| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: Do you request payment in advance from new clients? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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DianeGM 
Local time: 01:39
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
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Anyway, does that mean payment in advance in the sense of making payment before they received the translation? Or does that mean COD?
In either case, I never ask, I don't think it a reasonable request.
After all, I'd never pay anyone doing any kind of work for me before I'd seen and was happy with the results either.
[Edited at 2013-10-11 15:49 GMT]
[Edited at 2013-10-11 15:57 GMT]
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Big project, new client, no record of payment practices: surely I do.
Couldn't care less if the client thinks I don't trust him, peace of mind is more important to me. And yes, I was paid in front sometimes.
The problem is that some translators are too timid to ask for it, and get burnt afterwards (IMO, this applies mainly to newbies who are desperate to get any kind of work).
| | | | Jeff Whittaker
United States
Local time: 18:39
Spanish to English
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| Yes, of course! | Oct 11, 2013 |
Why wouldn't you?
| | | | | A couple of times | Oct 11, 2013 |
If they're in a position to issue a *purchase order*, I wouldn't dream of asking for a partial advance, but it's a different story with private individuals "off the street" who appear to have no history working with translators.
Teresa Borges wrote:
I did it only once, but it was more to "take the temperature" of the client than to really request an advance payment and like Christine I don't take on large jobs from new clients as a rule.
I like the phrase "take the temperature." In my case I've asked for a 25% to 50% deposit about three times with new private individuals. They obliged willingly and paid the balance (via PayPal) immediately on receipt of the translation. In each case, I think they were eager to show they could be trusted.
Last year I took on a large job (40 pages) from an independent translator (not a ProZ member) who doesn't work into English in the particular field in question. Since she was a translator, I didn't ask for a deposit and was delighted when she made her payment within minutes after I delivered.
But I haven't always been that lucky. Twice I've taken on jobs without asking for a deposit (in each case, an academic hoping to get published in English) when the client canceled after I'd done quite a bit of work. I can't help but wonder: would they have been less casual about canceling if I had asked for a deposit in advance?
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| for private clients | Oct 12, 2013 |
yes, I agree...although I probably wouldn't take a very large project from a private client I'd never worked with before.
I did get an advance for a very large editing project from a new client (software manual). They actually offered it because they knew it was a large project.
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 07:39
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| Once or twice | Oct 12, 2013 |
On very few occasions.
I agree with another post here that there is no need to ask for an advance if the customer issues you a PO, which is in itself a promise to pay.
A couple of years back, I did ask for advance payment of 1/2 of a big project (i.e. 7-figure sum, Japanese yen, that is).
This was a new client and I had absolutely no qualms  about doing this. This was because my request wa... See more On very few occasions.
I agree with another post here that there is no need to ask for an advance if the customer issues you a PO, which is in itself a promise to pay.
A couple of years back, I did ask for advance payment of 1/2 of a big project (i.e. 7-figure sum, Japanese yen, that is).
This was a new client and I had absolutely no qualms about doing this. This was because my request was 100% in line with the payment conditions the client imposed on its its own customers -- they were an online printing company and they insisted on 100% payment up front before accepting and printing an order. No exceptions whatsoever! Of course, they didn't (and couldn't) refuse.
Maybe we could all benefit by adopting this payment schedule across the board and making it the standard for our profession.
Food for thought  ▲ Collapse
| | | | Suzan Hamer
Netherlands
Local time: 00:39
English
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Marius Reika wrote:
Big project, new client, no record of payment practices: surely I do.
For instance, if it's a book, I request partial payment (a third or a half) up front, the rest to be paid later, usually by the time I return the completed work.
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