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Poll: Do your clients typically cover the transaction fees when they make a payment to you?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Feb 9, 2015

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do your clients typically cover the transaction fees when they make a payment to you?".

This poll was originally submitted by tilakahuja. View the poll results »



 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 09:10
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Feb 9, 2015

All my clients are based in Europe, in fact all but one are in Spain, and I use electronic banking so there aren't any transaction fees. The net amount on my bills is what comes into my account.

PS: I suppose they must charge something for their services but it will be annually and not on a per-transaction basis.

[Edited at 2015-02-09 08:23 GMT]


 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 01:10
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
No Feb 9, 2015

I have a lot of transaction fees here in the U.S. Except for two clients who deposit directly to my bank account, I am almost always out on a limb. A couple of times I have persuaded a client to divide the fee, but only once in a blue moon have they agreed to cover the entire cost.

 
Augusta Habas
Augusta Habas
France
Local time: 09:10
Italian to French
+ ...
Usually no cost, otherwise shared costs Feb 9, 2015

Almost all my clients are in the SEPA area, so there are no transaction fees or maybe they don't appear in the transaction and are just on the client's side. Recently, I had a client from an Asian country, the deal was to share the fees: I pay what my bank charges, they pay what their bank charges.

 
José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 05:10
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
It depends Feb 9, 2015

For sworn translations, Brazilian law determines net rates, so if they are overseas, the fees on my side are included in the invoice. On such domestic payments, all funds transfer fees in Brazil are automatically charged to the sender.

Otherwise, transaction fees are part of the deal. While my translation rates don't change, the financial costs for e.g. PayPal (deducts 10%) or wire transfers (cost me BRL 60 per transaction) are considered upon calculating the actual price. Payment t
... See more
For sworn translations, Brazilian law determines net rates, so if they are overseas, the fees on my side are included in the invoice. On such domestic payments, all funds transfer fees in Brazil are automatically charged to the sender.

Otherwise, transaction fees are part of the deal. While my translation rates don't change, the financial costs for e.g. PayPal (deducts 10%) or wire transfers (cost me BRL 60 per transaction) are considered upon calculating the actual price. Payment term (10%/mo interest rate in Brazil) too.
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Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 09:10
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
No Feb 9, 2015

Mostly we split, but some US clients make me pay it all

[Edited at 2015-02-09 09:50 GMT]


 
Giovanna Alessandra Meloni
Giovanna Alessandra Meloni  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 09:10
Spanish to Italian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
No costs or shared costs Feb 9, 2015

As Augusta says, "Usually no cost, otherwise shared costs"

 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Yes, always Feb 9, 2015

It used to drive me crazy losing £6-12 on every invoice, but then I remembered I had a brain and put my prices up to allow for it.

And now that most bank transfers in Europe are free anyway, I'm quids in.


 
Erzsébet Czopyk
Erzsébet Czopyk  Identity Verified
Hungary
Local time: 09:10
Member (2006)
Russian to Hungarian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
once upon a time Feb 9, 2015

Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:

I have a lot of transaction fees here in the U.S. Except for two clients who deposit directly to my bank account, I am almost always out on a limb. A couple of times I have persuaded a client to divide the fee, but only once in a blue moon have they agreed to cover the entire cost.


Once upon a time there was a client who covered. He became then a regular client but he passed away due to bone cancer. He was not just a regular client but an extraordinary human being, who, when the bank he leaded, refused to make a down payment for a huge project, after a short explanation on the phone he transfered the amount from his own account.
RIP Harald Heschl, you are deeply missed.

Since then I did not meet any client like him.
Otherwise no one cares about our costs nowadays, in fact.


 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 09:10
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Other Feb 9, 2015

It varies

In most cases there are no charges, as I have accounts in Denmark and the UK, which clients can use as convenient. Some of them do state that I would otherwise have to pay the charges.

I have an agreement with one client that I add an extra line on the invoice, and he then pays the bank charge. I think he passes it on to the end client...

With another client I invoice quarterly, and then she pays the bank charge. (Only because she is one of my old
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It varies

In most cases there are no charges, as I have accounts in Denmark and the UK, which clients can use as convenient. Some of them do state that I would otherwise have to pay the charges.

I have an agreement with one client that I add an extra line on the invoice, and he then pays the bank charge. I think he passes it on to the end client...

With another client I invoice quarterly, and then she pays the bank charge. (Only because she is one of my oldest and very best clients.)

If I work for new clients in the Eurozone, the charge is quite small, but I pay it. Otherwise I set my rate for the job to cover the bank charge, as I usually end up paying it anyway!
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DianeGM
DianeGM  Identity Verified
Local time: 10:10
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
+ ...
Split Feb 9, 2015

I pay my side - they pay theirs.
What's this free transfers in Europe?
It is not free in Greece and we're still part of Europe - even if hanging on by a thread ....

[Edited at 2015-02-09 11:49 GMT]


 
Willeke Barens
Willeke Barens  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:10
Member (2004)
English to Dutch
+ ...
EU no expenses, US I pay Feb 9, 2015

My EU payments don't carry charges, so that is fine, but my clients in the US are expensive in that respect. I even lose money when depositing a 40 dollar check, for my bank will charge me 30 euros for that.
PayPal is horrendous for big amounts, so I don't accept those anymore there. Only exception is in the case of new clients, then I'd rather have the expensive payment for then I'm sure I've been paid, instead of waiting for a check.


 
Marjolein Snippe
Marjolein Snippe  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 09:10
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
+ ...
No Feb 9, 2015

Most of my clients are based in Europe, as am I, so there are no fees.
For clients elsewhere who use Paypal, I charge an extra percentage to cover Paypal fees. For those clients whose policies don't allow them (or so they claim) to pay transfer fees, I raise my translation fees so that the net result is the same.
One US client covers the transaction fees when the value of the transaction is above a certain amount, so I ask them to hold payment until the accumulated invoices amount to
... See more
Most of my clients are based in Europe, as am I, so there are no fees.
For clients elsewhere who use Paypal, I charge an extra percentage to cover Paypal fees. For those clients whose policies don't allow them (or so they claim) to pay transfer fees, I raise my translation fees so that the net result is the same.
One US client covers the transaction fees when the value of the transaction is above a certain amount, so I ask them to hold payment until the accumulated invoices amount to the required amount.
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nrichy (X)
nrichy (X)
France
Local time: 09:10
French to Dutch
+ ...
Other Feb 9, 2015

All my clients pay by direct wire transfer or by cheque drawn on a French bank, there are no costs.
This is the main reason why I don't work for clients outside the EU.


 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 09:10
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Payments within the same country are free - sometimes at least Feb 9, 2015

DianeGM wrote:
...
What's this free transfers in Europe?
It is not free in Greece and we're still part of Europe - even if hanging on by a thread ....

[Edited at 2015-02-09 11:49 GMT]


I live in Denmark and translate into English, so most of my clients are based in the UK or Denmark. Inland payments are free of charge - they simply pay my fee into my account in their country.

However, most of my clients are not in the Eurozone - I have some in other Scandinavian countries. One or two actually pay me in Euros, because that is cheaper for both of us! Transferring Swedish or Norwegian kroner to Denmark costs more, because there is a fixed maximum for Euro charges. Norway is not actually in the EU, but complies with a lot of EU regulations anyway.

It may vary from country to country, I don't know.


 
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Poll: Do your clients typically cover the transaction fees when they make a payment to you?






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