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Recruitment Agency Rate Card Template

How do you lay out your fees so a client can say yes quickly?

Build a one-page rate card for your recruitment agency: contingency, retained, executive search, volume, RPO and advertising rates, with guarantee, payment terms and validity. Your numbers, laid out clearly.

How the rate card is laid out

The card opens with your agency and specialism, then lists permanent recruitment rates (contingency and retained always, executive search, volume and a minimum fee only if you enter them), embedded recruitment (RPO) and advertising-only services if you offer them, and the terms: guarantee, payment days, VAT and the date the rates are valid until. It ends with your contact details.

RPO: Recruitment process outsourcing — a recruiter embedded with the client for a monthly fee.
Volume rate: A lower % when the client gives you several roles on one brief.
Minimum fee: A floor so low-salary placements still cover your costs.

Services you can list

Service	Priced as	Best for
Contingency	% of first-year package on hire	Most mid-level roles
Retained search	% in instalments	Senior or hard-to-fill roles
RPO	Monthly fee	Clients hiring steadily for months
Advertising & screening	Fixed fee per role	Roles with plenty of applicants

Before you send it

Sample figures are illustrations only — enter your own rates.
Match the guarantee and payment terms to your signed terms of business.
Say whether prices include VAT.

Related agency tools

Put the rates into the terms of business template and show clients the fee for a hire with the agency fee calculator.

Frequently asked questions

What goes on a recruitment agency rate card?

Your fee for each service — contingency, retained search, executive search, volume hiring, embedded recruiters (RPO) and advertising-only packages — plus the basis for percentage fees, any minimum fee, the guarantee, payment terms, whether VAT is included and how long the rates are valid. Optional services disappear from the card when you leave them blank.

Should I publish my rates?

Many agencies share a rate card only after a first conversation, so the client understands the service behind the price. A clear card with a validity date speeds up approvals inside the client's procurement team.

What rates should I charge?

That's your commercial decision — the sample numbers are illustrations, not market rates. Base them on your costs, your success rate and the seniority of roles you fill, and keep them consistent with your terms of business.

Why add a validity date?

It lets you review rates each year and gives the client a reason to sign now. Re-issue the card when it expires.

Hiring for several roles or clients? Lock in the volume price now.

Job bundles are prepaid job posts at a volume discount. Pay once, then redeem a credit the moment a role opens, anywhere in the GCC.

See job bundles

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Free HR tool · No sign-up

Recruitment Agency Rate Card Template

How do you lay out your fees so a client can say yes quickly?

Step 1 · Agency1/3

Currency

Agency name

Specialism

Step 2 · Rates0/8

Contingency fee (% of first-year package)

Retained search fee (%)

Retainer schedule

Executive search fee (%) (optional)

Volume rate (%) for 3+ roles (optional)

RPO / embedded recruiter per month (optional)

Advertising & screening only, per role (optional)

Minimum fee (optional)

Step 3 · Terms & contact1/5

Guarantee period (days)

Payment terms (days)

Prices exclude VAT

Rates valid until

Contact

RATE CARD

[Agency name] (to fill in) — RATE CARD [Specialism] (to fill in)

PERMANENT RECRUITMENT • Contingency: [Contingency %] (to fill in)% of the first-year package — you pay only when you hire • Retained search: [Retained %] (to fill in)% — [Retainer schedule] (to fill in)

TERMS • Guarantee: [Guarantee days] (to fill in) days from the start date • Payment: within [Payment days] (to fill in) days of invoice • All prices exclude VAT • Rates valid until [Valid-until date] (to fill in) • Full terms of business apply

Contact: [Contact] (to fill in)

Your rates, your numbers — sample figures are illustrations only. Keep the rate card consistent with your signed terms of business.

8 fields still show as [highlighted placeholders] — fill them in or edit after copying.

How the rate card is laid out

RPO: Recruitment process outsourcing — a recruiter embedded with the client for a monthly fee.
Volume rate: A lower % when the client gives you several roles on one brief.
Minimum fee: A floor so low-salary placements still cover your costs.

Services you can list

Service	Priced as	Best for
Contingency	% of first-year package on hire	Most mid-level roles
Retained search	% in instalments	Senior or hard-to-fill roles
RPO	Monthly fee	Clients hiring steadily for months
Advertising & screening	Fixed fee per role	Roles with plenty of applicants