Overview On Determining Translation Prices
Cost is a huge factor when comparing offers from different language service providers – we all know it. How many times have you been looking at a quoted translation service price and wondered just how that number was determined?
There are a few methods to determine translation prices including translation price per word, per page, per project, and even per hour. Currently the industry standard is to determine translation prices on a per word basis – and that’s exactly how we do it here at Language Connections.
Check out our short video to find out why we determine translation services prices in this way, how we determine translation rates for character languages, and what is and is not included in our quotes!
Knowing what’s included in your translation costs is important to compare quotes and choose the one that best fits your needs. Language Connections is committed to providing each of our clients with transparent quoting, and individualized approaches that allow for their particular translation project needs to be covered at an affordable price.
Still have questions about our translation prices or services? Check out the resources below, or Contact A Project Manager Today!
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Video Transcript:
An Overview on Pricing A Translation Project
If you’ve ever been searching for a language provider for your company translation needs, or if you’ve ever reached out to a translation agency for personal reasons, you likely engaged in some price comparison shopping.
In doing so, you may have had questions relating to how your project’s quote was put together, or how best to compare quotes from different agencies.
In this short video, we’ll give you the inside scoop to how LSPs determine translation prices, what factors can increase or decrease your project’s cost, and how to compare your options!
What Is The Standard Pricing Method For Translation?
The majority of translation prices are determined with a word count. Agencies use specialized software that enables them to get the exact number of words in a document, as well as count repetitions that can be added to a translation glossary to increase efficiency.
Per word is considered to be the fairest way to price translation as, depending on the skill level of the translator, the same text translation could take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours.
By pricing per word, the client pays solely for the actual content and not the time labor factor, and translators are paid equally.
Translation agencies normally request you send the actual documents that require translation in order to perform a total word count using special software.
In a simple translation project, this final number is then multiplied by the translation rate per word for your target language, giving an estimated cost for the project.
How Do You Perform A Word Count For Languages That Use Characters?
While the aforementioned pricing model is straightforward for documents using Latin script, often times clients need translation for languages that use characters – such as logographic languages like Chinese or Abjad languages like Arabic.
In this case, translation prices are calculated in a slightly different manner. At Language Connections, we count the number of characters appearing in the text, and add to the price a pre-set expansion rate depending on the language.
This expansion rate accounts for the differences encountered with languages using characters versus Latin scripts.
Additional formatting and file preparation is not included in this price.
What Is Included In A Quote?
The specific items included in a given quote for translation will vary depending on the agency and your project. Many agencies will include translation, proofreading, editing, and project management costs in their quotes; however, this is not true for all LSPs.
The best way to find out what exactly you’re being charged for is to ask for a detailed breakdown of your quote from the translation agency.
What Isn’t Included In A Quote?
Sometimes a straightforward translation isn’t enough for a particular project. In this case, additional services may have to be performed that will be charged separately. Formatting, additional review, back translations, linguistic validation, and transcription are all examples of services that may be added on top of your standard translation quote.
How Do You Compare Translation Quotes?
Comparing quotes to the best of your ability is important – especially if you need to make a decision based on cost. You should not assume that a cheaper translation agency is as thorough or accurate as an agency that charges more for their translation services.
Exceptionally low rates could be indicative of hidden costs, automated or machine translation, or lower quality work.
The best way to compare translation prices is by getting a detailed breakdown of what is included in each quote, and comparing this against your own needs. You can feel confident choosing lower translation prices if you know that all the factors across the different quotes are comparable.
Is Every Project The Same?
Very rarely are two projects exactly the same, and at Language Connections we believe that this warrants an individual approach to both determining translation prices and proper translation methods for every client.
The more you know about your particular project needs beforehand, the better prepared you will be to do your research into different agency offerings, and what specifically you need out of every translation quote you receive.
From there, it’s just about choosing the quote that encompasses your language needs, at the quality you want, for the price you can afford!
About Language Connections:
Language Connections is one of the top language service companies in the US. Over the last 30 years, we’ve focused on providing the best business translation services, interpreting services, as well as interpreter training and customized language training programs. In addition to top-tier corporate language training, we offer certified corporate interpreters and professional business translation services in 200+ languages. Our network includes linguists with backgrounds in all major industries. They’re ready to meet your needs, whether they’re for technical translation services, legal translation, government translation services, international development translation services, education translation services, life sciences translation, or something else. Reach out to us today for a free quote on our cost-efficient and timely translation services, interpreters, or other linguistic services.
Language Connections Inc.
2001 Beacon Street, Suite 105,
Boston, MA 02135
Phone: +1-617-731-3510
Email: service@languageconnections.com