Fintech Trademark: Which Classes to File?
Classes 36, 42 and 9: how to protect a fintech, neobank or payment app trademark at INPI or EUIPO.
Fintechs are software companies operating in a regulated sector — financial services. This dual nature creates a specific complexity for trademark filing: you need to cover both the technological activity and the financial activity, which fall under separate classes.
Before filing, verify your trademark is available and registrable. For the full process, see the trademark filing guide.
Class 36 covers financial services broadly: banking, insurance, loans, electronic payment services, fund transfers, portfolio management, crypto-asset services, and financial information services.
This is the essential class for any fintech, whether a neobank, payment app, lending platform, financial management tool, or money transfer service. The list must be tailored to your actual business — a crowdfunding platform does not file the same services as a bank account aggregator.
Like any software publisher, the fintech needs to protect its technical dimension. Class 42 covers SaaS, cloud computing, software development, server hosting. If your fintech is also a technology provider for other financial actors (BaaS — Banking as a Service model), class 42 is all the more important.
For SaaS filing specifics, see the article on classes for a SaaS trademark.
If your fintech offers a mobile application or downloadable software, class 9 covers the product itself: mobile applications, recorded software. For mobile app filing specifics, see the article on classes for a mobile app trademark.
Class 35 — if your fintech includes business analytics, financial reporting for enterprises, or buyer-seller intermediation features.
Class 38 — if the application includes messaging, notifications, or real-time database access.
Fintechs often choose names evocative of the financial sector — which border on descriptiveness. “PayFast”, “QuickLoan”, “CryptoBank” are examples of marks that risk refusal for lack of distinctiveness. Check this point before focusing on classes.
Filing a fintech trademark requires covering both the financial service (class 36) and the technology platform (class 42). One without the other leaves a gap in your protection. If you would like to file your fintech trademark, book a call.
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