INVOICE GUIDES
Translator Invoices: Word Counts, Language Pairs and Review Work
A translator invoice needs more than a document title and a total. The client should be able to identify the language direction, the version counted and the pricing unit. A source file and its translation can have different word counts, so an unlabeled quantity can lead to avoidable confusion.
Once the job record is reconciled, use the ToolNivo Invoice Generator to enter the approved charges. It does not analyze documents, count words or apply a translation memory pricing grid.
Identify the job and language direction
Use the project or agency reference, a recognizable document identifier and the source-to-target language direction. “French to English” is clearer than listing two languages without direction. A version number helps when the client sent a corrected source file halfway through the assignment.
Do not reproduce confidential document contents on the invoice. A project code and short document label are often sufficient. If the agency requires a purchase order, copy the relevant reference carefully and check that the work being billed belongs to that order rather than another similar job.
Label the word-count basis explicitly
Establish whether the agreement uses source words, target words, pages, hours or a fixed project amount. There is no need to guess a universal convention when the job terms can specify the unit. Keep the count report or agreed number that supports the invoice.
For analysis-based pricing, preserve the reviewed analysis and the agreed category rates outside the invoice. Only apply discounts or weighting that were part of the arrangement. A word-processing count and a specialist analysis can differ because they handle content differently; resolve which one controls rather than switching reports when preparing the bill.
Worked example: translation and separate review
This EUR illustration uses invented prices and excludes tax. Suppose the agreement covers 2,400 source words from French to English at 0.09 per word, plus 1.5 hours of separately commissioned review on another file at 36.00 per hour.
- Translation: 2,400 × 0.09 = 216.00.
- Separate review: 1.5 × 36.00 = 54.00.
- Subtotal: 216.00 + 54.00 = 270.00.
Do not bill the normal checking included in your translation price again as extra review. The example’s review row refers to a different, separately approved task. Name that task accurately so the client can distinguish it from checking your own translation.
Handle precise rates without rounding them away
The editor rounds unit prices to the selected currency’s normal decimal precision before multiplying. For EUR, entering 0.085 as a per-word price would not preserve that three-decimal rate. Do not accept a changed total simply because the form displays it cleanly.
An equivalent unit can solve this when clearly described: 2,400 words equal 24 units of 100 words, and 24 × 8.50 = 204.00. State both the count and the per-100-word rate in the description. For other counts, quantities support up to four decimal places. If the required calculation still cannot be represented faithfully, use a documented agreed project total or another suitable billing workflow.
Explain minimum fees and special work honestly
A minimum project fee should be labeled as such when it applies under the agreement. Do not inflate the word count to force a short assignment to reach that amount. Similarly, distinguish translation from formatting, transcription, review or another separately commissioned service.
Urgent delivery does not automatically authorize a surcharge. Record the accepted terms before billing it. Do not describe a translation as certified or legally valid merely because the invoice includes that wording. Use the actual service description and any applicable professional requirements established for that assignment.
Check references, currency and delivery records
Match the invoice to the delivered version, reviewed count and buyer reference. The purchase order matching guide can help with agency jobs. For a client abroad, confirm the currency explicitly; changing the selector does not convert your price. See invoice currency for international clients for that distinction.
Download and open the PDF, checking language names, accented document titles and wrapped references. Save it with the job record before closing the editor. ToolNivo does not store the translation, send the invoice, track agency approval or verify payment. Those steps remain part of your own project workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Should I bill source words or target words?
Use the basis agreed for that job and label it on the invoice. Keep the count evidence so the number can be checked.
How can I represent a rate such as EUR 0.085 per word?
A clearly described equivalent rate of EUR 8.50 per 100 words can preserve the arithmetic when the quantity is also converted correctly. Check that representation against the agreement.
Does ToolNivo calculate translation memory discounts?
No. Reconcile any agreed analysis and pricing outside the tool, then enter the appropriate documented charges.