One of the most common questions we get is, “How much will it cost for the translation?” Every project is different, but there are several factors that affect the pricing of translation. These include language pair(s), complexity, volume, and turnaround time. Our agency translates a lot of documents from English into other languages and from other languages into English. Occasionally, we receive requests for translations that are neither from English nor into English, but we are able to get those done as well.
The complexity of a translation depends on the number of languages, whether there will be more than one round of editing and proofreading due to word preferences. It is always a good idea to provide a glossary or list of preferred terminology. For example, a client may want to use “oxygenated” instead of “aerated” or “minute” instead of “microscopic” in a given sentence or throughout the document(s). Another aspect of complexity is whether the client can deliver the original document to us as a Word file as opposed to a PDF. Although we use OCR (optical character recognition), sending PDFs adds additional steps for the translation team.
Sometimes, a client makes last minute changes to the original document. This takes more time to manage the project, which results in adding to the cost for project management. To save time and money, be sure to send the finalized form of the documents to be translated rather than wait to make changes once the translation has been made. Also, be sure to allow enough buffer time for Q&A between the translation team and your team, so that clarifications can be made.
The volume of a document is not merely the number of pages, but also the word count; however, one-page projects, such as a birth certificate or driver’s license may necessitate that the agency charge a minimum fee to manage the project as it takes the same amount of time to assign the project to a professional translator of a one-page document as it does to assign a project that has multiple pages. If you know that you will be sending multiple one-page documents, you can save money by sending them in batches.
Professional translators often have other projects that they are working on, so try to plan ahead. Although we have an amazing network of translators who may be able to turn your project around in one day, be sure to plan time for someone to review it and have it notarized, especially if it is an official document for immigration or another time-sensitive document.
Rush fees will be incurred for weekend projects. In many cases, assignments sent to us on Friday may be completed by Tuesday of the following week. We do our best to finish every project as soon as possible and have many clients who have received their completed translations in a timely manner, but last-minute requests make everyone feel stressed, including your translation team. Procrastination is the enemy of saving money and stress. Plan ahead!
