Payment terms and deposits for translators
Typical terms: 30 days is common with agencies; some agencies pay at the end of the following month.
Deposits: Upfront for private clients and certified documents.
Agree your terms in writing before you start. The late payment clause generator writes them for you.
What to include on a translator's invoice
Specific to your work
- Language pair, word count and rate, and the agency's job or PO number.
- Your agency vendor ID, if they gave you one.
Every UK invoice needs
- Your name or business name, address and contact details — and if you're a limited company, its registered name and number.
- The client's name and address (for a company, its exact registered name — check it here).
- A unique, sequential invoice number, and the invoice date.
- A clear description of the work, the date(s) supplied and the amount for each item.
- The total, the due date and how to pay (bank details or a payment link).
- If you're VAT-registered: your VAT number, the VAT rate and amount — use the VAT calculator.