction (e.g., maintenance fee, patent#, application#), and a phone number)
Important notes for international wire payments: