How much does marketing translation cost per word?

Professional marketing translation in the UK typically costs between £0.10 and £0.20 per word, depending on language pair, specialist subject matter, and service level (translation only vs. TEP — translation, editing, and proofreading). Rare language pairs and highly technical content command higher rates. Avoid providers offering rates below £0.08 per word — quality will be compromised.

What is the difference between translation-only and TEP pricing?

Translation-only (T) involves one linguist converting the source text. TEP (Translation, Editing, Proofreading) involves three quality stages — a translator, an independent editor, and a proofreader — and is the standard for professional marketing content. TEP typically costs 30–50% more than translation-only but delivers significantly higher quality and is appropriate for published marketing materials.

Are there minimum charges for translation projects?

Most professional agencies apply a minimum project charge — typically £50–£100 — to cover project management overhead on small jobs. This makes ad hoc single-page projects proportionally more expensive per word than larger-volume programmes. Consolidating content into larger batches reduces average cost.

What additional costs should I budget for?

Beyond per-word translation costs, budget for: DTP formatting (reformatting translated content into your design templates), localisation review (adapting cultural elements beyond language), project management fees for complex programmes, rush fees for express turnarounds, and any localisation technology setup costs.

How can I reduce translation costs without compromising quality?

Key cost-reduction strategies: build and maintain translation memories (reusing previously translated segments), create a terminology glossary upfront, provide source content in editable formats, consolidate volume into larger projects, prioritise content by audience impact, and avoid unnecessary style changes to source content that invalidate existing translation memory.

Pricing Guide

How Much Does Marketing Translation Cost? A Complete Price Guide

Marketing translation pricing can appear opaque — per-word rates, TEP fees, DTP charges, project minimums. This guide cuts through the complexity and gives you transparent, realistic benchmarks for budgeting your multilingual marketing programme.

Understanding Per-Word Translation Rates

The most common pricing model for marketing translation is per source word — charged against the word count of your original content. Rates vary by language pair, content complexity, turnaround, and service level.

Service Level	What's Included	Typical Rate (per word)	Best For
Translation Only	Single linguist, no review	£0.09 – £0.12	Internal or low-stakes content
Translation + Editing (TE)	Translation + independent edit	£0.13 – £0.16	Website and B2B content
TEP	Translation + Edit + Proofread	£0.15 – £0.20	Published marketing materials
Transcreation	Creative adaptation, project-based	£80–£150/hour	Slogans, campaigns, taglines
MTPE	Machine translation + human post-edit	£0.06 – £0.10	High-volume, low-stakes content

Hidden Costs to Budget For

DTP (desktop publishing) formatting — typically £30–£75/hour
Project management overhead — often 10–15% of translation cost
Express/rush surcharges — 25–50% above standard rates
Terminology glossary development — one-off project cost
Translation memory setup and maintenance
In-market review by client stakeholders — internal time cost

How to Get a Realistic Budget Estimate

For an accurate budget, you need: total source word count, target language list, service level required, turnaround timeframe, and format of source files. Provide these to any reputable agency and you should receive a fixed-price quote within 24 hours.

For ongoing programmes, a retainer arrangement often provides better value than ad hoc project pricing — agencies can allocate dedicated linguists, build translation memory efficiently, and offer volume discounts.

FAQs: Marketing Translation Pricing

Get a Fixed-Price Quote Today

No hidden charges. Transparent per-word rates and project scopes from our specialist team.