Rate card
A published list of an agency's standard hourly or daily rates by role, used as a starting point for quotes and negotiations.
For example, an agency's rate card lists $180/hour for strategy, $140 for design and $120 for production. It anchors negotiations and keeps quotes consistent, even though most projects are ultimately sold as a fixed fee or value-based price.
Why it matters to your firm: a rate card sets a consistent, defensible anchor for pricing conversations and stops quotes drifting based on who prepared them. Even agencies that sell on value keep one, because it underpins blended rates and justifies the numbers when a client pushes back.
What a rate card includes
- Each role or seniority level
- The rate per unit (hour, day or project)
- What the rate includes
- Any minimum engagement
- A validity or review date
Common mistakes
- Publishing rates you immediately discount, training clients to haggle.
- One blended rate that ignores role and seniority.
- Never updating it as costs and demand rise.