|
How To Receive Payment as a Freelance Translator?A problem most freelance translators are facing with is how to receive payment. In particular: How to receive payment for small jobs. Many translation agencies are reluctant to pay small fees via wire transfer due to the transaction fees; often they will send you a check instead. And I suppose I don't have to tell you: The banks charge an enormous commission when you come and want to cash in your check. Then along came PayPal ? Basically PayPal lets you send and receive payment over the Internet. It bases its service on the existing bank and credit card networks, but it is not a bank in itself. Registering is free; all you need is an email address. Sending money is free - receiving money however, is not. You pay 3.4 % of the received amount unless you are receiving dollars; in this case you pay 2.9 % of the received amount. Then you have to pay a flat fee for each transaction: 0.35 Euros or 0.30 Dollars. In addition you have to pay a cross boarder fee of 0.5 % - 1.0 % if you receive payment from someone located in another country. Then you have to pay a small fee when you withdraw your money to your regular bank account. (Unless your bank is located in the United States; then you don't have to pay this fee.) How much this is depends on the country you are located in. I for instance live in Switzerland and have to pay 0.50 CHF to withdraw to my account. Banks in countries within EU, except the United Kingdom, all charge 1.0 Euro. Lets have a look at an example. I perform a small translation and charge a minimum fee of 20 Euro. 3.4 % of 20 Euro is 0.68 Euro, plus the flat fee of 0.35 Euro. Add the cross boarder fee of 1%, which is 0.20 Euro. So, of my 20 Euros PayPal takes 1.20 Euros. In addition comes the fee of 0.50 CHF for withdrawing the money to my regular bank account. If the agency sent me a check instead of using PayPal, my bank would charge 7.50 CHF (4.80 Euros) for cashing the check for me. Each bank has its own fees for cashing checks and receiving wire transfers. But for smaller amounts PayPal is definitely the cheapest way of accepting payment. You will have to do a small calculation and see how large amounts you can receive before the PayPal fees exceed the fees your bank charges. But is it safe? Most freelance translators using this way of receiving payment are satisfied with the service and have had no problem with PayPal. I have only heard of one-two translators having their accounts frozen by PayPal for no legitimate reason. Some negative aspects of PayPal The problems with PayPal only start when you have a problem, so to speak. Resolving a problem can be very time-consuming and frustrating, and in many cases no solution is reached. Their customer support is not exactly something to brag about. It is very difficult to get behind their wall of auto responders and answering machines! Another thing to be aware of are scams. There are numerous scams around, from people sending out emails pretending to be from PayPal asking you to confirm your credit card numbers, to hackers going in to your account and spending all your money. Other negative aspects of PayPal are that it is not available in all countries and you can only receive payment in a few currencies. By using PayPal you take a large risk compared to using the normal banking system. The chance of loosing your money is there. At the moment there are several lawsuits filed against PayPal and a lot of people who have lost money and not received any compensation. Have a look at these web sites: http://www.paypalwarning.com A few tips for using PayPal The majority of the people having problems with PayPal are people selling items via auctions etc. Some examples: Payment is cashed from the buyers account and not transferred to the sellers account. A buyer uses a stolen credit card number to purchase items from you and your account risk being frozen for being involved with criminal activity. As long as you use PayPal to receive money and don't connect you PayPal account to a credit card the risk is relatively low. In the worst case you could lose the money available on you PayPal account, threw whatever reason: hackers getting in to your account, PayPal freezing your account etc. Having read a few of the horror stories about PayPal, I am very cautious using their system. But I still use it for receiving small payments. Basically out of lack of alternatives. PayPal was the first company to offer this kind of service, and for a long time it was the only company providing this service. In the last year or so a few other companies have started providing the same service or very similar services. Most of them are very new companies and still not industry standard. When I ask agencies if they pay via Moneybookers for instance, they have never heard of this. But many of them can offer payment threw PayPal. I am sure there soon will be very good alternatives. But for nowit seems we are stuck with PayPal whether we like it or not. Guidelines for using PayPal The only advice I can give is to be careful using PayPal. Here are some tips to help minimize the risk of loosing money threw PayPal. 1. Only receive smaller amounts through PayPal. 2. Never leave large amounts on your PayPal account: Withdraw your money as soon as you have a couple of hundred Euros/Dollars. 3. Log in to your account and check that everything is ok each time you expect to receive payment. 4. Be prepared to lose the money on your account. Get more info at Vertaalbureau Metamorfose Vertalingen Khalid Belamdini is a freelance webmaster working at Vertaalbureau Metamorfose Vertalingen |  | | | RELATED ARTICLES Cross Cultural Interviews At this moment in time, the increase in cross border human traffic has meant that companies are no longer dealing with a homogenous native community from which they recruit their staff. Companies are now facing cross cultural challenges in how they recruit, manage and develop a multi-cultural staff. One area of note where HR and management are finding difficulties is in the interview room. Are You a Nice Person? What Companies are Looking for in Recruiting and Retaining Great People Hal Rosenbluth, author of The Customer Comes Second, states; "In our selection process, kindness, caring, compassion, and unselfishness carry more weight than years on the job, an impressive salary history, and stacks of degrees." Freelance Work: The Changing Face of Employment The world sure is changing, and if you look at job employment you will see what I mean. Let's just go back to our grandparent's generation, even though I'm sure if we went back further we would see very different structures of work in the tribal periods of our history. Our grandparents usually found a skill, and then used that one skill to work for their whole career. An example is my grandfather who was a salesman for the same suit company for 44 years. There is nothing wrong with this. His job was secure; he knew there would be a superannuating fund when he retired, and that there would always be food on the table for his family. These days in the 21st century things have changed, and they are still changing rapidly as we speak. Dressing Tips for Interview Success Dressing appropriately for job interviews is one of those areas that puzzles some people. Losing Your Job Without Losing Yourself When we lose our jobs, no matter the reason, we lose a big part of our identity. Think of the last several times you met new people. After names are exchanged and polite comments made on whatever event you are attending, the question quickly arises: "What do you do?" When the Teacher Becomes the Student A relationship expert once said that during an argument, there's usually three sides to every story: his side, her side, and of course, the truth. Career in the Toilet? Individuals not within their target career field may feel insecure, doubtful, or maybe even ashamed of their current job title. Career changers make up a large portion of the job-searching population. Although people (in general) are "creatures of habit," they thrive for change ? especially when unhappy in their current position or industry. Continuing with educational goals or transferring to another industry can alleviate these feelings, yet shouldn't be the only remedy administered. Layoff Survival Guide - Do You Have The Career Management Horsepower It Will Take To Survive? In a recent survey of over 662 career seekers, some disturbing trends identified that MOST career seekers don't have a clue what career management skills they have or what those skills are! As a result, it will be difficult for these career seekers to succeed. How to Get Hired by Being Obvious If you want a drink of water, do you hire a focus group or pick up the Yellow Pages? No. You go to the kitchen, fill a glass and drink. You take the shortest route to fill your need. Searching for an Executive Job A job search for executives is far less complicated today than it has been in the past. Anyone who is looking for an executive job can simply look to the Internet where there are hundreds of employment websites, with many specifically geared towards executives. These websites offer individuals the opportunity to network with other executives in order to share ideas, offer communication about opportunities and support that can be useful during a job search. Get a Raise: How To Ask Your Boss For More Money How many people do you know who think they deserve a pay rise, but are too scared to ask? You might even be one of those people! Why is it we are afraid to ask for what we believe we are worth? It's time to stop worrying and start asking, but before you charge into your boss's office give yourself the best chance of success with these helpful tips?then book that meeting with the boss. Does Your Resume Lack Vision? You're just getting over the shock of having become unemployed. You know you need to begin a job search, but you may not know the best way to proceed, or where to start. Hello Work World, Im Un-Retiring For many years, you looked forward to that day when you would bid the world of work a fond farewell and ride off into the sunset of your golden years. Match, Meet, and Mesmerize at a Job Fair Are you considering another trip through the career maze? Attending a job fair can make you feel like you are playing a losing game unless you have a clear understanding of the rules. Here are a few suggestions for making the most of any job fair, and gaining a competitive edge. So, Why Dont You Tell Me About Yourself? "So, why don't you tell me about yourself?" is the most frequently asked interview question. It's a question that most interviewees expect and the one they have the most difficulty answering. Though one could answer this open-ended question in a myriad of ways, the key to answering this question or any other interview question is to offer a response that supports your career objective. This means that you shouldn't respond with comments about your hobbies, spouse, or extra curricular activities. Trust me, interviewers aren't interested. Building Your Army of Supporters: How to Build Strategic Relationships in the Work Place! Once you have accomplished your task of getting in the door and getting the job the real job of career advancement begins! Recruiting on the Web Requires Special Record Keeping for Legal Purposes With the age of the Internet upon us, recruiting methods have expanded dramatically. Staffing companies now regularly use the Web to locate qualified candidates for their open positions.The most common methods include searching Job Boards and Corporate Websites. Job Boards, whether belonging to the staffing company or otherwise, allow recruiters to post specific positions, asking applicants to submit their resumes or follow a link to a registration page on their website. Corporate Websites are now allowing recruiters to post jobs for general or specific positions and permitting candidates to register with the Staffing Company and/or apply for a specific position. How to Pick the Best Career For You , Part 2: From Exposure-to-Opportunity Gain an audience by recognizing opportunityThere's a sexier method to salsa into a great career with less tripping and more flair. Look for problems to solve and create a personalized solution. Find those challenges by spotting company movement of any kind, whether the change is good, bad or ugly. If you do this, you'll capitalize on an opportunity to be heard and get that coveted invitation to dance in the king's court. How To Find Your Dream Job Here's the bottom line: many people work in jobs that aren't what they want or are less than they deserve. F-E-A-R in the Job Search! Fear in starting a job search is a four letter word! Like any other four letter word, the word itself can create more fear, and some- times self-loathing! |
|
|
Copyright © Advancing Women (TM), 1996- 