Free Patent Annual Fee Monitoring
Leave your patent number and we will remind you by email before the annual fee is due (email required). Setup completed within 3 business days. Separate multiple patents with commas or semicolons (full-width or half-width).
Batch upload patent numbers (download template)
⬇ Download CSV templateTemplate format: column 1 "Patent No.", column 2 "Email" (required), column 3 "Mobile" (optional), column 4 "Applicant" (optional). .csv / .xlsx / .ods supported, up to 100 patents per upload. If you need more than 100, please contact us (Tel 17605608891 / email patent@zhihaiyida.com).
Recover dashboard link
If you verified your email but lost the dashboard link, enter it and we will resend your exclusive dashboard link.
Disclaimer
- This service is provided free of charge by Hefei Zhihai Yida Patent Agency (General Partnership). “Free” means annual-fee monitoring and due-date reminders only; it does not constitute legal advice, an agency relationship, or a payment guarantee. Having us pay renewals on your behalf requires a separate paid engagement, or you may pay directly in the CNIPA official system yourself.
- Core data such as the annual-fee deadline, payable amount and legal status come from real-time public queries of the CNIPA official “Patent Business Processing System” (cponline.cnipa.gov.cn), based on the information published by the authorities.
- Currently we monitor Chinese mainland patents — invention, utility model and design — with the interface available in Chinese, English and Japanese. Overseas patent annuities are not yet covered by automatic monitoring.
- Due to data sync delays, emails being blocked or flagged as spam, or incorrect input, reminders may not be delivered on time or may be missed; we do not guarantee 100% accuracy. Always rely on official CNIPA notices and the patent register, and set up multiple reminders yourself.
- The obligation to pay annual fees and the consequences of late payment (e.g. termination of patent rights, surcharges) rest solely with the rights holder.
- The patent number, email and phone you submit are used only for annual-fee reminders and our notifications or promotional emails. We store them securely under the law and will not disclose them to unrelated third parties without consent (except where required by law).
- This service is free of charge; we are not liable for any loss caused by delayed, missed or failed reminders, or by system failures.
- By entering your email you agree to receive annual-fee reminders, service notifications and promotional emails from us, and may unsubscribe at any time via the link in the email or by replying “unsubscribe”. For questions, contact patent@zhihaiyida.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is free patent annuity monitoring?
A permanently free service by Hefei Zhihai Yida Patent Agency. Enter a patent number and we automatically track the annual-fee deadline for Chinese mainland patents (invention, utility model, design), emailing reminders before it lapses.
Is it really free? Any limit?
Completely free, unlimited number of patents, no hidden fees, forever.
Does free monitoring include paying the annuity for me? How do I pay when due?
The free service covers monitoring and reminders only — we track the deadline and notify you before it lapses; it does not include payment. Having us pay on your behalf is a separate paid engagement: each case is handled manually (time-consuming), and the fund transfer incurs applicable taxes/fees, so it requires a separate mandate and is billed accordingly. You can also pay entirely on your own: ① Log in to the CNIPA "Patent Business Processing System" (cponline.cnipa.gov.cn); ② Go to "Fee Payment Service — Online Payment — Fill Online"; ③ Click "Add", enter the patent number (13 digits only, without "ZL" or the decimal point) and the bill head; ④ Click "Query payable fees" and select the annual fee due (including any surcharge); ⑤ After saving, fill in the email and phone for the e-receipt; ⑥ Preview → generate order → pay (WeChat / Alipay / bank card / corporate account); ⑦ After payment, the e-receipt is available via the "E-receipt Delivery Service System" (pjonline.cnipa.gov.cn) or the WeChat/Alipay "电子票夹" mini-program.
Do I need to register an account or become a contracted client?
No. The service is fully open to everyone and self-service. You do not need to register an account, become a contracted client, or ask our staff to enter data manually. Just enter a patent number and your email on the monitoring page — monitoring is created and takes effect immediately. After submission we email you a link to "My Patent Annuity Dashboard"; the whole process is self-service.
Where does the monitoring data come from? Is it accurate?
Core data such as the annual-fee deadline, payable amount and legal status come from real-time queries of the CNIPA official "Patent Business Processing System" (cponline.cnipa.gov.cn), based on the information published by the authorities. We only display and remind; we never alter any official data. During official system maintenance or interface changes there may be brief delays — in that case the official site prevails.
Is my patent number and email safe?
Used only for reminders. Data is stored on our own servers, never sold or shared with third parties. You can cancel monitoring anytime.
Which patents are supported? Which countries/regions?
Currently we monitor Chinese mainland patents, covering the three types — invention, utility model and design — with the interface available in Chinese, English and Japanese. We do not yet directly monitor annuities for overseas patents (e.g. US/EU/JP/KR). For overseas patent monitoring, email patent@zhihaiyida.com to discuss a tailored solution.
How early do you remind me?
Email alerts at 30, 7 and 1 day before the deadline. After lapse we send periodic reminders flagging surcharge, restoration window and lapse risk.
I lost my dashboard link ("My Patent Annuity Dashboard") — what now?
After each submission we email the exclusive dashboard link to the address you provided; we suggest bookmarking it. If the link is lost or you did not receive it at a new address: ① return to the monitoring page and re-enter the same patent number and email — the system will resend the dashboard link; ② if it still does not arrive, check spam or email patent@zhihaiyida.com and we will resend it. The dashboard is accessed by link only — no account or password to remember.
When will annual-fee reminders stop?
Reminders pause or stop in two cases: ① legal status shows "rights maintained" — the annual fee has been paid and rights are valid, so there is no fee due and we will not remind again (you can still view it on the dashboard); ② legal status becomes "terminated", "invalidated", "rejected", "withdrawn" or similar — the rights no longer exist and monitoring stops automatically. You can also cancel monitoring for any patent at any time.
I missed a payment and it is overdue — what now?
There is a 6-month grace period from the fee due date. No surcharge applies if you are less than one month late; after that the surcharge is 5% of that year's full annual fee for each further month, capped at 25% (payment within the 6th month). If the grace period ends without full payment, the patent is terminated as of the due date; however, where termination resulted from non-payment you may request restoration within 2 months of receiving the notice of termination, paying the outstanding annuity, the surcharge and the restoration request fee. We keep reminding you after lapse and state clearly whether you are in the surcharge period, the restorable window, or finally lapsed.
How much is the annual fee each year? What are the official fee standards?
Annuities rise in brackets by patent year. Current Chinese national standards: invention patents — RMB 900 per year for years 1-3, RMB 1,200 for years 4-6, RMB 2,000 for years 7-9, RMB 4,000 for years 10-12, RMB 6,000 for years 13-15 and RMB 8,000 for years 16-20; utility models — RMB 600 for years 1-3, RMB 900 for years 4-5, RMB 1,200 for years 6-8 and RMB 2,000 for years 9-10; designs — RMB 600 for years 1-3, RMB 900 for years 4-5, RMB 1,200 for years 6-8, RMB 2,000 for years 9-10 and RMB 3,000 for years 11-15. Eligible applicants may apply for a fee reduction. The amount payable is always governed by the CNIPA fee schedule and the official system.
How much surcharge is payable if the annual fee is late?
The surcharge is tiered by how late you are: none if under 1 month; 5% of the full annual fee for 1-2 months late; 10% for 2-3 months; 15% for 3-4 months; 20% for 4-5 months; and 25% for 5-6 months. Within the 6-month grace period the surcharge therefore caps at 25%. The exact figure is calculated by the official CNIPA payment system; the amount it shows always prevails.
My patent has already been terminated — can it be restored? What are the deadline and fees?
Yes, but the deadline is strict. Where rights were lost for non-payment of annuities, restoration must be requested within 2 months of receiving the CNIPA notice of termination (Article 6(2) of the Implementing Regulations of the Patent Law). You must file a request for restoration, make good the unpaid annuity and the surcharge (at this stage calculated at 25% of the full annual fee), and pay the restoration request fee (currently RMB 1,000). After the 2-month window, restoration is no longer available.
How does a fee-reduction filing affect annuities? How much can be saved?
Once your fee-reduction filing is approved, annuities are reduced by 85% for a single applicant or patentee and by 70% where two or more persons apply jointly or co-own the patent. The reduction covers annuities for the first 10 years counted from the year the patent is granted. Eligibility is generally: an individual whose average monthly income last year was below RMB 5,000 (RMB 60,000 per year); an enterprise whose taxable income last year was below RMB 1,000,000; and public institutions, social organisations and non-profit research institutes. The filing is verified per calendar year, and a reduction request must be submitted at least two and a half months before the payment deadline.
When is the annuity for the year of grant due, and how is that deadline determined?
The annuity for the year of grant must be paid within 2 months of receiving the notice of grant and the notice to complete registration formalities. Annuities for later years must be paid before the end of the preceding year. The deadline is the anniversary of the filing date in the relevant year — for a filing date of 12 March, each year's deadline is 12 March. The due date shown on your monitoring dashboard is derived from this rule.
Can annuities be paid several years in advance?
Yes. Annuities may be paid early, and the official system allows payment for one or several years at once. Paying in advance does not affect the patent term; it only discharges the obligation sooner. Whether to prepay is a cash-flow decision and should be weighed against the possibility of abandoning the patent.
Are annuities counted from the filing date or the grant date? How long does protection last?
Both annuity years and the patent term run from the filing date, not the grant date. Term: invention patents 20 years, utility models 10 years, and designs 15 years (designs filed before 1 June 2021: 10 years). No annuity is due once the term expires and the patent enters the public domain.
I would rather not handle it myself — can you pay the annuity for me? What does it cost?
Yes, but this is a separate paid engagement outside the free service; the free service covers tracking and reminders only. Payment on your behalf is handled case by case manually and takes time, and the fund transfer involves tax and fee costs, so it is quoted per case and mandated separately. To instruct us, email patent@zhihaiyida.com with the patent number and the year(s) to be paid, and we will provide a quotation and the procedure.
I am not receiving the reminder emails — what should I do?
Reminders are sent automatically and may be filtered as spam. Please whitelist mail coming from the zhihaiyida.com domain. If nothing arrives: ① re-submit the same patent number and email on the monitoring page to trigger a resend; ② check your spam folder; ③ if it still does not arrive, email patent@zhihaiyida.com and we will check manually. We also recommend not relying on email alone — check the due dates on your patent annuity dashboard periodically.
The patent has been transferred or I changed my email — must monitoring be re-submitted?
The obligation to pay annuities transfers with the patent, but reminders continue to go to the address originally submitted. After a transfer we recommend the new patentee re-submit the same patent number with their own regular email. If you merely changed address, re-submit the same patent number with the new email, or email patent@zhihaiyida.com and we will update it.
Does free monitoring guarantee my patent will never lapse for non-payment?
No. This is a reminder service; it does not replace the patentee's own obligation to pay, nor does it guarantee any payment outcome. We send email alerts 30, 7 and 1 day before the deadline, but emails can fail to arrive — spam filtering, a mistyped address, or a server problem. The payment obligation and the definitive assessment of deadlines always rest with the CNIPA official system, which is the source of the dashboard data. Please act promptly on reminders and verify the payable status yourself at critical points.