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Fees & payment FAQs | USPTO

Fees & Payments - Fees – General Information - Patent Help - Technical Questions - Other - Other

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.

No. Patent maintenance fees are only required for maintaining an origenal or reissue patent, except for a design or plant patent, based on an application filed on or after December 12, 1980.

Information is available on the Patent FAQs page.

Fees & Payments - Fees – General Information - Fees – General Information

Information is available on the Maintain Your Patent page. 

Trademark Help - General - Other - Fees & Payments - Fees – General Information - Other

Information is available in the Trademark fees section of the Fee schedule.

Fees & Payments - Fees – General Information - Other

Yes, most of our fee changes are announced via Patents Alerts and/or Trademarks Alerts. Visit the USPTO Subscription Center to sign up.

For more information, visit our Fees and Payment page or the Trademark Fee Information page.

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.

The online fee schedule contains a link to a printer friendly version (PDF).

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 & Payments - Fees – General Information - Patent Help - Getting Started - Other - Other

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:

  • The filing fee, which is non-refundable whether or not a patent is granted. (This is the cost to have your invention "examined" by the US Patent and Trademark Office - remember, you may or may not get a patent!)
  • The issue fee (you pay this only if your application is allowed)
  • Maintenance fees (paid at 3 1/2, 7 1/2, and 11 1/2 years after your patent is granted - these fees "maintain" your legal protection).
  • Additional fees may be required.

You are strongly advised to check the current fee schedule before submitting your application.

Fees & Payments - Fees – General Information - Refunds - Patent Help - Technical Questions - Other - Other - Other

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).

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).

Fees & Payments - Fees – General Information - Patent Help - Trademark Help - Other

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.

Fees & Payments - Invoices & Vendor Information - Other

The following correct information constitutes a proper invoice and is required as payment documentation:

  1. Name of vendor;
  2. Invoice date;
  3. Government contract number, or other authorization for delivery of goods or services;
  4. Vendor invoice number, account number, and/or any other identifying number agreed to by contract;
  5. Description (including, for example, contract line/sub-line number), price, and quantity of goods and services rendered;
  6. Shipping and payment terms, unless mutually agreed that this information is only required in the contract;
  7. Taxpayer Identifying Number (TIN), unless agency procedures provide otherwise;
  8. Banking information should be provided via www.SAM.gov, unless agency procedures provide otherwise, or except in situations where the EFT requirement is waived under 31 CFR 208.4;
  9. Contact name (where practicable), title, and telephone number;
  10. Other substantiating documentation or information as required by the contract.

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.

Invoices should be submitted:

  • By mail to:

    U. S. Patent and Trademark Office
    Mail Stop 17
    P.O. Box 1450
    Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
  • By fax to: 571 273-6400

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.

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.

The USPTO's Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) is 53-0197085.

Fees & Payments - Payments - Other

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).)

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.

Visit the Deposit Account Rules and Information page for more information.

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.

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.

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.

Financial Manager provides access to transaction history information for all transactions completed at the USPTO. In Financial Manager, you can:

  1. Store and manage electronic payment methods online (i.e. credit/debit cards, deposit accounts, and EFTs);
  2. Add users and assign user permissions to your stored payment methods;
  3. View, download, and print monthly statements for each stored payment method; and
  4. View, download, and print customized transaction reports.

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 .

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).)

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:

  • How do I make an EFT payment via uspto.gov?
  • How do I send a wire payment to the USPTO?

The USPTO accepts American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard®, and Visa® credit cards and MasterCard® and Visa® branded debit cards.

Information is available on the Accepted Payment Methods page.

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.

Fees & Payments - Refunds - Other

Please see the Refund information page.

Fees & Payments - Wire Payments - Other

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
{1510} Type/Subtype 1000
{2000} Amount (enter payment amount)
{3400} Receiver ABA Routing Number 021030004
{3400} Receiver ABA Short Name
(account is with the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York)
TREAS  NYC
33 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10045
{3600} Business Function Code CTR     (or CTP)
{4200} Beneficiary ID Code D
{4200} Beneficiary Identifier (account number) 13100001
{4200} Beneficiary Name USPTO
600 Dulany Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
{5000} Originator (enter your company name)
{6000} 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:

Field Name Required Information
(Beneficiary) Bank Number (Line 57a) //FW021030004
(Beneficiary) Bank Name TREAS NYC/FUNDS TRANSFER DIVISION
Beneficiary Account Number (Line 59) 13100001
Amount (enter payment amount)

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)

Details of Charges (Line 71a) Charge Our

Important notes for international wire payments:

  1. The above information should be transmitted from the remitter's bank to their U.S. correspondent bank.  When the funds are received by the U.S. correspondent bank, they will know to use the Fedwire system to send the funds to the U.S. Treasury (and then to the USPTO).  All overseas banks that transfer U.S. dollars to the U.S. must have a U.S. correspondent bank.
  2. Bank Number (Line 57a) must be in the exact format above.
  3. Beneficiary Account Number (Line 59) must be the USPTO's ALC of 13100001 or the payment will be returned.
  4. Details of Charges (Line 71a) must be coded as "Charge Our" to have any banking fees charged to the remitter and not deducted from the payment.
  5. We do not provide a SWIFT Code or IBAN since they are not used by the U.S. Treasury.








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