ProZ.com frequently asked questions


Membership

Main

  • 1 - Membership: general

    There are currently two membership types available: Professional membership (for freelancers and other individuals) and Business membership (for translation companies).

    Professional members can purchase one of two available membership packages: the Standard service package, and the Plus service package (introduced in 2016).

    Business members can purchase one of three available membership packages: Standard, Plus, and Enterprise Business packages.

    You may also be interested in:

  • 1.1 - Am I considered a member of ProZ.com if I do not pay?

    No. The term member is reserved for those who purchase membership subscriptions.


  • 1.2 - How can I pay for membership?

    You may pay for your membership with one of the following methods:


    • Credit Card
    • Paypal
    • Skrill
    • 2Checkout
    • Skrill
    • TransferWise
    • Wire Transfer
    • Check or Money Order
    • Wallet credit

    To purchase your membership:

    1. Go to the Membership page
    2. Click the Purchase now button below your chosen membership package
    3. Follow the instructions on subsequent pages to pay for your membership

    Please know that depending on which payment type you use, your membership status might not be upgraded the same day. For example, if you pay by wire transfer, it could take up to 2 weeks before we receive your payment. Also, please note that prices may be higher when using other payment methods other than credit cards or PayPal.


  • 1.3 - How much does membership cost?

    See membership types and service packages options, their prices and benefits here.

    Local payment options are available in some countries, where residents have the option to purchase membership packages in their local currency. Note that not all membership options will be available via local payment. If your country has local payment options available, you will see a link to Make local payment.


  • 1.4 - If I become a member, can I expect to get a return on my investment?

    There are no guarantees, but currently a high percentage of members surveyed reports earning a positive return on investment. Overall, nearly ninety percent of members earn a positive return within a year. Over forty percent report a positive return within 3 months. This is possible because the value of meeting a single new client tends to exceed the yearly cost of membership.


  • 1.5 - Does membership really make a difference in the rate at which I can expect to meet new clients?

    Yes. Members are at least four times more likely than non-member site users to meet new clients. The disparity is growing as new member-only features and services are introduced, and as more people decide to join ProZ.com.

    As of 2016, an estimated one billion USD in work had been passed through ProZ.com. The majority of that work, by design, is directed first to paying ProZ.com members.


  • 1.6 - Will ProZ.com membership really help me to meet clients? Isn't my certification or degree more important?

    The two are not in conflict. By being a member, you increase your exposure, so that potential clients find you (and your credentials!) more frequently. If anything, having certification and degrees increases the degree to which you stand to benefit from membership.


  • 1.7 - Why are members (those who pay) given advantages when it comes to meeting clients? Just because you pay, it does not mean you are good.

    ProZ.com does not recommend that translators do commercial work without being paid for doing so. (Translating for non-profits is another matter; we don't see much harm in doing free translation when the work will not be sold.)

    Using the same logic, ProZ.com offers many free services, but we draw the line at commercial work. Basically, exposure before paying clients is a service for which we charge. In exchange for your investment, the ProZ.com teams works very hard for you, and the statistics say that membership pays off for professional translators in any country and at any stage of their careers.


  • 1.8 - Why do you charge translators for membership, instead of companies that search for them?

    If you are a translator, the ProZ.com team works for you. We view it as our job to provide tools and opportunities that you can use to expand your businesses and improve your profession. We work very hard and feel that we succeed in providing excellent value and service to our members. It is appropriate and necessary that we charge for our work.


  • 1.9 - What if I decide that I am not satisfied with my membership —can I get a refund?

    Yes. When you purchase your Standard membership, you can request a full refund for up to 30 days. Full refunds are only available for your first purchase.

    For the Standard service package, ProZ.com offers a full satisfaction guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with your ProZ.com membership, submit a support request. A prorated refund corresponding to the remaining months will be issued, less any payment fees that have been charged. Prorated refunds may not be available on purchases of the Plus service package.

    Note that refunds for payments made by credit card, Skrill, or PayPal will be processed using the method that was originally used to make payment, —credit card payments are refunded to the paying credit card, Skrill payments are refunded to the paying Skrill account, etc. Due to high transfer fees, users who pay via wire transfer (either locally or to ProZ.com's bank in the U.S.) will be asked to provide an alternate refund method —in this case, either PayPal or Skrill. ProZ.com may also provide refunds via check for those users residing in the United States.


  • 1.10 - How can I benefit from the new automatic subscriptions?

    As of 2016, new annual automatic subscriptions are available for membership, when you choose to pay via credit card or PayPal. Opting for a subscription costs less than manual renewals, and you never have to worry about your membership lapsing. You can, of course, stop or start a subscription at any time from your membership management page.


  • 1.11 - Where can I see the status of my membership and subscription?

    You can see your membership type, renewal dates, subscription and billing information, and manage details of your ProZ.com membership on the membership management page. To access it, mouse over your name at the top right corner of the site and select the option Manage.


  • 1.12 - I submitted payment for my membership but it has not been activated. What is wrong?

    If you submitted payment for your membership and it has not yet been activated or renewed, please submit a support request and provide the following information:


    1. Payment method used
    2. Amount paid (membership item purchased)
    3. Date of payment
    4. Transaction ID
    5. PayPal / Skrill email address and ID (if any of these 2 methods were used)
    6. Bank account holder's name (if wire transfer method was used)

    This information will help staff locate your payment and process your purchase.


  • 1.13 - If I renew my membership before it expires, what happens with my renewal date?

    Every time you manually renew your membership, we add that time to the time that you have in your current membership. For example, if your membership expires in three months and you buy another membership for one year, your renewal date will be in 15 months.

    If you are subscribed to an automatic renewal, you don't need to worry about your renewal date, as it will be updated automatically once the payment is made.


  • 1.14 - Can I purchase membership on behalf of a colleague?

    Yes. To purchase membership on behalf of other site user, just purchase the membership as if it was for your account and then submit a support request specifying the user ID and the site name of your colleague so that staff can transfer the membership acquired.


  • 1.15 - What is my membership expiration date?

    Your membership expiration or renewal date is the date shown when mousing-over your name at the top of site pages.

    You can also see information on your membership expiration date in the membership management page.


  • 1.16 - Will my membership be automatically renewed when it expires?

    Your membership will be automatically renewed if you chose an automatic renewal subscription when making your purchase. Otherwise, you will have to renew your membership by following the payment steps described in this FAQ. You may also renew your subscription, and subscribe to automatic renewal if you wish, from your membership management page.


  • 1.17 - I would like to purchase or renew my full membership for an extended period. Is it possible?

    Yes. Starting 2019, there are multiple-years options available for various membership packages. You can see the different offers in the Membership page.


  • 1.18 - Can I purchase or renew my full membership for less than a year?

    No.


  • 1.19 - Can I request a suspension of my membership period if I will not be available for some time?

    Requests for membership suspension will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by site staff. In case of maternity leave, vacation, sickness or mourning, members may be granted the possibility to have their membership period frozen or suspended. However, requests will be evaluated individually and the member may be asked to submit evidence for the reason of the request.

    To request the suspension of your membership, simply submit a support request and provide any relevant evidence so that site staff can look into your request further and make a decision.


  • 1.20 - What happened with partial and student memberships?

    As of October 2016, partial and student memberships are no longer available. As time went by, these alternative options to full professional ProZ.com membership were being selected by users less and less. For this reason, and as ProZ.com membership has become more accessible, these options have been discontinued.



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  • 2 - The Plus service package


    The Plus service package was introduced in late 2016. It includes all of the services and benefits of the Standard package, plus a suite of new tools and services. See the services included in the Plus package here »



  • 2.1 - What is included in the Plus service package? How is it different from the Standard package?

    The Plus service package includes all of the services and benefits of the Standard service package. In addition, it includes a growing suite of new tools and services. You can compare the services included in both Standard and Plus packages here.

    You can also see each new feature release in the Plus package, view introductory videos, and give feedback on the Plus service package landing page.


  • 2.2 - Will members who choose the Plus package have advantages in the traditional ProZ.com directory over those who choose the Standard package?

    Directory ranking will not be affected by which membership package you have-- sorting will still be done with members in the first layer of results (regardless of membership package).


  • 2.3 - What is meant by new client channels external to ProZ.com in the Plus extras?

    The internet is going the way of the cloud, and in principle cloud technology presents the opportunity for the ProZ.com team to take steps to promote the services of ProZ.com members beyond the confines of ProZ.com. Imagine an LSP or client using, say, a mobile app to access you directly for translation or interpreting services, without ever needing to go to ProZ.com. Cloud technology makes that possible, and we have been taking steps in that direction.

  • 3.1 - How far along is the effort to establish that sort of new client channel?

    Efforts are continuously developing, as it takes time for habits to change. We believe this is the future. What we have seen so far is that client activity at TM-Town is increasing, and separately, there are a few agencies already using ProZ.com cloud and API services to discover the services of ProZ.com members from within their own management systems.

    Since 2018, ProZ.com is also in partnership with Boostlingo, connecting interpreters to end clients through their platform. If you are interested in becoming a Boostlingo interpreter, apply to the Interpreters Pool and submit a support request with your relevant credentials, and a ProZ.com team member will get in touch with you.

    As new partnerships and external channels become available, ProZ.com will continue to announce them.


  • 3.2 - What external channel-related features have been released so far?

    These are all detailed on the Plus service package landing page. From there you can read about each release, view introductory videos, and provide your feedback.


  • 3.3 - The value of the external client connections included in the Plus package is shown as U$D144+. Where does that figure come from?

    The value of the external client connections is difficult to quantify at this time. But we can say that membership in one of the external channels alone, TM-Town, costs U$D144 and is included in the Plus package.


  • 3.4 - I already have a paid TM-Town membership. What happens when I buy the Plus package?

    Your current TM-Town membership will be synced/extended to match the renewal date of your ProZ.com membership. If you are on a paid monthly plan, your payments will be stopped. If you are on a paid annual plan, you will be refunded the prorated amount of the remainder of your membership period.


  • 3.5 - I am not interested in TM-Town, and the concept of external channels seems too vague to me right now.

    In that case, to be on the safe side, you might want to assume a value of zero for external channel.



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  • 2.4 - How is the value of the basket of tools from ProZ.com partners calculated?

    That is the sum total of the value of licenses confirmed so far to be included in the basket. It is planned that more will be added as the Plus package moves forward.


  • 2.5 - Will more features and services be added to the Plus package in the future?

    Yes. Just as the Standard package has been continuously built up over the years, so too will new benefits be added to the Plus package over time.


  • 2.6 - Will most of ProZ.com's efforts be directed at increasing the value of the Plus package, moving forward?

    Although decisions of which package to include a new feature or tool in will be made on a case-by-case basis, it is safe to assume that the majority of ProZ.com investment will be made in increasing the value of the Plus package to members.


  • 2.7 - What if I am not interested in some features of the Plus package?

    If you are not interested in using a part of the Plus package, no problem, just don't use it. All of the extra services and features are permission-based, allowing you to use what you want, in accordance with your own preferences and needs.


  • 2.8 - Can I upgrade from Standard to the Plus package?

    Yes. In checkout, your current membership will be calculated into a discount towards purchase of the Plus package. The discount will depend on the length of remaining membership.


  • 2.9 - Can I downgrade my Plus package to the Standard package?

    Yes, you can downgrade to the Standard package, but instead of cash being returned, your membership period will be extended by 25%. So, if you have four months of membership remaining with the Plus package, you can exchange it for five months with the Standard package. Please submit a support request to downgrade.


  • 2.10 - Why is there no money back guarantee offered with the Plus package?

    The nature of some of the services offered in the Plus package means that third-party licenses, payments to trainers and other partners may be made by ProZ.com at the time of your membership purchase, and those will not necessarily be refundable to ProZ.com. Instead of a pro-rated refund on your Plus package, you will be offered the option to switch to the Standard package. However, if you are in any way unsatisfied with your Plus package experience, submit a support request, we want to hear from you.



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  • 3 - New premium monthly membership option (with website, AI tool, and personalized consulting)

    In September 2023, ProZ.com released a new premium monthly option for membership, which includes all of the benefits and tools of the Plus subscription, plus access to your own website and hosting, your own AI translation tool, and personalized consulting from the ProZ.com team to help you leverage these options to meet your professional objectives.

    The new premium monthly option is available via a subscription at $25 a month. Considering that some of the benefits included in this subscription (a CAT tool, website and hosting, AI tool, free training courses, etc.) would, if purchased separately, cost around $25 a month each or more, this new option is the best deal that ProZ.com has offered freelance language professionals to date.

    You can see more about the new premium monthly option at https://go.proz.com/premium


  • 4 - Business membership

  • 4.1 - What is Business membership?

    Business membership is the ProZ.com membership option designed specifically for business users of ProZ.com, such as translation companies / agencies and other corporate language services providers.


  • 4.2 - What are the benefits of Business membership?

    As full business participants in the world's leading translation portal and community, Business members enjoy special exposure, privileges and standing in the ProZ.com community.

    In addition to being distinguished with a special Business membership ribbon, business members gain the commercial benefit of inclusion in the Business membership directories -- both public and private enterprise versions. They can also post standard jobs directly, without waiting for them to be vetted, and they enjoy direct telephone access to support.

    For a full list of benefits, see the Business membership page.


  • 4.3 - Where is the Business directory?

    The Business directory is at https://www.proz.com/business. It is accessible from the top navigation menu by going to "Jobs & Directories" > "Translation Companies".


  • 4.4 - Are any of the benefits of Professional membership included in Business membership?

    Many of the benefits of individual membership are included in business membership, including full access to the Blue Board, job postings, unvetted forum postings, discounts on events, the right to organize powwows, etc. However, benefits that make sense only for individuals —such as inclusion in the freelancer directory— are not included.

    Note that access to networking features, which potentially affect other members, may be modified or revoked at the discretion of the ProZ.com team.


  • 4.5 - What happens to my current Professional membership if I purchase a Business membership?

    If you are already a standard member of ProZ.com, you have two options in taking out a business membership:


    1. you can create a new profile specifically for business activities, purchasing the membership for this new profile
    2. you can purchase the business membership under your current profile.

    If you choose the second option, the unused portion of your subscription fee will be discounted from your Business membership price.

    To have your individual membership converted to Business membership, please submit a support request.


  • 4.6 - How do I join as a Business member?

    Head to the Business membership page to subscribe.


  • 4.7 - Are there any conditions under which a company that wants to join will be refused?

    The ProZ.com staff reserves the right to refuse business members on a selective basis.

    Companies may not be accepted as business members if


    • they have low average Blue Board entries

    • there are reports of non-payment on file from ProZ.com translators or interpreters


    Moreover, existing business memberships may be revoked due to non-payment reports and low average Blue Board entries.


  • 4.8 - Who are the site members?

    Site members are the site users who have a current paid membership subscription. Members have certain networking privileges and enjoy full access to all data, all features and all clients at the site. And they belong to the site that is improving and redefining the way translation is done. Members who have chosen to subscribe to the Plus package are Plus subscribers.


  • 4.9 - Business member benefits overview

    Recognized employees of a business with membership at ProZ.com inherit access permissions to the following benefits, listed by business membership tier.

    Standard (business):


    1. Standard tier business member badge
    2. Standard member visibility in the Business directory
    3. Enhanced Blue Board benefits
    4. Unlimited employee seat administration
    5. ProzPay service, a new way to pay your translators: ProzPay
    6. Access to ProZ.com Pools, pre-screened specialized professionals : Pools
    7. Member exclusive filters in our new professional directory "Find" by ProZ: Find
    8. Visibility on the business member world map
    9. You can now manage your company on the go with ProZ.com Mobile
    10. Priority assistance in the ProZ.com Support Center

    Plus (business) includes all Standard (business) and adds:

    1. Plus tier business member badge
    2. Increased site visibility in the business directory
    3. One Protemos license: Visit Protemos | Activate Protemos
    4. Two Professional Plus memberships: Contact [email protected] to activate
    5. Two CafeTran CAT tool licenses: Visit CafeTran | Activate CafeTran
    6. Unlimited access to the ProZ.com video library
    7. Increased number of emails that can be send through ProZ.com Lists
    8. Access to providers' SecurePRO cards

    Enterprise (business) includes Plus (business) and adds:

    1. Enterprise tier business member badge
    2. Concierge service via a dedicated account manager
    3. Highest visibility in the business directory
    4. Increased visibility within ProZ.com
    5. Unlimited job postings and freelancer communications
    6. Individualized training and support
    7. Professional search assist by ProZ.com staff
    8. API for your site or TMS application with ProZ.com provided development support


  • 4.10 - Services for non paying businesses

    Recognized employees of a business at ProZ.com are associated with their employer's identity throughout ProZ.com and have the following services available:
    Non paying user business:


    1. No business member badge
    2. Unlimited employee seat administration
    3. Access to per-use billed ProzPay service, a new way to pay your translators: ProzPay
    4. Basic listing in the ProZ.com directory of translation companies: Directory
    5. Access to preview ProZ.com Pools, pre-screened specialized professionals : Pools
    6. Access to basic filters in the professional directory "Find" by ProZ: Find
    7. Contact up to 25 professionals per day through job posts and/or professional directory messages, with additional contacts available
    8. Support for businesses contact: [email protected]


  • 4.11 - What if I decide that I am not satisfied with my business membership —can I get a refund?

    Yes. When you purchase your membership, you can request a full refund for up to 30 days. Full refunds are only available for your first purchase.

    If you are in any way unsatisfied with your business membership experience, contact [email protected], we want to hear from you. A prorated refund corresponding to the remaining months will be issued, less any payment fees that have been charged.

    Note that refunds for payments made by credit card, Skrill, or PayPal will be processed using the method that was originally used to make payment, —credit card payments are refunded to the paying credit card, Skrill payments are refunded to the paying Skrill account, etc. Due to high transfer fees, users who pay via wire transfer (either locally or to ProZ.com's bank in the U.S.) or Western Union will be asked to provide an alternate refund method —in this case, either PayPal or Skrill. ProZ.com may also provide refunds via check for those users residing in the United States.


  • 4.12 - Can I upgrade to the other business packages?

    Yes. In checkout, your current membership will be calculated into a discount towards purchase of the package of your choice. The discount will depend on the length of remaining membership.


  • 4.13 - Can I downgrade my business package?

    Yes, you can downgrade, but instead of cash being returned, your membership period will be extended based on the period of time remaining:

    From Plus to Standard and from Enterprise to Plus, it will be extended by 25%.

    From Enterprise to Standard, it will be extended by 40%.

    To request a downgrade, please contact [email protected]


  • 4.14 - Can I downgrade my business package to a professional package?

    No. However, you can request a prorated refund and then purchase a professional package if you made a mistake when purchasing.



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  • 5 - Business page

  • 5.1 - How can I increase views on my business page?

    Here are some quick strategies to keep in mind when trying to increase the views on your business page:

    • Make sure that your Blue Board record and your business page are associated.
    • Complete as many fields as you can in your page’s business data. Languages, industries, services and country are important for search filters, and information like your logo and your website will increase trust and invite clicks. If you have employees, remember to add their profiles and confirm them.
    • Be active on ProZ.com: complete your profile (including a good profile picture, tagline and name), give WWA feedback to service providers you’ve worked with, post jobs, recruit service providers using ProZ Find, request entries on your Blue Board record and contact professionals using the directory
    • Consider buying business membership. Among many other benefits, membership allows your company's logo to be displayed in the Blue Board, and business pages are ranked in the the translation agencies & companies directory based on membership tiers: Enterprise members appear first, followed by Plus, then Standard, and the 40,000+ non-member businesses are listed after the business members. Each tier is sorted by LWA rating.

    For more information about increasing your business page’s visibility, you can read this blog article.


  • 5.2 - I'm a freelancer but I also outsource work as an agency/company, do I need to create two different profiles, one for each?

    No, you may have only one individual profile which will allow you to edit your business page, post jobs on your company’s behalf, leave WWA entries in service providers’ profiles, reply to LWA entries made to your Blue Board, and all of the activities that relate to your business’ needs. At the same time, you can use this one profile to participate in forums and KudoZ, quote on job postings, position yourself in the freelancers’ directory, and get involved in all of the activities that relate to your needs as a freelancer.

    To find out more about setting your account type to represent you as a freelancer and outsourcer, please see this FAQ.


  • 5.3 - What's the difference between a business page and a profile?

    A business page represents your business, and a profile represents a person ─as  freelancer, freelancer and outsourcer, or owner, employee or representative of a company.

    The business page is the one that shows up in the translation companies directory, the one that is relevant to translation agencies and companies, and profiles (if they are related to freelancer accounts) show up in the translators and interpreters directory.

    The profile is used for logging in to ProZ.com and performing Business page maintenance, job posting and contacting service providers. Individual profiles may be created for employees of your company, and associated to your Business page, so they can use ProZ.com to post jobs or overview your business activity on behalf of your company. Business pages show all the relevant information about your company as well as your Blue Board rating.

    For more information about business pages and profiles, you can read this blog article.


  • 5.4 - Do I need to be a Business member in order to have a Business page?

    No, you don’t need to have membership in order to create a Business page. If you want to know how to create one, please see this FAQ.



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