| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Do you have a minimum charge? Thread poster: jojikiba
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jojikiba
Local time: 18:26
Japanese to English
Do you have a minimum charge for your work?
Or do you accept any job even if it is only for say 50 or so words?
If you have a minimum charge, what is the reason for it?
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Yes, I have a minimum charge of EUR 50.00 for all but a few of my clients, because there is a certain amount of administrative work involved even with small assignments, and I don't work for free.
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As Derek said, it is waivable. I'm quite happy to add a very small job to other bills for a client who sends me other work. But if it's a one-off, or they haven't sent me any other work for a long time and there is none in the pipeline, then my minimum charge statement comes into force. 29,50€ in my case. I should put it up.
| | | | | Yes, of course | Mar 15, 2010 |
I have a minimun charge between 45 and 60 € for most of the agencies I work for. Direct clients get charged a minimun of 125 €.
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| Clearly Yes! | Mar 15, 2010 |
Yes, I have minimum charge too, but as Derek said, it is waivable for my regular clients if applicable.
Normally I charge a minimum fee of 35€ as I have to calculate my administrative work as well.
Unlike others, I do not charge my end clients more than an agency as I think that the amount of administrative work is not different at all. But I have to say that I deal almost all the time with end clients anyway!
| | | | Sheila Wilson 
Spain
Local time: 09:26
Member (2007)
English
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| I do, but it's variable | Mar 15, 2010 |
As I specialise in CVs, I can't have too high a minimum. If it's for a private person ie directly with the author, then they pay in advance so all the admin's really simple. I'll maybe do it for 15€ minimum (or maybe more if I don't really want to do it).
For a new agency client, that same CV will be 30€ minimum as there's more admin, I have to wait for my money and anyway it's expected.
I also do reg... See more As I specialise in CVs, I can't have too high a minimum. If it's for a private person ie directly with the author, then they pay in advance so all the admin's really simple. I'll maybe do it for 15€ minimum (or maybe more if I don't really want to do it).
For a new agency client, that same CV will be 30€ minimum as there's more admin, I have to wait for my money and anyway it's expected.
I also do regular work with monthly invoicing - I do jobs for 2€ sometimes! That's not necessarily very profitable as I at least have to make a note of what they owe me if nothing else, but it's part of the arrangement that I agreed to and it's worth it for a regular monthly invoice in the hundreds of euros.
So, yes there's a minimum but it's highly negotiable and it's not stated until I know who and what I'm dealing with. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I have a minimum MONTHLY charge | Mar 15, 2010 |
... of USD 50 per client/month.
Now and then I get loose jobs worth less than $5 apiece from a client whose monthly bill is usually 3-4 digits. No problem at all.
I just want to stay out of jobs that involve 10, 20 times more work to deliver, invoice, and collect than to actually do.
What puzzles me is one company that quite frequently sends me translation jobs worth less than USD 1 (sic!). Their system takes the trouble to advise me about them by e-mail, a... See more ... of USD 50 per client/month.
Now and then I get loose jobs worth less than $5 apiece from a client whose monthly bill is usually 3-4 digits. No problem at all.
I just want to stay out of jobs that involve 10, 20 times more work to deliver, invoice, and collect than to actually do.
What puzzles me is one company that quite frequently sends me translation jobs worth less than USD 1 (sic!). Their system takes the trouble to advise me about them by e-mail, and yet minutes later I get another message from them saying that someone has taken it. Nope, it's not about translating the slogan of the century, but usually some poorly written instant message. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tim Drayton
Cyprus
Local time: 11:26
Turkish to English
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I have never seen any justification for it. Provided the payment is made in advance and the client bears the costs of transferring it to me, I have no problem with charging, say, 1 euro if this is all the work merits.
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| | | Bank charges | Mar 15, 2010 |
I always work out the charges involved before accepting anything. I was once offered a job where the payment would have been less than their admin fee plus my bank charges converting dollars into pound sterling. Needless to say, I refused.
| | | | Paul Dixon
Brazil
Local time: 06:26
Portuguese to English
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In memoriam
I have always been hesitant about implementing a minimum charge, but decided to do so after an agency asked me to translate ONE WORD (and a word that could be found in any dictionary). I could not do anything about this particular job, as it was an agency, but for private work I now have a minimum charge of ten Brazilian Reais per assignment. This is the equivalent of one third of a "lauda" or about 450 keystrokes. This works out at about 4 Euros.
| | | | | Yes & No (how many posts have I answered with this exact same title!) | Mar 15, 2010 |
Yes if I have to invoice separately - PO, paperwork, verification, etc.
No if it's a client who gets a monthly invoice - just add another line to the invoice and no extra paperwork.
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I have a minimum charge of $25 (baring a couple of exceptions). This applies to all projects, even if all of them go on the same invoice, as I still need to process the file with various tools.
| | | | awilliams
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:26
Italian to English
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| Do you have a minimum charge? | Mar 15, 2010 |
Hi everyone,
Sheila Wilson wrote:
As I specialise in CVs, I can't have too high a minimum.
Just out of interest, why?
My minimum fee doesn't just reflect the admin involved in each job. It reflects the cost of my office rental, lighting, heating, education, professional memberships, training courses, conferences, office equipment, accountant, bank charges - you name it.
Have a good week,
Amy
[Edited at 2010-03-15 20:47 GMT]
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 09:26
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Why I can't have too high a minimum | Mar 15, 2010 |
Amy Williams wrote:
Sheila Wilson wrote:
As I specialise in CVs, I can't have too high a minimum.
Just out of interest, why?
Basically because it would penalise younger, less experienced French job-seekers who don't have much to put in their CVs. Sometimes, their CV's wordcount only comes out at about 20-25€ so it really wouldn't be fair to charge them a minimum of 30€.
Maybe from a strictly business viewpoint it would be a good idea, but I favour a rather more personal approach when dealing with individuals. B2B is different, of course - that's business through and through.
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