TRANSLATION PRICING
GPAC can accomodate many language combinations. We deal directly with the translators to ensure you get the best quality product at the best price.
All of our translation pricing includes:
Use of one or several native, educated and experienced translators
Use of a second translator in each language to edit and proofread each file
General formatting in commonly used software programs (Word, Wordperfect, Excel)
Project and file management
All administration and management
Our rates include all of the above services. Additional charges may be incurred when translating with Desktop Publishing tools such as Quark, FrameMaker, Pagemaker, Illustrator and InDesign. These costs will be defined prior to the start of each project.
FACTORS THAT DETERMINE THE PRICE OF A TRANSLATION
Pricing for translation projects is determined by several factors:
The number of Source words
Complexity of the subject matter
Language combination
The time required to complete the assignment
When working with clients on an ongoing basis, the price of the translation is usually agreed upon at the beginning of the initial engagement for each language and for each type of project (establishing certain prices for letters, financial statements, advertising brochures, etc.). This helps to save on administrative time and costs for both our company and the client. When you request a free, no obligation quote, we will provide specific pricing for your particular language requirements.
The first and primary factor in determining pricing is the number of Source words in the document. A source language refers to the document’s original language and the target language refers to the language into which the document will be translated. As a general rule and common industry standard, when translating to the Romance languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, etc.) from English, the target word count will normally be about 20% higher than the source word count. Since we charge for the source words, you will have a more accurate cost estimate for each project.
Translation pricing (price per word) also depends on the level of complexity of each document. For example, a general business letter (with non-technical terms) will be priced lower than a technical patent or medical related text, a complex legal contract, a pharmaceutical relate documents or a software manual. A general letter will be priced at the lowest price per word while complex legal documents and highly technical text will be at a higher price.
The language combinations or pairs will be a factor in calculating the price of a translation project. Western European languages tend to be less costly, while Asian languages are higher due to complexity involved with the characters and the limited quality linguistic resources.
Another key component to pricing is the factor related to the delivery time requirements. Normal turnaround times based on total word count are listed below.
Word Counts – Per Language
Turnaround Times
Between 0 and 10,000 words
8 days
Between 10,000 and 20,000 words
15 days
Between 20,000 and 50,000 words
20 days
Between 50,000 and 100,000 words
25 days
Between 100,000 and 500,000 words
45 days
Between 500,000 and 1,000,000 words
60 days or more
Above 1,000,000
to be discussed with client
A translation project that needs to be delivered in a shorter time frame than those listed may carry up to a 50% charge above the normal rates. At GPAC, we have the staff and resources to accommodate your rush projects. Timing is one of the first elements discussed prior to bidding for a project. GPAC will work with your team to structure a delivery schedule that will maximize quality and minimize rush costs. If need be, we will deliver projects on a rolling basis with the most important documents being delivered first.
PRICE PER SOURCE WORD AND TARGET PAGE
The pricing for translation projects could be done on a flat fee basis, such as price per page or hourly rate. However, this is not an industry standard nor is it recommended for many reasons. First, as every document is different, the number of words per page can vary significantly. Also, many countries use different sizes of paper. As for hourly rates, each translator has their own pace. More experienced translators tend to translate faster, while less experienced translators take longer. For the sake of transparency and budgeting, a price per word methodology is a much more reliable and predictable way to ensure fair and accurate pricing.
At GPAC, we always try to implement a pricing methodology that is fair and clear to the client. Hence, we always recommend a price per word methodology for translation services.
Editing and proofreading are related services and can be priced separately in specific cases. In particular, if you had a translation performed by another company or person, we can provide you with an Editing and Proofing rate that is lower than a full translation. Normally, the cost to edit and proofread is 50% less than fully translating the text.
Our normal per word pricing for a fully translated text includes translation, editing and proofing (TEP) by separate qualified linguists.
The pricing for DeskTop Publishing Services and Website Localization projects are handled differently and are based on the number of target pages. Again, this is an industry standard and the most efficient way to ensure a clear and predictable bid.
We stand by all translations performed by our translators. If you are not completely satisfied with one of our translations, we will work with you and/or your team until it meets your complete satisfaction.
BILLING
GPAC normally requires partial payment upfront and the remaining upon delivery of the final product. For clients with demonstrated good credit or have a good payment history, we can bill in arrears on a monthly basis. Notwithstanding the above, GPAC will work with your company on a case-by-case basis to accommodate your billing needs.