Translation rates and service quality

Translation rates should not be compared on price alone. Two quotations may look similar and yet include very different processes: translation without revision, translation with independent revision, desktop publishing, terminology management, proofreading, urgent delivery or additional technical checks.

The ISO 17100 standard helps explain this difference because it defines a professional process for translation services. A translation carried out under ISO 17100 is not based solely on the work of one translator. It includes translation, the translator's check, independent revision, project management and final verification.

That is why, when a company compares prices, it should ask what each rate includes.

How the price of a translation is calculated

The price of a translation is usually calculated from several factors. Word count is the most common one, but it is not the only one.

A translation company may assess the source language, target language, volume, subject area, file format, deadline, level of revision, repeated content, available translation memories, need for desktop publishing, urgency, certification or administrative requirements and additional services.

A medical, legal or technical text does not cost the same as a general text. Nor is it the same to translate an editable Word file, a scanned PDF, a presentation, a catalogue in InDesign or a website with metadata and forms.

Price per word

The price per word is one of the most common ways of quoting translation work.

It allows the cost to be calculated from the actual volume of the source text or, in some cases, from the translated text. In Spain and in many European markets, professional translation is usually based on the number of words in the source document when the file can be counted reliably.

This system works well with editable documents such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, XML or content exports.

It is less useful when the document is scanned, includes images, complex tables or non-editable text. In those cases, manual preparation may need to be assessed separately.

Hourly rate

The hourly rate is used when quoting per word is not practical.

It may apply to third-party translation revision, proofreading, desktop publishing, linguistic consultancy, terminology management, in-context review, quality evaluation, work on the client's platforms and editing of complex files.

For example, reviewing an already integrated website or evaluating a translation with a metric such as LISA QA Model may require an hourly rate because the work does not depend only on the number of words.

Minimum charge

Many translation companies apply a minimum charge per project.

This makes sense because even a short translation requires tasks that do not depend on volume: file reception, analysis, quotation, assignment, preparation, translation, revision, verification, delivery, invoicing and archiving.

A translation of 80 words does not take only the time needed to translate those 80 words.

Pre-production and administrative management are part of the service.

Language and language combination

The language combination affects the rate.

Not all languages have the same availability of translators, revisers and specialists. Nor do all combinations have the same demand or the same level of difficulty.

An English into Spanish translation usually has more supply than a Finnish into Spanish, Japanese into French or German into Arabic translation.

The price may also change depending on the language variant: Spanish for Spain, Spanish for Mexico, British English, US English, French for France or Portuguese for Portugal.

In professional projects, the variant is not a minor detail.

Subject specialization

Specialization is one of the most important factors.

A general text does not cost the same as a technical, medical, pharmaceutical, legal, financial or regulatory document.

In medical and pharmaceutical translation, the translator must understand clinical terminology, product documentation, trials, reports or regulatory texts.

In legal translation, the translator must understand contracts, procedures, legal systems and institutional terminology.

Specialization increases the value of the service because it requires specific professionals and appropriate revision.

Independent revision and quality

One of the main differences between rates is independent revision.

A translation conforming to ISO 17100 must be revised by a person other than the translator. This means more time, more coordination and more control.

For that reason, a translation with independent revision should not be compared directly with a translation produced by one person without a second revision.

Revision reduces risk, especially in documents that will be published, presented, signed, sent to clients, incorporated into manuals or used in internal procedures.

File format

The file format also affects the price.

An editable Word document is usually easier to prepare than a scanned PDF, an image with text, a laid-out catalogue, a presentation with many boxes, an InDesign file or a web export with tags.

The format may require preparation, text extraction, OCR, file cleaning, tag preservation, desktop publishing, visual review, final checks and checking of links or fields.

In website translation, SEO titles, meta descriptions, slugs, buttons, forms and automated messages may also need to be translated.

Translation memories and repetitions

Translation memories can affect the price when there is repeated content or reusable previous translation.

In technical projects, manuals, catalogues or recurrent documentation, there may be identical or similar segments. If the memory is well managed, it can reduce costs and improve consistency.

But not all matches should be treated in the same way.

A repeated sentence may need adaptation if the context changes. An old match may contain errors or outdated terminology. A low-quality memory can save money at the beginning and create problems later.

Technology helps, but it must be controlled.

Urgency

Urgent translations often cost more when they require resources to be reorganised, work to be done outside normal planning or several professionals to be assigned to the same project.

An urgency surcharge should not be arbitrary. It reflects an operational reality: translating and revising well in less time requires more coordination.

In sensitive work, poorly managed urgency can affect quality.

For that reason, before accepting a reduced deadline, the company must assess whether independent revision and final verification can still be maintained.

Machine translation and post-editing

Machine translation post-editing may have rates that differ from human translation.

But it should not be sold as if it were the same service.

The current edition of ISO 17100 excludes raw machine translation output plus post-editing from the service covered by the standard. For post-editing, the appropriate reference is ISO 18587.

In some projects, post-editing can reduce costs. In others, especially medical, legal, creative or high-risk texts, it may not be the right option.

The decision should be based on the final use of the content, not only on price.

Sworn translation and certified translation

Sworn, official and certified translation has its own criteria.

In Spain, a sworn translation is signed and stamped directly by a sworn translator. It is outside the ISO 17100 workflow of translation company, translator, independent reviser and project manager.

By contrast, some certified translations for international procedures can be managed by a translation company and accompanied by a certificate of accuracy. If they follow the appropriate process, they can be provided under ISO 17100.

That is why, when requesting a price, the client should always indicate where the document will be submitted.

Additional services that affect the price

In addition to translation and revision, there may be complementary services.

These include multilingual desktop publishing, subtitling, transcription, voice-over, revision of third-party translations, quality evaluation, terminology management, localization, in-context review, back-translation and proofreading.

These value-added services should be quoted separately or clearly included in the price.

If they are not specified, misunderstandings may arise.

Why the cheapest quote can become expensive

Always choosing the lowest rate can make sense for low-risk texts. It is not a good general rule.

A very low quotation may hide absence of independent revision, non-specialized translators, lack of terminology management, undisclosed use of machine translation, absence of format control, unrealistic deadlines, lack of traceability or limited support after delivery.

In important documents, the cost of correcting a poor translation can exceed the initial saving.

LinguaVox and translation rates

LinguaVox calculates each quotation according to language, volume, specialization, format, deadline, revision, technology and additional services required.

When the project requires it, LinguaVox can provide professional translation services with ISO 17100-certified processes, independent revision, terminology management, technical control and final verification.

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Frequently asked questions about translation rates

How is the price of a translation calculated?

It depends on language, volume, specialization, format, deadline, revision, urgency and additional services. In many projects it is calculated per word, but this is not always the only criterion.

Why do two agencies give very different prices?

Because they may not be quoting the same process. One may include independent revision, terminology management and final checks, while another may only include basic translation.

Does an ISO 17100 translation cost more?

It may cost more than a translation without independent revision because it includes more stages and more control. The difference depends on the type of document, language, volume and project requirements.

Do translation memories reduce the price?

They can reduce the price when there are repetitions or reusable previous translations. But matches must be checked in context to avoid inherited errors.

Does urgent translation always have a surcharge?

Not always, but it is common when the project requires resources to be reorganised or very tight deadlines to be managed. Urgency should not remove basic quality controls.

Is post-editing cheaper than human translation?

Sometimes it is, but it depends on the quality of the machine translation, the type of text and the level of revision required. It should not be confused with human translation under ISO 17100.