Along with experience, quality, and previous projects, the one thing that most of the clients look for while opting for translation services is the price. This is a common practice since different translation agencies have different pricing models.
There is nothing like the best translation pricing structure, as it all depends on the type of document you are getting translated and its size. This blog post will make you familiar with the different pricing structures used by translation agencies so that you can make a more informed decision.
Per word
This is the most popular and used type of pricing model used by translation agencies since it is highly convenient for both the agency and the client. Every quote used for a per-word translation basis is tailor-made to meet the specific needs of the client. But prices can vary a lot in per word translation, even when you are looking forward to translating documents from English to Spanish.
The price offered by the translation agency to translate a document from English to Spanish in the case of per word translation also depends on the subject, language, and complexity. But you can have an idea of how much the translation service is going to cost you beforehand.
Per line
There are many parts of the world where the price for translation is charged based on per line. This might not be as common as per word translation, but many translation agencies practice this type of pricing model. This type of pricing model is more common in complex translation projects since the comparison becomes easier.
You must know that a standard line contains at least 55 characters with spaces in between the words. You can take the example of German to English translation, where the texts will be larger than the source. In such a case, per-line translation will be much more effective.
Per page
There are many agencies offering document translation services on a per-page basis, and it is also a standard format of pricing used by agencies all over the world. In all those cases where an electronic word count can never be obtained, per page pricing structure works like a magic wand. A perfect example of such a document is PDF files like court documents and medical records.
The price in this can also vary significantly as different translation agencies offering document translation services have different market prices. Although the per-page pricing model is standard worldwide, it is ubiquitous in the Italian translation industry.
Per hour
This might be the rarest type of pricing model used by translation agencies as it is highly subjective. But still, you can find a couple of translation agencies using the per-hour pricing model. In this pricing model, the translation agency charges based on the hours they have worked on the project.
It’s worth noting that many projects can never be calculated per page or word basis as they fit in the per hour basis model like a glove. These projects usually require a lot of o research, additional services, and proper project management.
The type of pricing model you choose depends on the kind of document you want to get translated. But having an idea about the different pricing models always comes in handy. Never select a translation agency without going through the pricing model used by the agency.
