A useful translation quote template names the exact source files, language pair, intended use, price, delivery and approval step. Send it after reviewing the material. If the client later changes the source, agree what happens to the fee and deadline before translating the replacement.
This template is for independent translators selling a defined project to a business client. It gives the client something concrete to approve, rather than an attractive price that silently assumes a different document. It is an operational starting point, not a jurisdiction-specific contract or a promise that you can provide certified translation.
Copy this translation quotation
Download the editable quotation and client emails. Replace every bracketed field and remove options you do not provide. Supply your own applicable business terms separately.
Quotation: [reference], issued [date], valid until [date and time zone]. Translator: [legal name, address, contact and applicable registration details]. Client: [legal entity, billing address, project contact and purchase-order reference if required].
Assignment: Translate [document purpose] from [source language] into [target language and regional variant] for [named audience and intended use]. Deliver [editable file format] and [any additional output]. The client supplies the approved terminology and style reference by [date].
Use a short file schedule like this alongside the quotation. These are illustrative file names, not actual customer documents.
| Source file | Approved version | Count basis | Included output |
|---|---|---|---|
| product-guide.docx | v3, received [date/time] | [count] source words; [counting tool] | Target-language DOCX |
| packaging-text.xlsx | v2, received [date/time] | [count] words in named sheets/cells | Same named sheets translated |
| Screenshot or linked page | [identifier] | Included only if listed and priced | [Agreed output or excluded] |
Scope boundary: Only the listed files and text ranges are included. Embedded image text, hidden spreadsheet content, linked websites, additional languages, desktop publishing and certification are [included as specified / excluded]. A file name alone does not establish its contents: keep the approved copy with the project record.
Fee: [currency and amount], based on [source-word count × rate / agreed hours / fixed project price]. Optional services: [item, quantity, rate and amount]. Applicable taxes: [treatment and amount, where required]. Total payable: [amount]. Payment terms: [advance amount and timing, balance and due date].
Delivery: [date, time zone and channel], conditional on receiving the listed final files, instructions and any agreed advance by [start condition/date]. If those inputs arrive late, confirm a revised delivery date; do not promise the original deadline automatically remains available.
Review: [one consolidated feedback round by a stated date] addressing the agreed brief. Corrections to errors against that brief are handled separately from new source content, a different target audience or a changed style direction. Additional scope requires written approval of its price and timing.
Acceptance: Please confirm the quotation reference, source versions, deliverables, total, timing and applicable terms in writing. Tell me before accepting if your procurement process requires a purchase order or a different paying entity.
Why source versions belong beside the price
The Institute of Translation and Interpreting's model terms connect a fixed quotation to reviewing source material and address changes to the assignment. That is professional guidance to consider, not a reason to copy an entire UK model contract into every market.
The practical risk is easy to miss: the client approves “the brochure” while you priced an earlier brochure with fewer pages. Your file schedule makes the accepted version visible. For changing web copy, agree a dated export or a defined list of pages instead of an unlimited website.
Describe confidential handling and the tools or subcontractors you will use where relevant to the client agreement. Do not put confidential source documents in public previews or imply that uploading them to any translation service is automatically authorized.
Check the total before asking for approval
Here is a hypothetical quotation, not a market rate or a recommended translation tariff. Assume 2,400 source words at €0.12 = €288; an explicitly included independent review costs €72; agreed formatting costs €45. The project subtotal is €405 before any applicable tax.
If the parties agree a 40% advance on that subtotal, it is €162, leaving €243 of that subtotal. State the actual tax and invoice treatment separately. Only offer independent review when another qualified reviewer is genuinely part of your delivery; do not rebrand your own final check as an independent service.
Keep the quotation, advance and final balance connected. An advance is part of the agreed price, not an additional €162 on top of €405. The separate translation invoicing guide covers invoice quantity and rounding decisions after the project has been agreed.
Send a clear approval request
Use this client-facing message with the quotation:
“Thank you for the files. Attached is my quotation for [language pair and purpose]. It covers the versions listed in the file schedule and delivery by [date/time zone], subject to the stated start conditions. Please reply confirming the quotation reference, listed files, total and timing, and provide the purchase-order details if needed. If the source is still changing, let me know before approval so I can agree a suitable handover point.”
If the source changes, send a separate reply: “The replacement [file/version] differs from the approved source. I will review the changes and confirm the additional work, any price adjustment and the revised delivery date. Please approve that update before I proceed with the changed scope.”
Do not treat silence as approval. Preserve the client's actual response and your updated quotation. A payment alone should not substitute for missing language, scope or delivery instructions.
Turn the accepted quotation into a paid service
Use PayRequest service pages when you want a fixed offer, client requirements and a delivery workflow. Publish the agreed translation scope or create a clearly bounded package; connect an eligible payment provider and state how the client sends confidential source files. Text intake questions do not establish support for every file-upload workflow.
For a bespoke quotation, you can prepare the offer document separately, obtain approval, then collect the agreed amount through a payment link or invoice. PayRequest's in-product Quotes feature is listed on paid plans; this downloadable text template does not require that feature. PayRequest is not a translation engine, certification service or electronic-signature guarantee.
Check current plans: Free includes standard payment links and basic invoicing with a 2% standard payment fee capped at €25 per transaction. Active Premium (€5/month) and Business (€20/month) remove standard platform fees; provider fees and commission-payment exceptions remain separate. Registration or plan selection alone does not activate paid access.
Create your account, agree one versioned translation offer and give the client one clear route to pay the accepted amount.
Editorial method: AI-assisted drafting with source and calculation checks. The examples are illustrative, not observed customer results.
