405.01 Credit Cards 
Under 37 C.F.R. §2.207(b), the USPTO accepts payment of fees by credit card, subject to actual collection of the fee. A form for authorizing charges to a credit card can be accessed through TEAS for all filings for which a filing fee is required. The USPTO currently accepts charges to the following credit cards: AMERICAN EXPRESS®, DISCOVER®, MASTER CARD®, and VISA®.
Any payment of a fee by credit card must be in writing. See 37 C.F.R. §2.191. The USPTO will only accept an authorization to charge a fee in a specific dollar amount to a credit card. Any refund of a fee paid by credit card will be by a credit to the credit card account to which the fee was charged. 37 C.F.R. §2.209(a).
Permitted paper filings. For permitted paper filings (see TMEP §301.01), a filer can download a Credit Card Payment Form (PTO-2038) from the USPTO’s website at https://www.uspto.gov/. The USPTO does not put the Credit Card Payment Form in application or registration records.
A party is not required to use the USPTO’s Credit Card Payment Form when paying a fee by credit card. However, if a party provides a credit card charge authorization in another form or document (e.g., in the body of an application, cover letter, response to an Office action, or other correspondence relating to a trademark application or registration), the credit card information may become part of the public record. See 37 C.F.R. §2.207(b).
All credit card authorizations must include: (1) a valid credit card number; (2) a valid expiration date; (3) the name of the cardholder with the cardholder’s signature and the date; (4) a billing address, including zip code; (5) a description and purpose of the payment; and (6) a specific payment amount. See TMEP §611.01 regarding signature of documents.
If a Credit Card Payment Form or other document authorizing the USPTO to charge a fee to a credit card does not contain the information necessary to charge the fee to the credit card, the form will be returned and the fee will not be processed. USPTO employees will not accept oral instructions to complete the Credit Card Payment Form or otherwise charge a fee to a credit card.
See Changes to Permit Payment of Patent & Trademark Fees by Credit Card, 65 Fed. Reg. 33,452 (effective June 5, 2000) (codified at 37 C.F.R. pt. 1, subsequently designated at pt. 2) (notice in 1235 TMOG 38 (May 15, 2000)).
See TMEP §405.06 regarding credit card authorizations that are refused or charged back by a financial institution.