Invoice Template for Translators

Translators invoice across borders as a matter of routine: a Spanish agency today, a German software firm tomorrow, each with its own currency, date conventions, and PO numbers. Speed Invoices handles that gracefully — 46 currencies, 7 date formats, and a free invoice template you fill in online and download as a PDF. No signup, no watermark, and confidential client names never leave your browser.

How translation work appears on an invoice

The per-word rate rules the industry, but real invoices mix several units:

• Translation, EN→DE — 8,400 words @ per-word rate (source word count, stated explicitly)
• Revision / editing — 6 hrs @ hourly rate
• MTPE (machine translation post-editing) — usually a reduced per-word rate
• Proofreading — per word or per page
• Rush surcharge — commonly +25–50% for same-day or weekend delivery
• Minimum fee — for jobs under ~300 words
• Certified translation — per document, plus postage if a stamped hard copy ships

Always state whether the count is source or target words in the line description — it's the most common billing dispute in the profession, and one sentence eliminates it. Rich-text descriptions give you the room.

Agency work vs direct clients

• Agencies send a PO for every job and expect the PO number on your invoice; most pay on 30-, 45-, or even 60-day terms. Many prefer one consolidated monthly invoice listing each job and PO as its own line — the template handles as many lines as you need.
• Direct clients pay faster and at better rates, but need clearer invoices: spell out the language pair, the deliverable, and the word count, because nobody is translating your invoice for them.
• Large projects (books, website localisation) justify a deposit or staged payments per batch delivered.

The tip that shortens payment terms

Invoice the same day you deliver, and put the agreed payment terms on the invoice itself. With 45-day agency terms, every day you delay invoicing is a day added on top. Deliver the files at 4pm, send the PDF at 4:05. Fast, consistent invoicing also marks you as a professional agencies want to keep — the same discipline that serves any freelancer.

Made for multi-currency work

Set the invoice currency per client, match their preferred date format, and let automatic totals apply any tax you need to add. Your logo and a clean PDF template do the rest — no watermark, because the free version is genuinely free.

Deliver the invoice with the files

Type the job details straight onto the template, download the PDF, and attach it to your delivery email — free, no account.