4.1 Payment or transfer to a bank account held by the European Patent Organisation 

The date on which payment is deemed made is the date on which the amount payable actually enters the European Patent Organisation's bank account. The date on which payment is deemed made may therefore be the day following the payment or transfer or an even later date in the event of delays within the bank. However, payment may still be considered made in due time, despite being paid late, if the payment or transfer was effected before expiry of the time limit for payment in a contracting state and if evidence to this effect is provided (see A‑X, 6). For the steps required for the efficient processing of payments made by bank transfer, see the notice from the EPO dated 19 July 2022, OJ EPO 2022, A81. Regarding the automatic validation of certain categories of fees, see A‑X, 4.2.3.