Poll: What is your payment policy when doing small translations for individuals? Autor de la hebra: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What is your payment policy when doing small translations for individuals?".
This poll was originally submitted by Joan Berglund. View the poll results »
| | | | neilmac
España
Local time: 11:26
español al inglés
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I suppose I would either bill them as usual, give them a freeby, or listen to whatever other proposal they might have...
| | | | Diana Coada (X) 
Reino Unido
Local time: 10:26
portugués al inglés
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collect full payment up front.
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I do many such translations for private individuals. Some actually pay me ahead of time without my having asked for it. Some pay when they come collect the translation. Some have the translation mailed to them, and they receive an invoice that has my bank details and address in case they want to write a cheque.
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Michael Harris
Alemania
Local time: 11:26
Miembro 2006
alemán al inglés
not work for "individuals"
| | | | | It depends... | Sep 13, 2015 |
I was a sworn translator authorized by the Belgian Courts for 15 years and by then I used to charge a flat rate for this kind of translations (driver’s licences, visas, IDs, passports, diplomas…) always collected upfront.
From those days I still have a customer involved on a long-standing dispute over the inheritance of a property located in Algarve. I have been translating for years all e-mails addressed to her attorney and vice-versa. We agreed on a monthly fee paid by wire tr... See more I was a sworn translator authorized by the Belgian Courts for 15 years and by then I used to charge a flat rate for this kind of translations (driver’s licences, visas, IDs, passports, diplomas…) always collected upfront.
From those days I still have a customer involved on a long-standing dispute over the inheritance of a property located in Algarve. I have been translating for years all e-mails addressed to her attorney and vice-versa. We agreed on a monthly fee paid by wire transfer. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brasil
Local time: 06:26
Miembro 2014
inglés al portugués
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| MY price, not the client's | Sep 13, 2015 |
The rates I practice are what I judge my work is worth. Clients do not determine my rates.
The work I do for a big client/corporation, for an agency or for an individual is the same, requires the same effort and time, and therefore costs the same. As to the terms for payment, that is, of course, on a case basis, to be negotiated according to a series of factors that have already been discussed exhaustively here in ProZ.
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An advance payment equal to my minimum invoice amount, with the rest due on my normal 30-day terms. Of course, if it's really small the advance payment may equal 100%.
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| Credit limits | Sep 13, 2015 |
Most - though not all - of my "small translations for individuals" are sworn, hence the final mandatory price is regulated by an ancient (1943) Brazilian law, so it can only be determined after the translation is finished (based on target char count). The exceptions are usually articles for publication elsewhere, yet the credit procedure is the same.
If the client comes to me recommended as a close friend/relative of a close friend/relative of mine, okay, their credit is unlimited f... See more Most - though not all - of my "small translations for individuals" are sworn, hence the final mandatory price is regulated by an ancient (1943) Brazilian law, so it can only be determined after the translation is finished (based on target char count). The exceptions are usually articles for publication elsewhere, yet the credit procedure is the same.
If the client comes to me recommended as a close friend/relative of a close friend/relative of mine, okay, their credit is unlimited for small jobs up to BRL 1K (which was about USD 500 until not too long ago, now it's USD 270). If a job exceeds BRL 1K, I'll usually split that in parts, for the convenience of both sides.
I've set BRL 500 as "the credit limit". If I get defaulted on payment, I'll bite the bullet, as collection procedures beyond some light harassment and bad-mouthing to translator networks won't be worth the trouble.
If the client comes to me out of the blue, usually through my web site, I explain them about sharing the risk, since people sometimes change their mind while the translation is under way, so I ask them to deposit 50% of the total amount (half of the estimated cost, in case of sworn translations) to my bank account.
This causes those planning to pull a fast one on me to vanish immediately. However those with good intentions (most of them) ask for my bank details, and do it really fast.
The funny thing is that when they return to me later with another job, their first question (upon having sent the job) is how much is the 50% to deposit to my account, so I'll get started on it immediately. I tell them the total price, and explain that they've already passed that test, so they can pay me after I deliver.
Haven't had yet one such case where I regretted having done this, and they keep returning, even if sometimes it takes a couple of years between one job and the next one. In the meantime, they keep sending me friends, colleagues, and relatives with similar requests. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | After the job is done - net 14 | Sep 13, 2015 |
So far I never asked for money up front because I trusted the individual enough to wait with payment until the translation was done.
However, if I had any doubt I would ask for a 25-50% up front.
| | | | Erzsébet Czopyk
Hungría
Local time: 11:26
Miembro 2006
ruso al húngaro
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LOCALIZADOR DEL SITIO
Diana Coada, PGDip DPSI NRPSI wrote:
collect full payment up front.
Otherwise too complicated to catch the disappearing customer... or, if the person is a client who repeatedly orders, net 8 days. In case of legalized documents, payment upon handover but the legalization costs always upfront.
[Módosítva: 2015-09-13 16:39 GMT]
| | | | | Credit limits - I work almost exactly the same way as José | Sep 14, 2015 |
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
Most - though not all - of my "small translations for individuals" are sworn, hence the final mandatory price is regulated by an ancient (1943) Brazilian law, so it can only be determined after the translation is finished (based on target char count). The exceptions are usually articles for publication elsewhere, yet the credit procedure is the same.
If the client comes to me recommended as a close friend/relative of a close friend/relative of mine, okay, their credit is unlimited for small jobs up to BRL 1K (which was about USD 500 until not too long ago, now it's USD 270). If a job exceeds BRL 1K, I'll usually split that in parts, for the convenience of both sides.
I've set BRL 500 as "the credit limit". If I get defaulted on payment, I'll bite the bullet, as collection procedures beyond some light harassment and bad-mouthing to translator networks won't be worth the trouble.
If the client comes to me out of the blue, usually through my web site, I explain them about sharing the risk, since people sometimes change their mind while the translation is under way, so I ask them to deposit 50% of the total amount (half of the estimated cost, in case of sworn translations) to my bank account.
This causes those planning to pull a fast one on me to vanish immediately. However those with good intentions (most of them) ask for my bank details, and do it really fast.
The funny thing is that when they return to me later with another job, their first question (upon having sent the job) is how much is the 50% to deposit to my account, so I'll get started on it immediately. I tell them the total price, and explain that they've already passed that test, so they can pay me after I deliver.
Haven't had yet one such case where I regretted having done this, and they keep returning, even if sometimes it takes a couple of years between one job and the next one. In the meantime, they keep sending me friends, colleagues, and relatives with similar requests.
Though I don't work as much for private individuals and the payment is not regulated by law as in Brazil I follow almost exactly the same way as José: 50% advance for the first job, a credit limit (usually Indian Rupees five thousand) thereafter. In my case it's not individuals who have defaulted but companies - however only a few cases over all these years. One agency in particular now heads the "black list" I believe
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| Other - it depends | Sep 14, 2015 |
If it's a first-time client, I ask for 50% up front. Once we have a relationship, I bill them after delivering the job.
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