Question : What is a Financial Profile (FP)?
Answer : The FP is a secure, web-based system allowing users access to their USPTO financial transaction information. Once the self-service registration is complete and the FP is activated, a user can add multiple payment types used at the USPTO (such as credit card, deposit account, or electronic funds transfer (EFT)) as accounts in their FP.
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Question : What are the benefits of having a USPTO Financial Profile (FP)?
Answer : The FP allows users to access statements, financial transaction information, and detailed activity records. For example, users will be able to see the application number and attorney docket number associated with a transaction. In the future, customers may also be able to use their FP to pay USPTO fees.
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Question : How do I set up a Financial Profile (FP)?
Answer : Click on the Sign Up tab to set up a FP. Enter a unique user id and password. Enter your name, e-mail address and phone number. Select if you want a standard profile, or reports only profile, and click the Next button to proceed with the registration process. After completing the registration process, you will receive an e-mail that you must access and click the link to activate your account.
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Question : What is the difference between a Standard Profile and a Report Only Profile?
Answer : A Standard Profile may have up to 5 payment account types, view and download reports and make payments using your FP in a future release. A Report Only Profile may have numerous payment account types and view and download reports only.
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Question : Why must I register to obtain a Financial Profile (FP)?
Answer : Your registration allows you to access your secure FP, which includes your personal information, including your e-mail address, address, and telephone number.
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Question : How do I update my personal information?
Answer : Click on the "My Profile" tab. Select the Change Password button or the Edit button under Profile Options.
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Question : Why can I not add a credit card to my Financial Profile (FP)?
Answer : You must have at least one transaction with the USPTO using the specific credit card that you are trying to add to your FP.
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Question : How will the USPTO assure privacy and security of my information?
Answer : Safeguarding the privacy and confidentiality of your information is of the utmost importance to us. The USPTO uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) which encrypts data while it is being transferred. Encryption means that all of your information, including account numbers, is scrambled and locked with a mathematical key during transfer.
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Question : How does the Financial Profile (FP) verify the person requesting the information is entitled to receive the information?
Answer : Each person using FP has a unique User ID and password that must be entered before accessing FP information. You should not share this information with anyone.
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Question : What types of accounts can I add?
Answer : You can add credit cards, USPTO deposit accounts and electronic funds transfer (EFT) accounts.
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Question : What information can I view in the Financial Profile (FP)?
Answer : You may view and download reports for your transactions with the USPTO using your credit card(s), deposit account or electronic funds transfer (EFT) account. You may view and download your deposit account statements as well.
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Question : How can I view additional transaction information?
Answer : Additional transaction information is available when clicking on the "Sale" link, or after downloading a detailed statement.
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Question : Is the payment information I'm viewing current and complete?
Answer : Yes, the payment information you're viewing is based on the accounting date, which is the date that the payment was entered into the USPTO's fee collection system.
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Question : How do I add an account to my Financial Profile (FP)?
Answer : To add an account to your FP, click the "My Accounts" tab and select Credit Card, Deposit Accounts, or Electronic Funds Transfer from the dropdown menu and then click the Add Account button. Enter the required information.
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Question : How do I view my statements after I added an account to my Financial Profile (FP)?
Answer : To view your statements, select the "My Accounts" tab. Enter the month and year for the appropriate account that you wish to access, and click the View button.
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Question : How do I view my account details?
Answer : To view your account details, select the "My Accounts" tab. Click the Nick Name link for the appropriate account that you wish to access.
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Question : Can I replenish or transfer funds to my USPTO deposit account using the Financial Profile (FP)?
Answer : Yes. The Replenish menu allows you to add funds to the Deposit Account from an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) account, provided that you have at least one Deposit Account and one EFT account on your FP. The Transfer Funds menu allows you to move funds between two Deposit Accounts, provided that you have at least two Deposit Accounts on your FP.
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Question : How do I search for a specific transaction?
Answer : Select the Transaction Search tab and enter the appropriate search criteria. To ensure faster response times please provide as much information as possible. Specific date ranges or specific Attorney Docket Numbers or Name/Numbers can greatly speed the search. (Name/Number is the USPTO supplied identifier, such as a Patent Number, Trademark Registration Number, etc).
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Question : How do I make a suggestion for an improvement to the Financial Profile (FP)?
Answer : To suggest improvements to the FP, please send an e-mail to the following address: FinancialProfile@uspto.gov. The FP inbox is monitored and responded to in a timely manner.
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Question : What kind of information or enhancements can I expect to see in the future?
Answer : In the future, customers may be able to use their FP to perform payment transactions with the USPTO by using their previously stored account information. Customers may have the capability to pay for fees using their FP each time they make a credit card, deposit account, or EFT payment on-line.
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Question : How can I obtain technical support?
Answer : To obtain Financial Profile (FP) technical support, please send an e-mail to the following address: FinancialProfile@uspto.gov. The FP inbox is monitored and responded to in a timely manner.
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Question : Who do I contact with general payment questions?
Answer : Please call the Receipts Accounting Division at (571) 272-6500.
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Question : What do I do if I have forgotten my password?
Answer : Click on the Forgot your password? link located under the Login button. After you enter a valid User ID, an e-mail will be sent to the address that is associated with your Financial Profile (FP), allowing you to set up a new password.
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Question : Why do I receive an error message "Your account has been deactivated" when I attempt to login to the Financial Profile (FP)?
Answer : This occurs when you attempt to login prior to activating your FP account. (An incorrect error message is being displayed, which should be fixed in the near future.) After successfully creating a FP, an e-mail is sent to you from: DoNotReply@uspto.gov. You must click the link contained in the e-mail to activate your account. If you are unable to click the link, please copy and paste the entire link into your browser window.
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Question : When using credit card Transaction Search, why are refund transactions different from those on my credit card statement?
Answer : Our technical staff is working to fix a problem when using credit card Transaction Search. Although the monthly credit card statements are accurate (under My Accounts), transaction lists may display incorrect amounts for partial credit card refunds (under Transaction Search). When the problem is fixed, the transaction list will display identical transactions to those that appear on your credit card statement.
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