China Trademark Cost and Official Fees: What You Actually Pay¶
Most "cheap China trademark" quotes you see online are not comparable, because they hide the official fee, charge per class after the fact, or add translation and courier line items at invoice time. This guide sets out the real cost structure so you can compare quotes on equal terms.
The all-in figure¶
Through MY CNTM, a China trademark application is USD 199 per class, and that figure is the whole invoice:
| Included in the USD 199 | Not included |
|---|---|
| CNIPA official fee | Opposition or invalidation proceedings |
| Availability search | Refusal review (appeal) |
| Chinese translation and drafting of the goods/services list | Assignment or licence recordal |
| Filing the application with CNIPA | Certified translation of priority documents |
| Monitoring through to decision | Late renewal surcharge |
Because the CNIPA official fee is already inside the price, there is no separate government charge to budget for. That is the main practical difference between a licensed agency filing directly and an overseas reseller marking up a Chinese filing agent.
What moves the number¶
1. Number of classes. Each class is a separate application and a separate fee. A typical consumer brand needs 2–4 classes; a software or platform business often needs 3–5 (9, 35, 42, plus its sector class).
2. Number of items beyond ten. China allows ten goods/services per class inside the base fee, then USD 10 per additional item. Note that China counts items per class, not per application, and that item selection is constrained by the sub-class structure (see the classification guide).
3. Whether you file the Chinese version of your brand. Filing the English word alone is cheaper; filing English + Chinese transliteration + logo as separate marks costs more but closes the gap a squatter will otherwise walk through.
4. Route: direct vs Madrid. A Madrid designation is priced by WIPO in Swiss francs plus a per-country fee, and it depends on your base mark. Direct CNIPA filing is usually cheaper for a China-only filing and always simpler to control.
Illustrative budgets¶
Assumes USD 199/class, 10 items per class, no office action.
| Filing scope | Mark(s) | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Single class, word mark | 1 | USD 199 |
| Three classes, word mark | 1 | USD 597 |
| Three classes, word + Chinese version | 2 | USD 1,194 |
| Five classes (software/platform), word mark | 1 | USD 995 |
| Three classes + 5 extra items | 1 | USD 647 |
Renewal, assignment, licence recordal and dispute work are quoted separately — the full fee schedule lists current figures.
The costs people forget¶
- Refusal review. If CNIPA refuses, arguing costs real money and takes 6–9 months. Budget for the possibility on crowded classes, or spend more on search up front.
- Opposition defence. Being opposed is not rare for successful brands. Winning typically costs several thousand USD in professional fees.
- Non-use cancellation. If a squatter's mark blocks you, cancelling it takes 9–12 months and a filing fee — usually still cheaper than buying it.
- Translation of priority documents. Claiming Paris priority requires a certified Chinese translation of your home application.
- Portfolio maintenance. Ten-year renewals, address changes, and new class coverage as you expand. A mark you forget to renew in year 11 is worth nothing.
How to compare quotes properly¶
Ask every provider these five questions:
- Is the CNIPA official fee included, or billed separately?
- How many goods/services items are included per class, and what does an extra item cost?
- Is the search included, and is it a real CNIPA database search or an automated screening?
- Who files the application — you, or a third-party agent you subcontract to?
- What is charged if CNIPA issues a refusal notice?
A quote that answers all five is comparable. A quote that answers none of them is a headline number, not a price.
Is $199 too cheap to be real?¶
It is a legitimate price point when an agency files directly, works in volume, and prices in USD against a modest official fee. What it is not: a full-service retainer. Dispute work, portfolio strategy, and enforcement are separate services with separate fees, and any provider quoting a single low number for "everything" is either excluding the hard parts or planning to invoice them later.
Get a fixed quote for your classes — free availability check and written quotation, no obligation, English reply usually within one business day.
Related guides: How long registration takes · Madrid vs direct filing · Nice classification for China
Fees shown are MY CNTM's current published prices for straightforward filings and exclude dispute work. Not legal advice.