A working interpreter rate card template

Copy and complete the fields

• Interpreter name or business: [name] · Contact: [email / phone]
• Language pair and dialects served: [language / variety] ↔ [language / variety]
• Settings and specialties: [healthcare, education, court-related, community, other]
• Qualifications and relevant experience: [credential, training, issuing body, dates]
• In-person session fee: [$ amount and unit] · External video session fee: [$ amount and unit]
• Minimum time and rounding: [minimum duration] · [billing increment] · [how extra time is calculated]
• Travel: [service area] · [mileage terms] · [travel-time terms] · [expenses requiring prior approval]
• After-hours, weekend, holiday, or specialty terms: [conditions] · [additional fee, if any]
• Cancellation and rescheduling: [notice periods] · [amounts or calculation, if any] · [how notice is given]
• Payment method and due date: [method] · [due date or accepted terms]
• Rate review: [effective date] · [next review date or annual review language]
• Quote valid through: [date] · Other conditions: [list or state none]

Decide how each assignment is priced

Set your fees from your own costs, qualifications, preparation time, travel, availability, and business goals. Specify whether you quote by hour, session, or another unit. State how you handle a session that runs longer than planned and whether partial hours are rounded. Avoid describing an amount as an industry or institutional standard unless you have current evidence for the specific market and contract.

If you offer multiple formats, list each separately and describe what the fee includes. In-person work may involve travel expenses; remote work may involve different preparation or equipment costs. Only list services you are qualified and prepared to provide. Lingfaro currently coordinates scheduled in-person and external video sessions in Minnesota.

Put practical terms in writing

A minimum session length, travel boundary, cancellation policy, and payment term can prevent disagreement later. State when a cancellation fee applies, how notice is measured, and whether the fee depends on travel already undertaken. Identify any expenses that require prior approval. If you charge differently for preparation, a specialty, after-hours work, or travel time, describe the trigger and calculation. Add a date for reviewing your fees so an old card does not circulate as a current quote. Keep the policy understandable and check that it matches the contract or procurement terms the client asks you to accept.

Use the rate card as a starting point, then provide a written quote for the specific assignment. Include language and dialect, setting, date and time, location or video format, expected duration, qualifications requested, total proposed amount, and any conditions. If the organization proposes different terms, review and agree to the revised terms before the assignment is committed.

Review and update your card

Date the card and review it when your costs, service area, qualifications, or availability change. Keep an accessible copy and retain the accepted quote with the related session record. A clear rate card does not guarantee that a client will accept the terms; it gives both parties a concrete document to discuss. Before sending it, check that the math is clear, the rate unit is consistent, and every exception has a defined trigger. For a particular request, send the quote with the assignment details and ask the client to confirm the proposed terms.