For Services Rendered

by Caitilin Walsh

Good payment practices can make the difference between healthy relationships with language professionals and a poor reputation in the industry. Here are a few guidelines toward developing good payment practices:

Make timely payment a habit. Translators and interpreters generally take on work with the understanding that they will be paid promptly and according to any agreement you may have, either written or oral. Failure to pay promptly will seriously jeopardize their willingness to work for you in the future. Avoid misunderstandings with a clear written contract that outlines terms of payment.

Remember that payment is not conditioned on your receipt of funds from another source. The translator or interpreter did not agree to accept your business risk when they accepted work from you, nor should they have to wait until you normalize your relationship with your client.

Be prepared to pay late fees for late payments. If you must pay late, pay this fee gracefully. It is common practice to levy a percentage on payments not received within an acceptable time period. This amount is usually stipulated on the original invoice.

Your reputation is an important asset to your business, and a history of late or non-payment can undermine your hard-earned standing in the professional community. Equally important to your success is the ability to attract quality translators and interpreters, and many language professionals will simply not accept work if they fear they will not be paid. When you consider that without good language professionals, your business simply cannot thrive, poor payment practices just don’t add up.