rate cards

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralbusiness

   A printed or online list showing the prices a company charges for its services, especially advertising or freelance work.

   Grammar: Almost always plural; the singular 'rate card' refers to one such list.

   Patterns

   • a rate card for something
   • publish/issue a rate card
   • according to the rate card

   The magazine sent us its rate cards for full-page ads.

   Freelancers often put their rate cards on their websites so clients know the cost up front.

   According to the rate card, a thirty-second spot costs $4,000.

2. 2nouncountablebusiness

   A single such price list, seen as one document.

   Grammar: Used when you mean one document: 'a rate card', 'the rate card'.

   Patterns

   • a rate card
   • the rate card for something

   Could you email me a rate card for next season?

   Their rate card hasn't changed since January.

Word forms

Common combinations

advertising rate card

The advertising rate card lists prices for each page position.

media rate card

Radio stations update their media rate cards every year.

publish a rate card

The agency published a rate card so clients could budget.

standard rate card

We charge the standard rate card price for new clients.

rate card rates

Their rate card rates are lower than ours.

Synonyms and how they differ

price list

More general: any list of prices for goods or services, not only media or freelance work.

fee schedule

Used especially in professional and legal contexts for a formal list of charges.

Word family

rate noun

The amount charged or paid for something.

rate verb

To judge or classify something, or to be considered in a certain way.

Commonly confused: rate cards or rate card?

Practice

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