Poll: How often do you charge what you consider the lowest acceptable rate in your pairs? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How often do you charge what you consider the lowest acceptable rate in your pairs?".
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I set my rates, not the client and there are clients I may charge more or less depending on different factors. My highest-paying client is a well-known human rights institution which requests translations from time to time and pays quite a lot more than all the others as their texts are rather complex, require a lot of research and I have to pay a proof-reader. My lowest payers are two agencies, one in Greece and one in Belgium, with whom I have been working for a long time (10 and 25 years resp... See more I set my rates, not the client and there are clients I may charge more or less depending on different factors. My highest-paying client is a well-known human rights institution which requests translations from time to time and pays quite a lot more than all the others as their texts are rather complex, require a lot of research and I have to pay a proof-reader. My lowest payers are two agencies, one in Greece and one in Belgium, with whom I have been working for a long time (10 and 25 years respectively). I’d say that my lowest rate is probably charged to less than 20% of my translations… ▲ Collapse
| | | | Thayenga 
Germany
Local time: 18:24
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
| Less than 5% | Aug 15, 2021 |
I have my set rates and either the customer accepts them or s/he doesn't. Only once in a while to I give a special bonus to very loyal and long-standing customers on special occasions.
| | | | | Less than 20% | Aug 15, 2021 |
This is an interesting question. I usually don't have the luxury of setting my rates; my clients, mainly international organizations, do it for me. Since the bulk of my work is for them, I rarely have to consider accepting lower rates. I usually only do so for private individuals, like academics and struggling young professionals. I have some friends who run agencies and sometimes I do a favor for them if the work is really interesting. I care more about being interested in what I'm doing than q... See more This is an interesting question. I usually don't have the luxury of setting my rates; my clients, mainly international organizations, do it for me. Since the bulk of my work is for them, I rarely have to consider accepting lower rates. I usually only do so for private individuals, like academics and struggling young professionals. I have some friends who run agencies and sometimes I do a favor for them if the work is really interesting. I care more about being interested in what I'm doing than quibbling over a cent or two per word. ▲ Collapse
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| Couldn't say it better! | Aug 15, 2021 |
Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:
I care more about being interested in what I'm doing than quibbling over a cent or two per word.
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 14:24
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Unfortunately, my largest client, who represents 40% of my income, uses a matrix of repetitions/fuzzies I had to swollow a couple years ago, which sometimes adds up to an average rate equivalent to my lowest acceptable rate. And there is no way I can refuse these jobs, as mentioned above, since this client represents 40% of my income, that is, the jobs with decent average rates are still the majority, so I have to accept the lower ones, too.
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For each job, I estimate the work involved and I take into account my relationship with the particular client and any other pertinent factors. Then I charge what I consider to be the lowest acceptable rate for that job.
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They don’t set the price, I do.
I set it at the most I think I can get away with, and it’s non-negotiable.
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 18:24
Spanish to English
+ ...
Fewer than 20% of my translations.
In fact, my basic rate is quite average, so I rarely lower it nowadays.
| | | | Adam Warren
France
Local time: 18:24
Member (2005)
French to English
| Try to gradually reduce your economic dependence. | Sep 10, 2021 |
Mario Freitas wrote:
... my largest client ... represents 40% of my income
40 per cent of your income makes you vulnerable, because you are economically dependent on that client: it can exert pressure on you, for rates and deadlines. Furthermore, if, figuratively, it catches a cold, this causes its economically dependent suppliers to catch pneumonia. I would respectfully advise you to diversify your client base so as to reduce your economic dependence. Obviously, this takes time, and needs to be handled tactfully to retain your principal client's business.
By way of example, I worked on the staff of a small agency employer who started earning 60% of its top-line revenue from a single, large and very grasping client. Sadly, though predictably in the circumstances, my employer was forced out of business, precisely through its dependence on a large, finagling client, which was twisting my employer round its finger.
I hope this is not the case for you, but even so, your present economic dependence, as I suggest, should be gradually tapered down to a healthy percentage of your income, say not above 20%, if that client of yours is businesslike in its behaviour.
With best wishes for your future success,
Adam Warren (IanDhu, translator 41189)
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:24
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Q: "How often do you charge what you consider the lowest acceptable rate in your pairs?"
A: I always charge what I consider to be the lowest rate that is acceptable TO ME.
[Edited at 2021-09-11 10:56 GMT]
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