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Date of payment and methods of payment
Fees may not be validly paid before their due date (see Guidelines for Examination, A-XI, 5.1.1, 5.2). A special rule applies for renewal fees.Payment of fees in the amounts in force until 31.3.2008 (provided they may already be paid) must be made (received) by this date (see also Guidelines for Examination, A-XI, 5.1.2).
Date on which a payment is considered to be made (Article 7(1), (2) RFees)
- payments/transfers to an Office bank account: date on which the amount of the payment/transfer is actually entered in the account;
- payments by cheque: date of receipt of the cheque at the Office, provided the cheque is met. Note: This payment method is only available for cheques received by 31.3.2008 (OJ EPO 2007, 626);
- payments by debit order from a deposit account held with the EPO: date of receipt of the debit order (see points 6.3 to 6.7 ADA, Supplement to OJ EPO 10/2007, 8-9). A special rule applies for orders enclosed with European patent applications filed with a competent national authority shortly before the fee increase (see point 6.11 ADA, Supplement to OJ EPO 10/2007, 10).
Please note that the fail-safe provisions of Article 7(3), (4) RFees and point 6.8 ADA do not apply to the fee increase (see Guidelines for Examination, A-XI, 6.2.5).