Make Electronic Payment

So far, iCMS can be used for Personal Injuries Action, Tax Claim, Civil Action and Employees' Compensation Case of the District Court, summons cases of the Magistrates' Courts and bulk claims of the Small Claims Tribunal. We target to roll out the iCMS for public use at other courts incrementally from 2025.

Please refer to the implementation notice(s) issued by the Chief Justice currently in force for details. The information can be found on the Judiciary’s dedicated webpage.

Electronic payments through iCMS can be made for payment of filing fees, search fees, fines, costs, other fees and deposits (such as transcript fees, bailiff expenses for execution, watchman fees, commission on sum realized upon execution (exclusively in Distraint cases), deposit of witness expenses) etc.

Please refer to the “Administrative Instructions on Electronic Payments to the Judiciary” (202 KB) for more information.

Pre-registration is required if you make electronic payments through iCMS for payments relating to case transactions, for example filing fees, search fees, fines, costs, other fees and deposits (such as transcript fees, bailiff expenses for execution, watchman fees, commission on sum realized upon execution (exclusively in Distraint cases), deposit of witness expenses) etc., in respect of an e-proceeding, or a court-related matter that is carried out by means of iCMS.

Non-registered users can make electronic payments through iCMS for the types of payments which do not require identity authentication. These types of payments include fines and search fees.

Please refer to the “Administrative Instructions on Electronic Payments to the Judiciary” (202 KB) for more information.

Online credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, China UnionPay and JCB), web-based PPS Shop&Buy Service (“PPSB”) and deposit account (applicable to Organization Accounts with deposit accounts only) are accepted by iCMS.

Online credit card payment:

• The payment ceiling for online credit card payment is HK$3,300 for each filing of cases/documents.
• Multiple filings of cases/documents with one single electronic payment through iCMS is allowed, provided that the individual amount of each filing of cases/documents does not exceed HK$3,300.

PPSB payment:

• The payment ceiling for PPSB as set by the service provider is HK$100,000.

Payment by deposit account (applicable to Organization Accounts with deposit accounts only):

• There is no payment ceiling for payment by deposit account provided that the balance of the deposit account is sufficient to cover the payment in full.

Please refer to the “Administrative Instructions on Electronic Payments to the Judiciary” (202 KB) for more information.

As regards payments in respect of fees for legally aided cases (e.g. payment of filing fee at the time of commencing a new case or payment of search fee at the time of inspection of case documents), the process of electronic payment through iCMS will be skipped.

However, as regards payments related to suitors’ funds (e.g. bailiff deposits, witness expenses), such payments should be made by means of online credit card, PPSB or deposit account (applicable to Organization Accounts with deposit accounts only) through iCMS.

To settle the payment advice through iCMS by online credit card or PPSB, please follow the steps as set out below :

1. Select “Make Electronic Payment”;
2. Input the “Payment Advice No.” and “Payment Advice Issue Date”;
3. Input the captcha shown on screen and click “Next”; and
4. Click “Pay” to make payment.

To settle the payment advice by deposit account (applicable to Organization Accounts with deposit accounts only), please follow the steps as set out below :

1. Log in iCMS and select “Make Electronic Payment”;
2. Input the “Payment Advice No.” and “Payment Advice Issue Date”;
3. Input the captcha shown on screen and click “Next”; and
4. Click “Pay” to make payment.

After your payment is accepted, you will be provided with an electronic payment receipt. Before exiting the relevant screen, please ensure that the electronic payment receipt is either saved or printed for reference or enquiry.

Please refer to the step-by-step guide on “Make Electronic Payment” (784 KB) for more information.

To encourage migration to the electronic mode at the initial stage of iCMS implementation, electronic users are offered a 20% concession on fee items in the District Court and the Summons Courts of the Magistrates’ Courts which are primarily or directly related to the electronic handling of court documents. Specifically, such concession is offered for the relevant fee items in the District Court and the Magistrates’ Courts for five years, starting from the date on which iCMS is first implemented in these court levels.

The concessionary fees will only be applicable:

1. for the court users who will interact with the e-Court in respect of the relevant court-related matters carried out by an electronic mode; and
2. when the type(s) of e-proceeding for which the use of the iCMS for the relevant fee item is applicable and available.

For fee items the mode of delivery of which is not affected by the use of iCMS, no concession will be granted. In addition, concession is also not applicable to fees which are reimbursement in nature, payments/deposits to which the court acts as a trustee, or non-fee items (such as penalties/fine/costs imposed by the court, payments related to criminal proceedings).

Please refer to the respective subsidiary legislation currently in operation (e.g. Court Proceedings (Electronic Technology) (District Court) (Electronic Fees) Rules, Cap. 638E) for more information.

Deposit account is an electronic payment option for iCMS Organization Account users. Organization Account users can, on a voluntary basis, pay a non-interest bearing prepayment at or above a specified minimum amount to the deposit account for settling subsequent payments for transactions under iCMS.

All electronic payments via iCMS can be made by deposit account. Transaction details and balance of the deposit account will be available for enquiry in iCMS. The deposit account not only offers an easy and secured payment means, but also facilitates the management and monitoring of payment transactions in iCMS.

Only iCMS Organization Account users can apply for a deposit account in iCMS.

After Primary Administrator (“PA”) Account holder of iCMS Organization Account has activated his/ her account, he/ she can apply for creation of a deposit account in the “Maintain Deposit Account” function of iCMS. Deposit account will be created after successful payment of initial deposit.

For initial deposit paid by online payment, the deposit account will be created and available for use after the online payment of initial deposit is successful.

For initial deposit paid over the counters at designated accounts offices by cheque, please allow 5 working days for the cheque to be cleared by banks. The deposit account will be created and available for use after the cheque has been cleared. If the initial deposit is paid over the counters by payment means other than cheque, the deposit account will be created and available for use upon receipt of the payment at the accounts offices.

The minimum amount of initial deposit is HK$3,000.

You can pay the initial deposit or top-up of deposit account by the following ways:

1. Online payment by credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, China UnionPay and JCB) and PPSB.
2. Payment over the counters at an accounts office of the following courts/ tribunals by downloading a payment advice from iCMS:

Opening hours of the accounts offices of the above courts and tribunals are set out below:

No registration fee or annual fee is required.

Online credit card payment:

• The payment ceiling for online credit card payment is HK$3,300 for each initial deposit or top-up payment.

PPSB payment:

• The payment ceiling for PPSB as set by the service provider is HK$100,000.

Please refer to the “Administrative Instructions on Electronic Payments to the Judiciary” (202 KB) for more information.

After logging in iCMS, you can select “Deposit Account Maintenance” and click “Enquire Deposit Account”. After searching the initial deposit or top-up request, you can click “Complete the request by online payment”. You will then be redirected to make payment online. The payment advice will be cancelled and cannot be settled over the counter after cancellation.

To meet the operational needs of Organization Account with branches, upon successful creation of deposit account for the headquarters of the organization, a deposit sub-account will be created automatically by the system for each branch under the Organization Account. If a new branch is created subsequently, deposit sub-account will also be created for the new branch automatically in iCMS. Organization User (“OU”) can make payment by the deposit sub-account of his/ her branch only.

The roles of PA, SA and OU Account holders in the deposit account functions are illustrated below:

After logging in iCMS, you can check the transaction details and balance of the deposit account/ sub-account in the “Enquire Deposit Account” function under “Deposit Account Maintenance”. You may also contact Finance Section at 2825 4275 for assistance.

You can only withdraw the balance in deposit account and sub-account when the Organization Account is terminated. The balance will be refunded by cheque to the organization without interest or profits after deducting any amount due to the Judiciary.

The deposit account can only be terminated when the Organization Account is terminated.

A unique transaction reference number would be displayed on screen when the user is prompted for selection of a payment method. Please record the reference number and call our technical helpline at 2886 6474 for assistance. For unpaid transactions, you can cancel the original request and submit a fresh request. For paid transactions, our technical helpline will refer the cases to relevant teams for follow-up.

After logging in iCMS, you can check the transaction details including the user who requested the transaction, case number (if applicable), transaction date and amount in the “Enquire Deposit Account” function under “Deposit Account Maintenance”.

If any transaction detail is inaccurate, please report the inaccuracy to Finance Section of the Judiciary in writing within 30 days from the date of the transaction. Otherwise, the information and transactions shown in iCMS shall be deemed to be correct.

If you know or suspect that your account’s login details or password is or becomes known by any unauthorized third party, you should take appropriate measures including changing your password and reporting to the technical helpline at 2886 6474 of the Judiciary through PA or SA immediately. You may also request Finance Section of the Judiciary in writing to temporarily suspend the deposit account and sub-account(s).