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Translation Invoice PDF: Word Counts, Rates and Project Fees

September 26, 2026

A translation invoice can look straightforward while hiding an important question: which words are being counted? Source text, translated text, repeated segments and minimum project fees can produce different totals. The invoice should make the agreed billing basis visible.

State the language pair, project reference and the word-count method used for the price. Add separately agreed services, such as proofreading or formatting, only when they are outside the original translation fee. You can present the charges with our invoice PDF generator.

Agree the count before you calculate the invoice

Start with the accepted quotation or purchase order. If the price is based on source words, use the source count agreed for that project. Do not switch to the translated word count simply because it is larger or easier to retrieve.

For files with tables, captions or text embedded in images, confirm whether that content is included in the scope and count. A number copied from a word processor may not capture every element of a complex file. Retain the count or project report used for the agreement.

Write a useful translation description

A description such as “English to Spanish translation — product guide PG-07 — 2,400 source words” gives the customer a practical way to verify the bill. Add a file version or delivery reference when multiple drafts exist.

Avoid inserting confidential source passages into the invoice. The document needs enough information to identify the assignment, but the original text usually belongs in the project files rather than the billing description.

A worked per-word invoice example

Suppose a translator agrees to translate 2,400 source words at USD 0.08 per word. The customer also separately approves a fixed USD 35 layout-adjustment service. The figures below exclude taxes and other adjustments.

ServiceCalculationAmount
Translation — agreed source count2,400 × USD 0.08USD 192
Separately approved layout adjustment1 × USD 35USD 35
Total before applicable adjustmentsUSD 227

The unit rate is eight cents per word, not eight dollars. Check decimal places carefully before generating the PDF. A small-looking rate-entry error becomes substantial when multiplied by thousands of words.

When the agreement uses a minimum or fixed fee

If a short project has an agreed minimum charge of USD 40, do not present the invoice as though a lower per-word calculation is the final payable amount. Describe the agreed minimum clearly, for example “Short-document translation — minimum project fee.”

For a fixed project price, enter one project at the agreed amount. The word count can remain in the description to explain scope, but do not add a second payable per-word row for the same work. Where translation-memory discounts or different segment rates apply, follow the agreed rate schedule and keep its supporting calculation.

Clarify proofreading, formatting and revisions

Translation, proofreading and desktop publishing may be separate services or parts of one package. The invoice should reflect your actual agreement. Do not add a proofreading charge merely because you reviewed your own translation as part of delivery.

Likewise, distinguish corrections within the agreed service from new source material or additional revisions approved later. An extra row should identify the additional scope and its approval reference. Use the quote PDF generator to set out the price of new work before starting it.

Create and check the finished PDF

  1. Add your business and customer details.
  2. Enter the invoice number, currency and payment dates.
  3. Describe the language pair, project and billing basis.
  4. Enter the agreed quantity and rate, or use one fixed-fee project row.
  5. Add separately approved extras and useful references.
  6. Generate the document, save it as a PDF and reopen it.

Check the saved document against the accepted scope, count and rate. If the customer needs a PO number or a specific submission reference, add it before sending the invoice.

Frequently asked questions

Should I invoice source words or target words?

Use the method agreed with the customer. Neither label should be left ambiguous when it affects the calculation.

How do I show two language pairs?

Use separate rows with each pair, count and rate. Do not combine them into one unexplained quantity if the rates differ.

Prepare your translation invoice PDF with an explicit count basis and charges the customer can check.

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