Free Tool
Freelance Rate Card Builder
A rate card answers the rate question before it is asked — and stops the negotiation from starting at zero. This builder turns your services into a card you can send.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type leaves your device, and nothing is stored or sent anywhere. The output is a planning aid built from the figures you enter — check the results before relying on them.
What this tool does
Enter up to three services with their hourly rate, the day rate and the project rate, and the builder formats a rate card: the services, the three rates for each, the rush multiplier for urgent work and the terms. Copy it into an email or a document and send it when a client asks for your rates — the card does the negotiating before the call.
The rates are yours; the builder only formats them. The hourly rate should come from the hourly rate calculator, the day rate is the hourly rate times the hours in your day, and the project rate is the number you would charge for a defined scope. The rush multiplier is the same for every service, because urgency costs the same whatever the work is.
Try it
Waiting. Fill in at least one service, then press Calculate.
How it works
The card lists each service with three rates — hourly, day and project-from — and a rush hourly rate, which is the hourly rate times the rush multiplier. The day rate is not computed from the hourly rate: you enter it, because a day rate usually includes a discount for a full day’s booking.
The rush multiplier applies to the hourly rate only. Project rates for rush work are quoted separately, because a rushed project changes the scope, not just the hour.
Assumptions and limitations
A rate card states prices. It does not set them.
- The rates are yours to set. The hourly rate calculator is the honest starting point; the card only formats the numbers you give it.
- A rate card is a starting point for negotiation, not a contract. The project rate is “from” because scope changes the price — the card says so, so the client is not surprised.
- Rates expire. The valid-until date is on the card for a reason: a rate card from a year ago is a promise you may not want to keep.
- A rush multiplier of 1.5 is the usual shape — urgent work displaces other work, and the multiplier is the price of that displacement.
Worked example
Example (illustrative inputs, not real rates). A two-service card with a 1.5 rush multiplier:
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Service 1 | Logo design — 40.00 hourly, 280.00 day, from 500.00 project |
| Rush hourly (service 1) | 60.00 |
| Service 2 | Brand guidelines — 35.00 hourly, 245.00 day, from 400.00 project |
| Valid until | 31 May 2027 |
Frequently asked questions
Why show three rates instead of one?
Because clients buy in different units. One client wants an hour of advice, another wants a day of work, a third wants a project with a fixed price. One rate forces the other two into a negotiation; three rates let the client pick the unit that fits.
Should the day rate be the hourly rate times eight?
Not necessarily. A full day’s booking is worth a small discount — the client commits, and you save the time of finding the next hour. The card lets you set the day rate yourself, so the discount is your choice.
What is a rush multiplier for?
Urgent work displaces other work. A 1.5 multiplier means a 40.00 hourly rate becomes 60.00 for work needed in under 48 hours — the price of moving someone else’s work. Without it, every client’s emergency becomes your unpaid overtime.
How often should I update the rate card?
At least every six months, and every time your costs or your demand change. The valid-until date on the card is the trigger: when it passes, the card is out of date and so are the rates on it.