Freelance Service Pricing Basics
Not sure how to price your first service? Use simple rules to avoid working for free and keep your offer clear and fair.
By the Hylance editorial team · Updated
Key takeaways
- Don’t list a service for less than what fairly covers your time.
- Compare five sellers with experience close to yours, then price in the middle with a clearer scope or faster turnaround.
- Make rush delivery, extra revisions, and source files paid add-ons.
- Review your price and scope after every ten completed orders.
At the beginning, the goal is to get your first orders and reviews. But that does not mean working for free. Here’s what you need to start with confidence.
The minimum-price rule
Never offer a service for less than what fairly covers your time, no matter the reason. A very low price attracts the hardest clients and lowers your value in their eyes.
Start in the middle, not at the bottom
Look at five sellers in your field with experience close to yours, then place your price in the middle with a clearer scope or a faster turnaround. It is easier to stand out through clarity than through price.
Make add-ons paid
- Rush delivery within 24 hours.
- Extra revision rounds after the two included rounds.
- Source files or additional formats.
Review your price every ten orders
After every ten completed orders, ask yourself: Did the actual time match what I expected? Did clients keep asking for something outside the scope? Adjust your price or scope based on the answer, not on instinct.
Example: pricing your first service
Let’s say you write social media posts. Writing ten posts with revisions takes you five hours. If you decide your minimum acceptable hourly rate is SAR 40 (about $11), then the minimum price for the service is SAR 200 (about $53). You research the market and find sellers with experience close to yours offering the same service for between SAR 150 (about $40) and SAR 350 (about $93). So you price yours at SAR 220 (about $59), and stand out by delivering within three days and including a ready-to-use posting schedule with the posts.
Notice the order: you calculated your minimum first, then looked at the market, then chose what makes you different. If you had started from other people’s prices, you might have offered the service for SAR 100 (about $27) and lost money on every order.
What should you include in the basic scope?
- Quantity: number of posts, pages, or templates.
- Turnaround time in days.
- Number of included revision rounds.
- Delivery format.
- What you need from the client before you start.
A written scope is what makes the price understandable. Without it, the client assumes everything is included, and you assume the request is smaller than they expect.
Should you offer a discount to your first clients?
A limited introductory discount for a set period or a set number of orders is fine if it helps you get your first reviews, with two conditions: the price must not fall below your minimum, and you should state in the description that it is an introductory price. Free work “for experience” teaches the client that your time has no value, and makes it harder to raise your price with them later.
Mistakes beginners make
- Accepting every order, even when it is far outside what you do well. A service you are not good at takes twice the time and often ends with a weak review.
- Changing your price in messages with every client. Put the price in the description and stick to it.
- Promising a short deadline to seem faster than others, then missing it.
- Leaving the number of revisions open-ended.
- Comparing yourself with a seller who has hundreds of reviews. Compare yourself with sellers at your stage.
When should you move on from your starting price?
When you have completed around ten orders with good reviews, or when your time starts filling up with orders. Raise your price in small steps for new clients, and watch the effect of each increase on your order count before making the next one. If orders drop sharply, review your description and examples before putting the price back where it was.
Include the platform commission in your pricing
What the client pays is not what you receive. Subtract the platform commission listed on the rules and policies page to find the net amount for each order, then make sure that net amount does not fall below your minimum.
Questions to ask yourself before publishing your price
- How many hours does this service really take me, including messages and revisions?
- Does the price cover those hours at a rate I accept?
- Can the client clearly understand from the description what they get for this price?
- What do I offer that is clearer or faster than sellers at my stage?
- Can I complete five orders at this price in one week without quality dropping?
If you hesitate on any answer, adjust the scope before the price. Reducing the scope is easier than cutting the price, and it protects the value of your time.
What if no orders come in?
Do not make a price cut your first reaction. Review things in this order: Does the title mention a clear result? Does the service include examples similar to what you are selling? Does the description answer the questions clients are likely to ask? Have you shared the link with people who actually need the service? In most cases, you will find the reason in one of these before it comes down to price. And if you review all of them and nothing changes after a few weeks, try a smaller scope at a lower price instead of lowering the price of the same scope.
Services to help you price and get started
Product and service pricing based on cost and break-even point
- Business
- New service
One-on-One Consultation: Problem Diagnosis and Written Action Plan
- Consulting
- New service
Practical Session: Build a Client Attraction System
- Digital Marketing
- New service
Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge for my first service?
Look at five sellers in your field with experience close to yours, then place your price in the middle with a clearer scope or a faster turnaround.
Should I start with a very low price to attract clients?
No. A very low price attracts the hardest clients and lowers your value in their eyes. Don’t go below what fairly covers your time.
What should I price as separate add-ons?
Rush delivery within 24 hours, extra revision rounds after the two included rounds, and source files or additional formats.
Ready to put this into practice?
Browse Business services on Hylance and order what your business needs, with escrow that protects both sides. Or create an account and list your first service in minutes.
