Trademark Classes · Class 36
Trademark Class 36: Financial, Insurance & Real Estate Services
Class 36 covers financial, banking, insurance, and real estate services. Here is what it includes, what it excludes, and how to word it.
What is Trademark Class 36?
Class 36 is a services class covering financial and monetary services, banking, insurance, and real estate affairs. It includes banking and lending, investment and financial management, insurance underwriting and broking, payment services, and property management and brokerage.
The theme is money, insurance, and property services. It is the home of fintech, insurtech, banks, and real-estate businesses, and it is distinct from the general business services of Class 35. This page is part of our full guide to all 45 trademark classes, and to how protection works across jurisdictions in our overview of trademark law and protection.
Is Class 36 actually your class?
Work out whether your product or service genuinely sits in Class 36 before you file, because a wrong class protects the wrong thing.
Class 36 is likely your class if you provide financial, insurance, or property services
Banks and lenders, fintech and payments businesses, investment and wealth-management firms, insurance companies and brokers, and real-estate agencies and property managers. If your service involves money, insurance, or property, Class 36 is very likely your class. Our trademark class search helps you check which classes fit before you file.
What Class 36 does NOT cover.
The most common Class 36 mistakes come from classifying by the wrong feature. These closely related items sit elsewhere:
General business services are Class 35
Business management and administration are Class 35. Class 36 is specifically financial, insurance, and property services.
Financial software is Class 9 or 42
Fintech software as a good is Class 9; as a service, Class 42. The financial service itself is Class 36.
Examples of properly-worded Class 36 goods and services.
The Registry expects specific, standardised descriptions, not vague terms. Here are examples of clear, acceptable Class 36 wording:
| Instead of (vague) | Use (standardised) |
|---|---|
| “Finance” | “Financial services” · “Financial management” |
| “Payments” | “Payment processing services” · “Electronic funds transfer” |
| “Insurance” | “Insurance services” · “Insurance brokerage” |
| “Real estate” | “Real estate services” · “Real estate management” |
Each entry is specific and standardised. These are illustrative examples of acceptable phrasing, not legal advice for your filing; your exact wording should be drawn from the current NICE Classification and tailored to what your business actually does. Wording is a common cause of objections whether you file in India, the United States, Argentina, or elsewhere. For filing across several countries at once, see our global registration guide.
Frequently asked questions
What does trademark Class 36 cover?
Class 36 covers financial and monetary services, banking, insurance, and real estate affairs. It includes banking and lending, investment and financial management, insurance underwriting and broking, payment services, and property management and brokerage. It is the class for fintech, banks, insurers, and real-estate businesses, distinct from the general business services of Class 35.
Who should register a trademark in Class 36?
Banks and lenders, fintech and payments businesses, investment and wealth-management firms, insurance companies and brokers, and real-estate agencies and property managers. If your service involves money, insurance, or property, Class 36 is likely your class.
Is fintech in Class 36?
A fintech business usually needs Class 36 for its financial services, such as payments, lending, or investment. If it also provides software, that software may be Class 9 as a downloadable product or Class 42 as a hosted online service. So many fintech companies file across Class 36 and Class 42, and sometimes Class 9, to cover both the financial service and the technology.
What is the difference between Class 35 and Class 36?
Class 35 covers general business services such as advertising, business management, and retail. Class 36 covers specifically financial, insurance, and real-estate services. So business consultancy is Class 35, but financial or investment management is Class 36. Accounting can touch Class 35, while banking and insurance are firmly Class 36.
How should I word my Class 36 services?
Use specific, standardised terms such as financial services, payment processing services, insurance services, or real estate services, rather than vague words like finance. Draw wording from the current NICE Classification and tailor it to your services to reduce objection risk.
File Class 36 in the right country, worded right.
Whether you are protecting your brand in one market or several, we identify the classes you need and handle registration worldwide, worded to avoid an avoidable objection.
