How is my risk score for trademark calculated?

Your risk score weighs the cost against your monthly income, any existing debt, and your credit score. A one-time cost like this is measured against roughly three months of your budget rather than a single month's income.

How can I afford a more expensive trademark?

File the application yourself through the USPTO's TEAS Plus system if your mark is straightforward, which cuts out attorney fees entirely. Limit your application to the one or two classes of goods or services you actually need rather than paying for broader coverage you won't use. Run your own clearance search using the USPTO's trademark database before hiring an attorney, which can reduce the scope of paid search work. Register your business name as a trademark only once you're committed to the brand, since abandoning or rebranding after filing wastes the fee.

Is this a loan offer or financial advice?

No. This is a rough estimate to help you think about a purchase before you make it - not a loan offer, not a credit decision, and not financial advice. For real financial decisions, talk to a licensed financial advisor or your lender.

Can I afford a trademark?

Trademark cost

High risk100%

When is this due?

Since a trademark is a one-time cost, your estimate weighs the trademark cost you enter against roughly three months of your budget rather than a single month's income, since that's closer to how a cost like this actually gets absorbed.

These key factors affect trademark affordability

USPTO filing fees by class

Filing directly through the USPTO's TEAS system costs $250-$350 per class of goods or services depending on whether you use TEAS Plus or TEAS Standard, and most small businesses only need one or two classes, so a straightforward self-filed application can cost well under $1,000.

Attorney fees for search and filing

Many businesses hire a trademark attorney to run a comprehensive clearance search and handle the filing, which typically adds $600-$2,000 to the cost but meaningfully reduces the risk of a rejected or contested application down the line.

Office actions and opposition add cost

If the USPTO issues an office action - a common outcome, especially for marks that are descriptive or similar to existing marks - or a third party files an opposition, resolving it can add $500-$3,000 or more in additional attorney time before the mark is finally registered.

How to use your results

If $1,500 feels high, check whether a self-filed application through the USPTO's TEAS Plus system for a single class of goods would meet your needs at a lower cost.
Weigh this as a one-time cost against your startup budget rather than ongoing income, since a trademark is a single filing rather than a recurring expense.
Keep some reserve in case the USPTO issues an office action, which is common and can add legal fees before the mark is registered.

Ways to make a trademark more affordable

File the application yourself through the USPTO's TEAS Plus system if your mark is straightforward, which cuts out attorney fees entirely.
Limit your application to the one or two classes of goods or services you actually need rather than paying for broader coverage you won't use.
Run your own clearance search using the USPTO's trademark database before hiring an attorney, which can reduce the scope of paid search work.
Register your business name as a trademark only once you're committed to the brand, since abandoning or rebranding after filing wastes the fee.

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