What's the difference between a flat fee per filing and a subscription plan?
Reviewed by
Dominic Davies, patent attorney (20+ years)
· Last reviewed
October 9, 2026
A per-filing fee prices the document: the application is drafted and filed, and later work is a new engagement. A subscription plan prices the journey: the same quarterly fee covers drafting, filing and the years in examination, until a decision on grant. Since most applications receive at least one office action and USPTO examination typically takes 2 to 3 years, the difference decides who pays for prosecution.
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