Most clients have agreed-upon hourly rates for each position, which can be set in the "Hourly rates and commissions" section. You can create multiple position sets (rate cards) and activate the ones you want to use as defaults when creating budgets. In addition to client rates, you can also set commissions for external production and media here.
How to set a default rate card?
Default rate cards are used automatically for any brand that does not have its own dedicated rate card. They act as a fallback so you always have hourly rates available, even for brands without a specific agreement.
To set up a default rate card:
Go to "Hourly rates and commissions" and click on "+ add brand rate card".
Enter a name for the rate card. In the Brand field, leave the selection as is — default rate cards are not tied to a specific brand.
Choose the currency the rate card should be created in. All rates you enter must be in this selected currency.
Enter the required positions and rates, and set commissions for external production and media budgets if needed.
All default rate cards are listed under the first row, "Default hourly rates". They are automatically used when creating new budget proposals for brands that don't have their own rate card.
You can create several default rate cards — for example for different currencies or different types of clients. One of them can be marked with the "Default" checkbox. This means that rate card will be used first when creating a budget, unless the user manually changes it.
Can I set commissions on a default rate card?
Yes. Commissions set on a rate card are automatically applied in the budget, but users can still change them when creating the budget.
Do I need to select a currency for a default rate card?
Yes. Every rate card is created in a specific currency, and the rates entered must match that currency. When this rate card is later applied to a budget in a different currency, Allfred will automatically prompt for an exchange rate (see the currency section below).
How to create a Client Rate Card?
In Allfred, rate cards are not created directly at the client level — they are created at the brand level. If you need one rate card that should apply to several brands belonging to the same client, you have two options:
Create one default rate card (see above) and name it after the client.
Create one rate card for the first brand, then use the three-dot menu and "Duplicate" to create copies for the other brands.
The setup process for a client (brand-level) rate card is the same as for a default rate card, with one key difference: you must select the relevant brand in the Brand field.
To create a brand rate card:
Navigate to "Hourly rates and commissions" (in Quotes, or in the Brands section) and click on "+ add brand rate card".
Enter the name of the position set and select the related brand.
Choose the currency the rate card should be created in.
Add the required positions and their rates. You can also set commissions for external costs and media here.
Mark the position set as "Default" if you want it to be used as the default rate card for that specific brand.
Position sets can also be created from the Brands section — the steps are the same as above.
How to create a rate card / position set in a different currency
Every rate card, whether default or brand-specific, is created in a chosen currency, and all rates entered in it must be in that currency. To create a rate card in a specific currency:
Go to "Hourly rates and commissions" and click on "+ add brand rate card".
Enter a name for the rate card. In the Brand field, either leave the selection as is (for a default rate card) or select the relevant brand (for a brand-specific rate card).
In the Currency field, select the currency you want this rate card to be created in.
Enter the required positions and rates, making sure all rates are entered in the currency selected in step 3.
Set commissions for external production and media budgets if needed.
Save the rate card.
When this rate card is later used in a budget created in a different currency, Allfred will automatically ask you to provide an exchange rate before the rates can be applied (see below). Note that regardless of the budget's currency, the project overview and statistics will always be displayed in the workspace's currency.
How to use rate cards in the budget?
Brand has its own rate card
If you create a budget for a brand that has its own dedicated rate card, Allfred automatically applies it. In the "Select rate card" option, you can also choose from other rate cards created for that same brand, as well as any default rate cards.
If you only need to adjust one or a few rates for a specific budget, you don't need to create a new rate card — use "Edit positions" directly in the budget instead.
Brand does not have its own rate card
If the brand does not have its own rate card, Allfred automatically applies the default rate card marked with the "Default" checkbox under "Default hourly rates". In "Select rate card", you can also choose any of the other rate cards listed under "Default hourly rates".
What happens if the applied rate card is in a different currency than the budget?
If the selected rate card's currency differs from the budget's currency, Allfred automatically opens a window prompting you to enter a conversion rate. You can choose between:
Custom exchange rate — enter the rate manually.
Client exchange rate — use the exchange rate configured at the client level.
After entering the rate, click "Apply" to confirm.
If you click "Cancel" instead, Allfred resets the rate card to one that matches the workspace's currency.
Who can edit rate cards?
Modifying positions and hourly rates is restricted to specific roles within Allfred. Only users with the Team Leader, Managing Director, Admin, CFO, or Financier role are able to make these changes.
FAQ
How do I change hourly rates in an existing rate card?
Navigate to Quotes → Hourly rates and commissions.
Find the rate card you want to update, click the three dots next to it, and select "Edit".
Important: changes made this way only apply to newly created budgets. If you also want the change to apply to budgets that already exist or are assigned to projects, you need to open that budget, select a new rate card (or update the rates using "Edit positions" directly in the budget), save the new version as final, and reassign it to the project.
What happens if I change the hourly rate on a position I've already tracked time against?
Allfred recalculates the value of the tracked time based on the position's current hourly rate.
How do I delete a rate card?
Navigate to Quotes → Hourly rates and commissions.
Find the rate card you want to remove, click the three dots next to it, and select "Delete".