3. Methods of payment 

Fee payments to the EPO may be validly made by anyone: applicants, agents and any other person.

All fees which are to be paid to the EPO must be paid in euros:

– by payment or transfer to a bank account held by the EPO; or 

– by credit card; or 

– by debiting a deposit account held with the EPO on the basis of a debit order filed in an electronically processable format (XML) using one of the accepted electronic means of filing, i.e. the EPO Online Filing software, Online Filing 2.0, the Online Fee Payment service or ePCT. Alternatively, a debit order can be submitted in electronic format via Central Fee Payment. Details of this means of payment by deposit account may be found in the Arrangements for deposit accounts (ADA) and their annexes, which can also be found on the EPO website (epo.org).

In the event of a general unavailability of the permitted electronic means of communication, the EPO will make use of the extension of time limits for the payment of fees, as for the performance of any other procedural acts, and will inform the IB accordingly.

Payment of fees by cheque delivered or sent directly to the EPO was abolished with effect from 1 April 2008.

The date to be considered as the date on which a payment is made is established in accordance with the EPO's Rules relating to Fees.