The present terms and conditions apply to all services and products provided by WIPO for which payment is due. Use of services and products provided by WIPO involves acceptance of all the terms and conditions set out below.
WIPO provides services and products for the protection of Intellectual Property (IP) worldwide. Fees or registration charges may be due for said services and products.
Further payment conditions may apply and vary depending on the service or product concerned. The customer needs to inform themselves of these conditions by consulting the relevant legal texts, the schedules of fees and related tables. Please visit, in particular, our webpage about WIPO IP services.
The following payment methods may be authorized: post office or bank transfer, Current Account at WIPO, and online payment methods as made available by WIPO (e.g. credit and debit cards, PayPal, e-Wallets and similar payments processed through a third party provider). Payment method availability may vary between business sectors and services/products.
WIPO does not accept payment by cash or check.
Please refer to the terms of payment (bank or post office details) relating to the requested service or product. Banking or postal charges, commissions relating to transfers and other amounts, which could be deducted from a payment made to WIPO must be borne by the party making the payment. We must be able to identify your payment, please include the name of the payer and the relevant reason for payment (e.g. application reference number, International Registration Number, etc.).
Payment with a Current Account at WIPO requires the opening of such an account and acceptance of Terms of Use. Payments from a Current Account at WIPO are accepted provided that the account number is indicated in the required space on official WIPO forms or in written notifications or online using the established credentials sent to the account holder by WIPO. The holder of a Current Account at WIPO must ensure that the necessary funds are available on said account when a debit authorization is issued. Fees are considered to have been paid if the account contains sufficient funds for the payment of the service or product requested.
WIPO provides access to payment processing options and facilities for various online payment methods. Such services may be provided through a third party payment provider or service. It is the responsibility of the customer to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions applicable to the third party payment service(s) used to pay for WIPO’s services and products. WIPO is not responsible for any loss or damage caused by a failure of any third party payment provider. Credit and debit cards, PayPal, e-Wallets and direct bank transfers may be made available as online payment methods.
Payment is considered to have been made upon receipt of the debit authorization by WIPO or the receipt of funds at WIPO’s account. If the transaction fails for one reason or another, payment is considered not to have been made (this is equally valid even if the payer is not responsible for the failed transaction). If WIPO is debited by the payment provider for a sum which was originally paid, owing to an objection by the payer, the service or product will be considered as unpaid.
In case of cancellation, excess amounts paid, errors or technical problems, refunds shall only be made in the name of the person or entity that made the initial payment. WIPO reserves the right to request adequate documentation to ensure that funds will be returned to the correct party and to comply with its obligations to prevent fraud, money-laundering and other prohibited practices.
Where a refund needs to be made as a result of an act or omission directly attributable to WIPO, refund charges shall be borne by WIPO. Where a refund needs to be made as a result of an act or omission directly attributable to the customer, refund charges shall be borne by the customer.
Refunds made by bank transfer, related to any transaction where WIPO has incurred a processing fee may be subject to an administrative fee deducted from the refund.
The WIPO website is provided with a security system. The SSL/TLS encryption process has been adopted and implemented. WIPO applies “PCI DSS 3.0” standard guidelines in order to optimize security and authentication of electronic payments.
Online payment is in principle available 24 hours per day but can be affected by temporary disruptions or interruptions occurring during the payment of a service or product provided by WIPO, particularly as a result of technical dysfunctions or interruptions of communication networks or arising from an IT infrastructure failure or failure of other parts of infrastructure required to carry out the payment operation. WIPO does not grant any warranty with respect to the permanent availability and absence of errors for proposed online payment methods and shall not bear any responsibility for any loss or damage caused by the use of, or inability to use, such methods.
WIPO shall not be held liable for any loss or damage caused by the failure by any third party to fulfil their obligations.
The names and the designations used by WIPO on its website and online services do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WIPO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area.
WIPO expressly reserves the right to modify the present terms and conditions at any moment and to apply said modifications with immediate effect.
WIPO processes personal data according to WIPO’s Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by this reference.
Nothing in or relating to these terms and conditions shall be deemed or interpreted as a waiver of any privileges and immunities accorded to WIPO as an international organization and a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Any dispute between WIPO and the customer arising out of or relating to these terms and conditions that cannot be resolved amicably shall be referred to arbitration in accordance with the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules then in force. The parties shall be bound by any arbitration award rendered as a result of such arbitration as the final adjudication of such a dispute.
For any question, or if you wish to report a payment issue, please contact us.