Poll: Do you have a minimum order charge? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| | Julian Holmes 
Japan
Local time: 18:09
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
Answering e-mails + talking on the phone + discussing details (even on small jobs) + receiving/opening job data + writing e-mail message at delivery + billing/invoicing = all time-consuming actions
My minimum charge is 5,000 yen which is just under 40 Euros just for the hassle even on 1,000 yen jobs.
In fact, I wish I could bill my minimum charge for jobs that do not come through just for the "Answering e-mails + talking on the phone + discussing details (even on small ... See more
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As I have said before (several polls on a similar topic): I do have a minimum order charge (€40) per client per month, but I only apply the minimum charge to new customers. From a business point of view I find it good to offer a small freebie to my trusted customers...
| | | | David Wright
Austria
Local time: 11:09
German to English
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Sometimes - for agencies yes, cos I know they do the same; direct clients, generally not; really small jobs are just not worth the hassle of billing so they get them free.
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 10:09
Member (2007)
English
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| Oops, ticked the wrong box! | Feb 8, 2015 |
My minimum INVOICE amount is EUR 30. For new clients, that's often the ORDER minimum, too. But I invoice regular clients monthly, and they can order individual jobs for less. How much less depends on how streamlined we can make the admin. Sometimes it's EUR 15; one client sends lots of small jobs, many of which I'll only charge at EUR 7.50. But his invoice is alwys into three figures. I don't often give freebies unless I really can't be bothered to spend a few seconds registering the job; the cl... See more My minimum INVOICE amount is EUR 30. For new clients, that's often the ORDER minimum, too. But I invoice regular clients monthly, and they can order individual jobs for less. How much less depends on how streamlined we can make the admin. Sometimes it's EUR 15; one client sends lots of small jobs, many of which I'll only charge at EUR 7.50. But his invoice is alwys into three figures. I don't often give freebies unless I really can't be bothered to spend a few seconds registering the job; the client can hardly quibble over EUR 7.50! ▲ Collapse
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My minimum charge is € 25 and not negotiable.
After income tax, bank fee and administration costs there is hardly anything left.
| | | | Anthony Baldwin
United States
Local time: 05:09
Portuguese to English
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According to xe.com, that's c. EU€45.00
Essentially, I charge $25/page with a minimum of two pages.
After taxes, etc., it's barely worth an hour of my time (time working on the translation, drawing up an invoice, the bookkeeping, administrative tasks, negotiation, etc., etc.), but it's what I charge local immigrants for their birth certs, or whatever, for immigration purposes. It feels like charity work, but I enjoy meeting them and following their stories/progress with immigration... See more According to xe.com, that's c. EU€45.00
Essentially, I charge $25/page with a minimum of two pages.
After taxes, etc., it's barely worth an hour of my time (time working on the translation, drawing up an invoice, the bookkeeping, administrative tasks, negotiation, etc., etc.), but it's what I charge local immigrants for their birth certs, or whatever, for immigration purposes. It feels like charity work, but I enjoy meeting them and following their stories/progress with immigration.
Many of them stay in touch and recommend me to their friends who come here, too.
I've helped families from Guinea, Haiti, Cuba, Senegal, Brazil, Mexico, la Republica Dominicana, Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, Chile, etc., etc., met many lovely, fascinating people, so that makes it worth my time, too, I suppose.
These folks don't have a lot of money, in general, but neither do I, and I have a family to feed, too.
I feel like this is fair, and nobody has complained.
[Edited at 2015-02-08 20:57 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Yes - equivalent to 1/2 an hour's work | Feb 9, 2015 |
The actual amount may vary depending on the client/the circumstances, but that's the explanation I give.
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