# Fintech patent attorneys for finance startups

> Flat-fee fintech patent attorney services for payments, lending and trading founders. Start with a $999 patentability search, refunded if it isn't patentable.

Page: https://arapackelaw.com/industries/fintech/  
Title: Fintech Patent Attorney for Payments and Finance Founders  
Breadcrumb: [Home](https://arapackelaw.com/) / [Industries](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/) / [Fintech](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/fintech/)

We protect the technology behind the product and its name, with claims written to clear the abstract idea test. One flat fee for each step.

- $999 patentability search
- No hourly billing
- Registered patent attorneys

## For the people who build financial technology.

From a first payments prototype to a platform with bank partners, the work starts the same way. Find out what is technically new, then protect it before a launch or a demo makes it public.

- **Payments and banking startups** Founders building checkout, payment rails, cards and banking tools, protected before the first partner bank or pilot.
- **Trading and digital asset platforms** Teams building order matching, custody, settlement and tokenization systems that move value faster or more safely.
- **Fraud, identity and security teams** Authentication, anomaly detection and identity checks that keep accounts and transactions safe.
- **Lending, insurance and analytics teams** Underwriting, risk and pricing models, claimed as a technical process rather than a financial idea.

## Four things worth protecting in fintech.

Most fintech products carry more than one kind of protection. A patent on how the system works, a design patent on how it looks and a trademark on its name each stop a different kind of copy.

### The system and how it handles transactions (utility patent)

How your platform authorizes, routes, settles or secures transactions faster or more reliably. Claims are written around the technical improvement, not the financial idea it serves.

- Payment processing and settlement
- Fraud detection and authentication
- Trading and order matching
- Data and API infrastructure

### Models, data pipelines and AI features (utility patent)

Risk, credit and fraud models claimed as the specific way the system trains, runs or applies them, tied to a result such as fewer false declines or faster decisions.

- Underwriting and risk models
- Real-time scoring
- Machine learning features

### The look of the app and the card (design patent)

The ornamental design of an app screen, an icon, a card or a payment terminal, protected for 15 years from grant.

- App screens and icons
- Cards and wearables
- Terminals and devices

Covered by The RLG Guarantee (USPTO denies it, full refund).

### The product and company name (trademark)

Clear and file the name before it goes on the app, the card and your partner bank's materials, so the name customers trust with their money is one you can keep.

- App and product names
- Company names
- Logos and slogans

Covered by The RLG Guarantee (Approved, or your money back).

**Code and models can stay secret.** Source code is protected by copyright, and scoring models or risk rules no one can see from outside may be worth more as trade secrets than as a published patent. Your attorney tells you which on your first call.

## Search, provisional, utility. Flat fees at every step.

Every step is quoted before any work begins, and the search fee is credited toward a design or non-provisional application. Most fintech founders file a provisional before a public launch, a partner bank pilot or a demo day, then the full application within 12 months.

### Start here, Patentability search

**$999** flat fee. Patentable or your money back. Credited toward a design or non-provisional application. Report in about 5 days.

- An invention discovery call with your attorney
- A search of US and foreign patents and published applications
- A written patentability report and a review call

Covered by [The RLG Guarantee](https://arapackelaw.com/rlg-guarantee/) (Not patentable, full refund).

### Then, Provisional patent

**$2,500 to $3,500** flat fee. . Patent pending the day it is filed.

- A strategy call to capture how the system works
- Drafted by a registered patent attorney
- You review and approve it before filing

Covered by [The RLG Guarantee](https://arapackelaw.com/rlg-guarantee/) (Patentability issues, full refund).

### Within 12 months, Non-provisional patent

**$7,000 to $12,000** flat fee. Drawings and USPTO filing fees included. Filed before your 12-month deadline.

- Claims written around the technical improvement
- Formal drawings and USPTO filing fees
- Complex platforms quoted flat on your call

Flat fee, not covered by the guarantee.

### Alongside the patent

- **Design patent, $3,200.** For app screens or a card design, office actions included. Covered by The RLG Guarantee.
- **Trademark, $2,000.** For the product name, USPTO fee for one class included. Covered by The RLG Guarantee.

## Patent rules and financial rules. Plan for both.

A patent decides who can use the technology. The abstract idea test decides what in a fintech product can be patented at all, and financial regulators and privacy laws shape how the product works. The timing of each shapes the others.

### Patent, who can use the technology

1. **Search** ($999). Is the technical method new?
2. **Provisional** (File first). Patent pending, before launch
3. **Full application** (Month 12). Within 12 months
4. **Eligibility review** (35 U.S.C. 101). The examiner applies the Alice test
5. **Granted**. Rights you can enforce

### Launch, when customers see it

1. **Build** (Use an NDA). Prototype and partner bank talks
2. **Compliance review** (Regulators). Licensing, AML and privacy rules
3. **Demo or beta** (Disclosure risk). Investors and early users see it
4. **Launch**. App stores and partner programs
5. **Scale**. New features, new filings

**File before you launch.** A demo day, a public beta, a partner announcement or an app store listing can make an invention public. The US gives you one year after your own disclosure, but most other countries do not. File at least a provisional first.

- **The financial idea is not the invention.** Courts treat fundamental economic practices, such as hedging or mitigating settlement risk, as abstract ideas. In Alice, the Supreme Court held that running one on a generic computer is not enough for a patent. [How Alice changed software patents](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/softwaremobile-apps/software-patents-after-alice/)
- **Claim the technical improvement.** Claims that show how the system itself works better, such as faster settlement, fewer failed authorizations or stronger data security, are on firmer ground with the USPTO. [Overcoming a 101 rejection](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/overcoming-101-rejection/)
- **Regulation sits beside your IP.** Licensing, anti-money laundering and consumer protection rules shape the product, and privacy laws such as the GDPR and CCPA govern its data. Plan the patent around the product you can actually launch. [Patents for fintech software](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/fintech/patents-for-fintech-software/)

*General information, not legal, regulatory or compliance advice. The rules that apply depend on your product, your partners and where you operate.*

## Services for fintech companies.

One firm for the patent, the brand and the agreements around them.

- [Software patents](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/software-mobile-app-patent/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/patents/software-mobile-app-patent.md). Protect the methods your platform performs.
- [Provisional patents](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/provisional-patents/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/patents/provisional-patents.md). Patent pending while you build and launch. Covered by The RLG Guarantee.
- [Design patents](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/design-patents/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/patents/design-patents.md). Protect app screens and card designs. Covered by The RLG Guarantee.
- [Trademarks](https://arapackelaw.com/trademarks/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/trademarks.md). Register the product and company name. Covered by The RLG Guarantee.
- [Patent office actions](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/patent-office-actions/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/patents/patent-office-actions.md). Answer Alice and other rejections.
- [Privacy and data protection](https://arapackelaw.com/privacy-and-data-protection/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/privacy-and-data-protection.md). Privacy policies and data terms.
- [IP licensing agreements](https://arapackelaw.com/intellectual-property-licensing-agreements/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/intellectual-property-licensing-agreements.md). License your technology to banks and partners.
- [Trade secret litigation](https://arapackelaw.com/ip-litigation/trade-secret-litigation/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/ip-litigation/trade-secret-litigation.md). Protect the code and models you keep secret.

## Before you file.

### Can fintech software be patented?

Yes, when the claims cover a specific technical improvement, such as a faster or more secure way to process and settle transactions. A financial idea on its own, such as a new way to hedge risk or price a loan, is treated as an abstract idea and is not patentable however it is coded. The patentability search shows where your invention stands before you file.

### Why are so many fintech patent applications rejected?

Many come under 35 U.S.C. 101, the abstract idea test from the Supreme Court's Alice decision. Examiners look for claims that only automate a financial practice on a generic computer. Applications written around the technical problem and how the system solves it give the examiner something concrete, and patent office actions are answered on the same ground.

### Should I patent my risk model or keep it a trade secret?

If competitors cannot learn the model from the outside, a trade secret can last as long as it stays secret, and it never publishes how the model works. If the method shows in how the product behaves or could be reverse engineered, a patent is often the stronger choice. Many fintech companies use both.

### Should I file before I launch?

Ideally, yes. A public launch, a demo or a beta can make the invention public. The US gives inventors one year after their own disclosure to file, but most other countries require filing first, so a provisional before launch keeps both options open.

### Do you help with open source and privacy on a fintech platform?

Yes. We review the open source licenses in your code base so your licensing and patent plans hold up, and we draft privacy policies and data terms for the personal and financial data your platform handles. Banking, money transmission and securities licensing are their own field, and your IP plan should fit alongside them.

### How much does a fintech patent cost with your firm?

Flat fees at every step. A $999 patentability search, a provisional application at $2,500 to $3,500 depending on the invention, and a non-provisional application at $7,000 to $12,000 with drawings and USPTO filing fees included. A design patent for an app screen is $3,200. Every fee is quoted before work begins, and the search fee is credited toward a design or non-provisional application.

### What does The RLG Guarantee cover for fintech?

The patentability search, the provisional application, design patents and trademarks. If the search finds your invention is not novel, you get a full refund or another search. If patentability issues come up on your provisional, a full refund or more searches. If the USPTO denies your design application, you get a full refund. If it refuses your trademark, you get a refund or a new mark. Non-provisional applications are not covered. Refunds are subject to the RLG Guarantee Policy in your engagement letter.

## Your attorneys

- [Andrew Rapacke](https://arapackelaw.com/learn-more/the-team/andrew-rapacke/), Managing Partner, Registered Patent Attorney. Former Naval Engineering Officer. M.S. in electrical and electronics engineering.
- [Casey Goldenberg](https://arapackelaw.com/team/casey-goldenberg/), Attorney, Trademarks and Patent Prosecution. Trademarks and patent prosecution, from a scientific background.

Meet the team at https://arapackelaw.com/learn-more/the-team/

## Go deeper on fintech patents.

- [Patents for FinTech Software – Everything You Need To Know](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/fintech/patents-for-fintech-software/)
- [This Weeks Top 10 Fintech Patents – 3/10/22](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/softwaremobile-apps/top-10-fintech-patents-3-10-22/)
- [AI Patents for FinTech Explained: What Bank of America, FICO, and Lucinity Got Right](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/ai-patents-for-fintech/)
- [Software Patents After Alice: A Former USPTO Examiner’s Advice on Securing Patent Protection](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/softwaremobile-apps/software-patents-after-alice/)
- [Overcoming the 101 Rejection: A Strategic Guide to Patent Eligibility](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/overcoming-101-rejection/)

[All fintech articles](https://arapackelaw.com/category/patents/fintech/)

## Other industries

- [3D printing](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/3d-printing/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/3d-printing.md). Printers, processes, materials and the products they make.
- [Aerospace](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/aerospace/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/aerospace.md). Aircraft, drones and spacecraft, protected before the first public flight.
- [AI and machine learning](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/ai-machine-learning/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/ai-machine-learning.md). Models, training methods and the AI features inside your product.
- [Autonomous vehicles](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/autonomous-vehicles/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/autonomous-vehicles.md). Sensing, navigation and control systems for vehicles that drive themselves.
- [Blockchain](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/blockchain/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/blockchain.md). Protocols, wallets and the technical methods behind decentralized products.
- [Computer hardware](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/computer-hardware/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/computer-hardware.md). Components, peripherals and the systems that tie them together.
- [Consumer electronics](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/consumer-electronics/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/consumer-electronics.md). Devices people carry and use every day, from how they work to how they look.
- [Consumer products](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/consumer-products/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/consumer-products.md). Everyday products and the brands on them, protected before launch.
- [Cybersecurity](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/cybersecurity/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/cybersecurity.md). Security software and hardware, and what to patent or keep secret.
- [Defense](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/defense/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/defense.md). Defense technology, planned around contracts and export rules.
- [Digital health](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/digital-health/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/digital-health.md). Telehealth, remote monitoring and health apps, built around patient data.
- [E-commerce](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/ecommerce/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/ecommerce.md). Online brands and Amazon sellers, from the trademark to the product itself.
- [Electrical hardware](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/electrical/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/electrical.md). Power electronics, controls, sensors, batteries and motors, from circuit to system.
- [Energy and clean tech](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/energy/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/energy.md). Batteries, solar, storage, charging and the grid, from the cell to the system.
- [Gaming](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/gaming/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/gaming.md). Game engines, mechanics, controllers and titles, protected before the reveal.
- [Medical devices](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/medical-devices/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/medical-devices.md). Devices, diagnostics and software as a medical device, timed with the FDA.
- [Robotics](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/robotics/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/robotics.md). Robots, grippers and the software that moves them, protected before the pilot.
- [Semiconductors](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/semiconductors/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/semiconductors.md). Chip design, fabrication processes and packaging.
- [Software and SaaS](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/software-saas/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/software-saas.md). The methods your platform performs, protected however the code is written.
- [Sporting goods](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/sporting-goods/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/sporting-goods.md). Equipment and gear, from how it performs to the design customers recognize.

## Next steps

- [Book a free strategy call](https://arapackelaw.com/contact-us/) with a registered patent attorney, or call (954) 951-0154
- [Take the Intelligent IP Quiz](https://arapackelaw.com/intelligent-ip-quiz/) to see what to protect first
- [The RLG Guarantee](https://arapackelaw.com/rlg-guarantee/), the refund promise on four services

General information, not legal advice.