Temp and contract rate cards with a hidden margin
Pay rate plus on-costs plus margin gives the charge rate: your team sees all of it, the client sees the charge rate.
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QuoteCloud sends temp and contract rate cards as signed online documents. Each role is a line with its charge rate per hour; the pay rate and on-costs sit in the Cost column, which clients never see, so your team sees the margin and the client sees the rate. Add an expiry date for the yearly review and get both the workforce manager and the director of nursing to sign.
A sample temp rate card from a fictional agency, Ashby Lane Recruitment, for Westvale Health, built in layers. For a registered nurse on day shifts the pay rate is $56.40 an hour, on-costs of 21.55% add $12.15 and a 15% margin on cost adds $10.28, giving a charge rate of $78.83 an hour; the example then moves to a night-shift registered nurse, an assistant in nursing and a personal care worker. In the team view all three layers show; Westvale Health sees only the role and the charge rate.
Set the pay rate and margin. Watch the rate card follow.
Try it with a fictional agency and client. Pick a role, change the pay rate or your margin, switch the team view off to see what the client sees, then send the rate card for two signatures.
In QuoteCloud the fee is a price-table line (salary and Percentage columns, or a Formula column on Business) and the pay rate and on-costs sit in a Cost column the client never sees.
- Build
- Approve
- Send
- Signed
Rate card · FY2027
Temp & contract rate card
Placement fee % of first-year base salary, + tax
- 15%Under $100k
- 18%$100k–150k
- 20%$150k–200k
- 22%$200k +
| Role | Head of Finance |
|---|---|
| Base salary | $165,000 |
| Fee rate | 20% band rate |
| Placement fee | $33,000.00 |
| Discount 0% | −$0.00 |
| Tax | $3,300.00 |
| Total | $36,300.00 |
Payable when the candidate starts, invoiced by Ashby Lane on 14-day terms. Nothing is paid on signing.
| Stage | Share | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| EngagementOn signing · paid on signing via Stripe | 30% | $10,890.00 |
| ShortlistShortlist presented · invoiced by Ashby Lane | 30% | $10,890.00 |
| PlacementCandidate's start date · invoiced by Ashby Lane | 40% | $14,520.00 |
Guarantee
Free replacement · 3 months If the candidate leaves within 3 months of starting, Ashby Lane recruits a replacement at no further fee, once.
Charge rates per hour, ex tax
Team view · pay rate, on-costs and margin are hidden from the client
| Role | Pay rate | On-costs | Margin | Charge rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse · day shiftHealthcare | $56.40 | $12.15 | $10.2813.0% of rate | $78.83 |
| Assistant in nursingHealthcare | $38.10 | $8.21 | $6.9513.0% of rate | $53.26 |
| Contract .NET developerTechnology | $98.00 | $21.12 | $17.8713.0% of rate | $136.99 |
| Civil labourerTrades | $41.50 | $8.94 | $7.5713.0% of rate | $58.01 |
| Site supervisorTrades | $66.00 | $14.22 | $12.0313.0% of rate | $92.25 |
On-costs 21.55% (sample rates): Retirement contributions 12% · Payroll tax 5.45% · Workers' compensation 2.6% · Insurance & admin 1.5%
Approved timesheets are invoiced weekly by Ashby Lane Recruitment at these charge rates.
In Review
Trigger: Discount percentage greater than 10
Approval workflow: Business plan. The terms can't be sent until they're approved.
Accept these terms 2 of 2 signed
- Chloe TanChief financial officer · hiring manager Signed
- Daniel FerrisProcurement manager Signed
Nothing is paid on signing: approved hours are invoiced weekly by Ashby Lane Recruitment.
Certificate of authenticity and audit trail attached
Activity what your team sees
- Sent to Chloe Tan and Daniel Ferris
- Signed by Chloe Tan
- Signed by Daniel Ferris
- Client updated in your CRM or ATS
A demo with fictional data: nothing is sent, signed or charged. The builder on the left is our drawing of the work your contract desk does in QuoteCloud's editor: the charge rate is the line's price, and the pay rate and on-costs sit in a Cost column that recipients never see. The on-cost rates are samples, not advice; QuoteCloud doesn't calculate minimum pay rates, shift premiums or on-costs. Approved hours are invoiced by the agency, never by QuoteCloud.
One rate card, two views
The same Westvale Health rate card, as the client signs it and as your contract desk works on it.
The role and the charge rate
Five nursing and care roles, each with its shift and an hourly charge rate ex tax. Nothing under the rate reaches the client.
Signed rates to your ATS or accountsCharge rates Per hour, ex tax
| Role | Charge rate |
|---|---|
| Registered nurseDay shift, Mon–Fri | $78.83/hr |
| Registered nurseNight shift | $90.72/hr |
| Enrolled nurseDay shift, Mon–Fri | $64.58/hr |
| Assistant in nursingAny shift | $53.72/hr |
| Personal care workerCare homes | $51.32/hr |
Weekend and public holiday shifts are charged at the rates in Schedule 2. Timesheets are approved weekly and invoiced weekly by Ashby Lane.
Pay, on-costs and margin, for your desk only
The pay rate and on-costs are the line's cost, and costs and margins are never shown to recipients. The on-cost breakdown is your own sample figures, not advice.
Price tables: Essentials and up
Templates per deskCharge rates Per hour, ex tax
Team view · pay rate, on-costs and margin are hidden from the client
| Role | Pay rate | On-costs | Margin | Charge rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurseDay shift, Mon–Fri | $56.40 | $12.15 | $10.2813.0% of rate | $78.83/hr |
| Registered nurseNight shift | $64.90 | $13.99 | $11.8313.0% of rate | $90.72/hr |
| Enrolled nurseDay shift, Mon–Fri | $46.20 | $9.96 | $8.4213.0% of rate | $64.58/hr |
| Assistant in nursingAny shift | $38.10 | $8.21 | $7.4113.8% of rate | $53.72/hr |
| Personal care workerCare homes | $36.40 | $7.84 | $7.0813.8% of rate | $51.32/hr |
On-costs 21.55%: Retirement contributions 12% · Payroll tax 5.45% · Workers' compensation 2.6% · Insurance & admin 1.5% (sample rates)
Weekend and public holiday shifts are charged at the rates in Schedule 2. Timesheets are approved weekly and invoiced weekly by Ashby Lane.
Bookings, timesheets and conversion
How shifts are booked, how timesheets are approved and invoiced by you, the temp-to-perm conversion fee and the date the rates expire.
The annual reviewRate card terms
- BookingsShifts are booked through the Ashby Lane healthcare desk; confirmations are sent for each booking.
- TimesheetsWestvale approves timesheets weekly. Ashby Lane invoices approved hours weekly at these charge rates.
- Temp to permanentIf Westvale employs a temp directly within 6 months, a conversion fee of 8% of base salary applies.
- ExpiryThese rates apply until 30 June 2027. We'll send updated rates for review before then.
Workforce and nursing both sign
The workforce manager and the director of nursing each sign in their own block. The summary sits beside the signatures; nothing is paid on signing.
Signers and approvalsAccept the rate card
2 of 2 signed
- Nadia RahmanWorkforce manager, Westvale Health Signed24 Jun, 2:15 pm
- Grant ElleryDirector of nursing, Westvale Health Signed25 Jun, 8:40 am
Rate card summary
- Roles
- 5 nursing & care
- Rates
- Per hour, ex tax
- Invoicing
- Weekly, by Ashby Lane
- Expires
- 30 Jun 2027
Certificate of authenticity and audit trail attached
Rate cards for every contract desk
Healthcare shifts, IT day rates and site labour are priced differently. Each desk gets its own template from one content library.
Healthcare
Nurses and care staff by shift type, weekend and holiday schedules, and two signers on the client side.
IT contractors
Hourly or day rates per role, a contract length and the conversion fee if the client hires the contractor.
Trades & labour hire
Labourers, operators and supervisors per hour, with site and safety clauses as a locked block (Business).
Rates from your catalogue
Every role and rate saved once with its cost, so consultants pick rates instead of retyping them.
Margin stays inside
Costs and margins are hidden from the client, so no spreadsheet with the margin goes out by mistake.
A date on every card
Each rate card expires, and the annual review starts from the Expiring Soon filter.
Every rate in one catalogue, with its cost
Save each role as a product: a SKU, the desk as its category, the charge rate as the price and the pay rate plus on-costs as its cost. The margin is worked out for your team, and consultants add roles to a rate card from the catalogue.
When pay rates change each year, update the catalogue from a CSV and mark last year's rates Inactive.
- SKUs, categories, price and cost, with the margin worked out
- CSV import with column mapping and validation
- Active, Draft and Inactive, so old rates can't be picked
Product catalogue: Essentials and up
How the product catalogue worksCSV import charge-rates-fy2027.csv · 24 rates updated, 3 marked inactive
| Product | Price | Unit | Cost | Margin | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse · day shiftHC-RN-D · Healthcare | $78 | per hour | $68 | 13% | Active |
| Registered nurse · night shiftHC-RN-N · Healthcare | $90 | per hour | $78 | 13% | Active |
| Enrolled nurse · day shiftHC-EN-D · Healthcare | $64 | per hour | $56 | 13% | Active |
| Assistant in nursingHC-AIN · Healthcare | $53 | per hour | $46 | 14% | Active |
| Contract .NET developerTE-NET · Technology | $136 | per hour | $119 | 13% | Active |
| Civil labourerTR-LAB · Trades | $59 | per hour | $50 | 15% | Active |
| Site supervisorTR-SUP · Trades | $93 | per hour | $80 | 14% | Active |
| Personal care worker (FY2026)HC-PCW-26 · Healthcare | $49 | per hour | $42 | 14% | Inactive |
Cost and margin are for your team only: they never appear in the client's document
Send your next rate card from QuoteCloud
Free for 14 days, no credit card required. Import your charge rates during the trial and send a rate card with the margin kept to yourself.
Sample rate card · AL-RC-0318
What Westvale Health signed: the rates, nothing under them
Five roles and five charge rates per hour, signed by the workforce manager and the director of nursing. The pay rates, on-costs and margin stayed with Ashby Lane's contract desk.
Charge rates Per hour, ex tax
| Role | Charge rate |
|---|---|
| Registered nurseDay shift, Mon–Fri | $78.83/hr |
| Registered nurseNight shift | $90.72/hr |
| Enrolled nurseDay shift, Mon–Fri | $64.58/hr |
| Assistant in nursingAny shift | $53.72/hr |
| Personal care workerCare homes | $51.32/hr |
From pay rates to a signed rate card
Five steps for a new client, with the contract desk and the client's two signers.
Load your rates
Import roles with their charge rate and cost into the product catalogue.
Start from the desk's template
Healthcare, IT or trades, each with its own terms and wording.
Pick the roles
Add the client's roles from the catalogue; adjust a rate where it's agreed.
Check the margin
Your team sees pay, on-costs and margin; the client sees the charge rate.
Send for signature
Both client signers sign online; the card carries its expiry date.
Rate card questions
Can I hide pay rates, on-costs and margin from the client on a rate card?
Yes. Put the charge rate in the line's price and the pay rate plus on-costs in the Cost column. Costs and margins are never shown to recipients, so your contract desk sees the margin and the client sees the role and the charge rate. Price tables are on the Essentials plan and up.
Does QuoteCloud calculate minimum pay rates, retirement contributions or payroll taxes?
No. Pay rates and on-cost percentages are your agency's own figures, checked by your team or payroll provider. QuoteCloud carries the rates you enter. On the Business plan, Formula columns can do the arithmetic you set up, such as cost times your margin.
Does QuoteCloud invoice temp hours or timesheets?
No. The rate card states how timesheets are approved and invoiced, and your agency invoices approved hours from its own payroll or accounts system. QuoteCloud never bills hours, sends timesheets or takes recurring payments.
Can a client's workforce manager and director of nursing both sign?
Yes. Add both as signers: each has their own signature block, signs in their own browser with no account, and you can see who has signed. The signed rate card carries a certificate of authenticity and an audit trail.
How do we update rates for a new year?
Update the product catalogue from a CSV with column mapping and validation, and mark last year's rates Inactive. Every rate card carries an expiry date, so the Expiring Soon filter lists the clients due for new rates; send each one a new rate card to sign.
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- FAQAnswers to the questions recruitment agencies and search firms ask most.
Your next rate card, margin kept to yourself
Free for 14 days. No credit card required.