Can we put USB logos on our charger packaging?

Main answer · Wecent Editorial Team

Short answer: Only if the product is certified by USB-IF and you follow USB-IF’s trademark and logo licence rules. USB-IF certified logos are registered trademarks; their use is tied to products that passed USB-IF compliance testing and are listed, and to a signed logo licence agreement. Plain-text descriptions like ‘USB-C port’ or ‘supports USB Power Delivery’ are generally fine if true. Ask Wecent whether the model is USB-IF certified and in whose name, and check usb.org for current rules.

What USB-IF logos are

The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) manages the USB specifications and a set of certified logos, such as those for USB Type-C and USB Power Delivery charger certification. These logos are trademarks. They signal to customers that a product has passed USB-IF’s compliance programme, which is why their use is controlled.

What using the logo requires

In general, the product has to pass USB-IF compliance testing and be registered in USB-IF’s integrator list, and the company using the logo must agree to USB-IF’s trademark licence terms. There are also design rules for how logos look and where they appear. The details and fees change, so check the current requirements on usb.org rather than relying on a summary.

Certification held by whom?

A factory may have certified a design under its own company. If you sell the same model under your brand, ask how the certification and listing apply to you, and whether your company needs its own arrangements to use the logo on your packaging. Don’t assume a factory’s certification covers your branding.

Describing USB features without logos

Factual text, such as “USB-C port” or “USB Power Delivery up to the stated wattage”, is a different matter from displaying the certified logo. Text must still be accurate. Avoid wording like “USB certified” unless the product actually is.

Other logos on packaging

The same caution applies to other trademarked logos, such as the Qi logo from the Wireless Power Consortium, Apple’s MFi or MagSafe badges, and brand names of phones. Each has its own programme and rules.

Confirm with Wecent the certification status of each model, the certificate holder, and any test IDs, and remove logos from artwork until that is confirmed.

Where this answer says confirm with Wecent, the detail is not published on the product page and has to come from the datasheet or the factory. General facts come from the standards bodies, regulators or device makers named in the text.