Rapacke Law Group
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[INDUSTRY]Fintech and financial software

Fintech patent attorneys for finance startups

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.

Book A Free Strategy CallStart with the $999 search
  • $999 patentability search
  • No hourly billing
  • Registered patent attorneys

Your attorneys

  • Andrew RapackeAndrew RapackeManaging Partner · Registered Patent AttorneyFormer Naval Engineering Officer. M.S. in electrical and electronics engineering.
  • Casey GoldenbergCasey GoldenbergAttorney · Trademarks and Patent ProsecutionTrademarks and patent prosecution, from a scientific background.

4.7 from 614 public reviews

Meet the team

[01]Who it's for

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.

[02]What's protectable

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.

  • 01Utility patent

    The system and how it handles transactions

    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
    Flat fee, quoted before work begins

  • 02Utility patent

    Models, data pipelines and AI features

    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
    Flat fee, quoted before work begins

  • 03Design patent

    The look of the app and the card

    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
    USPTO denies it, full refund*

  • 04Trademark

    The product and company name

    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
    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.

[03]The flat-fee path

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.

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  1. 01Start here

    Patentability search

    $999

    Patentable or your money back. Credited toward a design or non-provisional application

    • 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

    Report in about 5 days

    Not patentable, full refund*

  2. 02Then

    Provisional patent

    $2.5k–3.5k

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

    Patent pending the day it is filed

    Patentability issues, full refund*

  3. 03Within 12 months

    Non-provisional patent

    $7k–12k

    Drawings and USPTO filing fees included

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

    Filed before your 12-month deadline

    Flat fee, not covered by the guarantee

Alongside the patent

  • Design patentFor app screens or a card design, office actions included$3,200USPTO denies it, full refund*
  • TrademarkFor the product name, USPTO fee for one class included$2,000Approved, or your money back*

*Refunds subject to the RLG Guarantee Policy in your engagement letter. Utility (non-provisional) patents are quoted flat and are not covered by the guarantee. How The RLG Guarantee works

[04]Regulators and eligibility

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.

PatentWho can use the technology

  1. $99901$999SearchIs the technical method new?
  2. File first02File firstProvisionalPatent pending, before launch
  3. Month 1203Month 12Full applicationWithin 12 months
  4. 35 U.S.C. 1010435 U.S.C. 101Eligibility reviewThe examiner applies the Alice test
  5. 05GrantedRights you can enforce

LaunchWhen customers see it

  1. Use an NDA01Use an NDABuildPrototype and partner bank talks
  2. Regulators02RegulatorsCompliance reviewLicensing, AML and privacy rules
  3. Disclosure risk03Disclosure riskDemo or betaInvestors and early users see it
  4. 04LaunchApp stores and partner programs
  5. 05ScaleNew 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

  • 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

  • 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

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

[05]Related services

Services for fintech companies.

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

[06]Questions

Before you file.

Still deciding? Your first call is free and comes with a straight answer on whether to file.

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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.

[07]Learning Center

Go deeper on fintech patents.

All fintech articles

[08]Client reviews

Founders who filed with us.

4.7 across 614 public reviews on Google, Trustpilot and Avvo.

#1Top reviewed IP law firm*4.7 from 614 reviews

Read client reviews

  • “It gave us peace of mind knowing the total cost for this service was included in their flat-fee proposal.”

    Nick P.Provisional patent · Client review

  • “Extremely impressed with their fixed fee and timely approach.”

    Forrest A.Trademark · Google

  • “Answered every question I had with a phone call directly.”

    Tim A.Trademark · Google

Reviews reflect individual client experiences. Quotes are excerpts. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. *#1 top reviewed means the most public client reviews on Google, Trustpilot and Avvo of any US patent or trademark firm.

Protect the technology before you launch.

Talk through your product with a registered patent attorney. The call is free, with no obligation.

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