Translation Invoices: Word Rates Without Rounding Errors

A translation invoice should preserve the agreed word-count basis and the exact price, including rates with fractions of a cent. If your invoicing tool stores unit prices to two decimal places, calculate the translation subtotal first and invoice that subtotal as one item. Put the word count, full rate and source version in its description.

This workflow is for independent translators and small language agencies working from approved source files. The original worked example below addresses a specific PayRequest constraint: invoice quantities are whole numbers and unit prices use two decimal places. That matters when an agreed rate is €0.085 per word, rather than €0.08 or €0.09.

Agree the Translation Invoice Basis Before Counting

Confirm the language direction, source filename and revision, billable unit, included services and approval contact. “English to Dutch, source words in Brief-v3.docx” is more useful than “translation work.” If the client uses a purchase order, keep its reference with the agreed estimate and final invoice.

The American Translators Association discusses source-word billing and the difficulty of counting some PDFs. Its article describes US practice, not a universal rule. Source words, target words, characters, hours or a fixed project fee can all require different arithmetic. Agree the basis instead of silently switching when the text expands.

For scanned or complex files, explain how the count will be confirmed and how layout work is priced. A preliminary count should not become a firm final price unless that is what you agreed. If you use computer-assisted translation analysis, specify the categories and discounts; the client should be able to reconcile the report with the bill.

Calculate Word Rates Without Losing Half a Cent

Suppose a fictional project has 2,400 new words priced at €0.085 and 600 repeated words priced at €0.025. These are illustrative agreed rates, not market recommendations. Calculate with the full precision and round the resulting currency amounts according to the agreed method.

The first item description can read: “EN→NL, Brief-v3.docx, 2,400 new source words × €0.085 = €204.00; approved analysis dated 10 September 2026.” The quantity represents one priced work category. It does not pretend that one word costs €204.

Rounding €0.085 to €0.09 before multiplication changes 2,400 words to €216, an overstatement of €12. Rounding it down to €0.08 produces €192, an understatement of €12. A two-decimal rate field therefore cannot represent that word rate faithfully.

PayRequest's current invoice model stores unit prices to two decimals and quantities as integers, checked on 10 September 2026. Use the calculated subtotal approach instead of relying on a third decimal being retained. Review both the saved invoice and its customer-facing version; a correct spreadsheet alone does not establish that the sent bill is correct.

Keep a Source-Version and Approval Record

Attach your commercial reasoning to a specific version of the job. ATA's guidance on quoting a large translation project highlights identifying the material and delivery requirements. Your own compact register can connect that scope to the invoice without exposing the client's confidential text.

Record the job or purchase-order reference, language pair, source revision, count report, pricing categories, agreed subtotal and written approval. Store the actual source documents securely in your normal project system. An invoice description usually needs the reference and pricing basis, not sensitive passages from the document.

If Brief-v4 arrives after approval, do not replace the old count without recording what changed. Ask whether the new work replaces the original scope or adds to it. New text, deleted passages and rework are different cases; a net increase in word count does not measure every kind of additional effort.

For our example, suppose the client approves 300 additional new words at €0.085. The additional amount is €25.50, bringing the agreed translation total to €244.50 before tax. Keep that approved change as its own line or a separately referenced invoice, depending on the status of the original bill and your accounting requirements.

Map the Approved Work Into a PayRequest Draft

Use PayRequest invoicing to create the customer invoice. Enter the job reference, currency, agreed payment terms and one item for each approved priced category. Copy the full count calculation into each description and use quantity one with its currency subtotal where the per-word rate needs extra decimals.

Review minimum fees, urgency charges and layout work separately. If a minimum replaces a lower calculated fee, label the substitution clearly; do not accidentally charge both the minimum and the full per-word amount. If a percentage surcharge applies, state which subtotal it uses. These are commercial choices to agree with the customer, not values PayRequest derives from the document.

Before sending, compare the line descriptions and amounts against the approved analysis. Check the total, currency, customer details, due date and any tax treatment appropriate to your situation. The platform does not count source words, interpret CAT-tool discounts or decide tax obligations for you.

For the general first-invoice process, see sending a first freelance invoice. This article adds the translation-specific arithmetic and source-version record that a general invoice checklist cannot supply.

Reconcile Changes and Payment Without Losing the Trail

An issued invoice, an agreed scope change and a received payment are separate records. If the client asks for an amendment after you send the bill, follow the appropriate correction or additional-invoice process rather than silently changing the evidence behind a paid transaction. Keep the original reference visible so the client can match the documents.

A project payment schedule is another independent decision. The deposit, retainer and milestone comparison helps choose when to collect money; it does not determine how many words are billable. Do not turn a change in payment timing into an undocumented change in the agreed project price.

The customer billing portal gives the client a place to access billing records. Keep the approved count and revision in your own project register, linked by invoice reference. Check the recorded payment status before marking the financial side of the job complete.

Use current PayRequest pricing to assess the collection cost: Free has a 2% fee per successful payment, capped at €25 per transaction, plus separate provider fees. Your next step is a draft invoice whose saved line totals match the approved calculation exactly.

Editorial note: AI assisted with this article and cover. The examples and approval register are original illustrations; product field precision was checked in code. No client invoice, transaction test or professional tax review is claimed.