Key takeaways
- The ITI Transcreation Code of Practice says transcreation is paid by the project, by the hour or by the day, and never per word.
- A project fee should state the number of options, whether back translations and rationales are included, and how many feedback rounds are covered.
- The ITI Code notes that two feedback rounds is the common practice in transcreation.
- Brand-related costs outside the linguistic work, such as an EU trade mark (from €850 online for one class) or a UK trade mark (at least £205), belong in the same budget.
- A detailed brief is the most effective way to keep transcreation costs predictable.
This guide is for marketing and procurement teams budgeting for transcreation of slogans, campaigns, packaging or website copy in other languages. It explains the pricing models used in the industry, what drives the cost up or down, and what to put in a brief so that quotes from different providers can be compared fairly.
It does not quote prices. Transcreation work varies too much for a meaningful average, and any figure without a brief would mislead. Instead, it shows how to read and compare quotes.
Why is transcreation not priced per word?
Transcreation is not priced per word because the effort is not proportional to the length of the text. A four-word slogan can take longer than a 400-word product page, since the work involves research, brainstorming, several options and explanations.
The Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) is direct about this in its Transcreation Code of Practice:
"The pricing of transcreation is like that of copywriting and usually higher than that of the more traditional kinds of translation." (ITI, Transcreation Code of Practice)
The same Code lists the usual payment models and ends with a blunt line: "transcreation is never paid per word." Standard translation, by contrast, is often priced per word or per item; Amazon notes, for example, that listing translators "will charge by the word, while others may charge by the listing". For a fuller view of word-based pricing, see our guide to translation cost per word in the UK.
What pricing models are used for transcreation?
Transcreation is normally quoted in one of three ways, as set out in the ITI Code of Practice: a flat project fee, an hourly rate or a day rate. Each suits a different kind of work.
| Pricing model | How it works | Best suited to | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project fee (flat) | A fixed price for an agreed list of deliverables | Slogans, campaign hooks, packaging, defined launch kits | Number of options, back translations, rationales, feedback rounds and meetings included |
| Hourly rate | Billed on time spent, or on an agreed estimate of hours | Open-ended creative work, consultancy, reviews of agency copy | Estimate, cap and how changes are logged |
| Day rate | Billed on an agreed estimate of days | Larger campaigns, workshops, cultural audits | What a "day" includes and what happens if more time is needed |
| Retainer | A recurring arrangement for ongoing work | Brands with regular campaigns in the same markets | Volume covered, response times and rollover of unused time |
The ITI Code mentions retainers as an option "especially if there will be ongoing collaborations". Many projects also mix models: a project fee for the headline copy, with longer body text translated and priced per word.
What drives the cost of transcreation?
The cost of transcreation is driven by creative scope, the number of deliverables and the amount of client feedback, more than by word count. The main factors are:
- Number of options. Two options per line cost less than five. The ITI Code recommends at least two, one bolder and one safer.
- Back translations and rationales. Each option explained in English adds time but makes approval far easier.
- Feedback rounds. The ITI Code says the number of rounds "is agreed in the brief and included in the budget" and that "The common practice is two rounds."
- Cultural audit. A check of whether the concept and visuals work in each market adds analysis time, but can prevent a costly reshoot.
- Number of markets and variants. Spanish for Spain and for Mexico are separate pieces of work, as are French for France and for Canada.
- Constraints. Tight character limits, rhyme, lip-sync for video, or packaging space increase difficulty.
- Regulated sectors. Food, health, finance and alcohol claims need extra care and sometimes legal review.
- Deadline. Very short turnarounds limit options and may require more linguists.
Which related costs should a transcreation budget include?
A realistic transcreation budget includes the costs around the copy, not only the linguistic work. Leaving them out is a common reason international launches overrun.
- Brand name checks and trade marks. The EUIPO states that "The basic online fee of €850 covers 1 class of goods or services", and GOV.UK says registering a UK trade mark "costs at least £205". See our guide to checking a brand name across languages.
- Design and artwork changes. New copy often needs resized layouts, new image text and fresh proofs.
- Voice-over and video. Transcreated scripts need recording, timing and subtitling.
- Legal review. Claims in regulated sectors may need local legal sign-off.
- Testing. Budget for A/B testing of key lines in each market.
How do you get an accurate transcreation quote?
You get an accurate transcreation quote by sending a full brief, so the provider is pricing the real work rather than guessing. The ITI Code notes that inadequate briefs force transcreators to "guess the thinking that went before, which is time-consuming". Include the following:
- The source copy, with the visuals, layout or video it belongs to.
- The campaign objective and target audience in each market.
- Brand guidelines, tone of voice and any copy that must stay unchanged.
- The list of markets and language variants.
- Character limits, formats and channels.
- The number of options you want and whether you need back translations and rationales.
- How many feedback rounds you expect and who will review.
- Your deadline and launch date.
When you compare quotes, compare deliverables, not totals. A cheaper quote with one option and no back translation is not the same service as one with three options, rationales and two rounds of revisions.
How can you keep transcreation costs under control?
You can control transcreation costs by reserving it for the copy that needs it and by preparing the source well. Practical ways to save include:
- Transcreate the hooks, translate the rest. Headlines, slogans and calls to action get creative treatment; specifications and legal text are translated.
- Write a localisation-friendly master. Avoid concepts that depend entirely on English wordplay.
- Prioritise markets. Start with the markets that bring the most revenue and expand later.
- Keep records. Approved lines, rationales and glossaries reduce work on future campaigns; see why glossaries and style guides matter.
- Consolidate feedback. One set of comments per round from the client side avoids extra rounds.
What are the common mistakes when buying transcreation?
The most common mistake is asking for a per-word quote for creative work. The ITI Code warns that clients "asking for quotes per word rather than basing budgets on the complexity of the work at hand" has squeezed professional transcreators. Other mistakes include:
- Buying "transcreation" that is really translation with light editing, with no options or rationales.
- Leaving the number of feedback rounds undefined, which leads to disputes.
- Forgetting design, voice-over and legal costs in the budget.
- Rushing the work, which the ITI Code says can compromise the return on the original campaign.
To judge whether the spend is paying off, see how to measure the ROI of translation and localisation. For an overview of when transcreation is needed at all, read transcreation vs translation, and for slogan-specific work see translating marketing slogans and taglines.
How TranslationWorks can help with transcreation pricing
TranslationWorks is a UK-based translation agency that provides transcreation of slogans, campaigns, packaging and website copy through native-speaking linguists in more than 150 languages. TranslationWorks is certified to ISO 17100, the international standard for translation services. Our transcreation services start from your brief, so the quote reflects the number of markets, options and feedback rounds you actually need. Where body copy can be translated rather than transcreated, we say so, which keeps creative effort where it matters; our translation services cover that part. We do not publish fixed transcreation prices because every brief differs. Send your source copy, markets and deadline through our free quote form for a quote within 24 hours.
