Frequently Asked Questions

PatentDJ uses a prepaid credit model. One credit = one analysis. You can buy 1 analysis ($25), 5 analyses ($100, $20 each), or 15 analyses ($200, $13.33 each — best value). Credits are added to your account immediately after a successful Stripe payment.

We track success on every analysis. If your analysis doesn't complete successfully, we automatically refund the credit within 30 minutes. In most cases the refund is immediate — within seconds of the error. The 30-minute window covers rarer cases like a server interruption mid-analysis. If your balance hasn't restored after 30 minutes, email help@patentdj.com and we'll resolve it manually.

Credits are non-refundable once consumed (an analysis has been initiated). Unused credits may be refunded at our discretion within 14 days of purchase if no credits from that order have been used. Failed analyses are always automatically refunded — see above.

Credits remain valid while your account is active and the service is operational. We may expire unused credits after 24 months of account inactivity, with advance notice via email.

Yes — open Settings → Account → Share Credits, enter your teammate's email and the number of credits to send. They show up in their account immediately. If the recipient doesn't have a PatentDJ account yet, the credits are held under that email and applied automatically the first time they sign in.

For groups working from one budget (a research lab, a small firm), create a team at /team. The team has a shared credit pool: everyone's searches draw from the same pot, no per-person allocation. As the team owner you can:

• Invite teammates by email (no admin approval needed — fully self-serve).
• Move credits from your personal balance into the team pool.
• Buy credits that go straight into the pool.
• Remove members or leave the team at any time.

Members can see usage and roster but only owners can invite/remove or fund the pool.

Yes. For orders larger than the standard packages — typically anything from 50 credits up — email help@patentdj.com with the recipient email, credit count, and how you'd like to pay (card, ACH, or wire). We'll send a Stripe-hosted invoice; credits land automatically when it's paid. Credits can be deposited into a personal balance or a team pool.

Your invention stays private. We store only your email — required for sign-in. Uploaded documents (PDF disclosures, etc.) are processed in-memory and deleted immediately after analysis; we never retain copies. See the privacy policy for the full breakdown.

No. PatentDJ is a research tool that uses AI to generate preliminary technical analyses. There is no human in the loop and no attorney-client relationship is formed. Always consult a qualified patent attorney before making legal or commercial decisions based on any output from PatentDJ.

Our database covers 8.4M+ US patents and grows daily. International searches (Europe, China, Japan, Korea, and 15+ other jurisdictions) are performed live via Google Patents and cached for future searches.

Yes. Every new search starts with a free 5-result demo — no signup or credit card required. That gives you a feel for how the agent breaks down a query and what the results look like before you commit to a paid analysis.