About the site

Information, news and frequently asked questions about ProZ.com

Membership and Payments

1 Who are the site members?
2 What are the benefits of membership?
3 Does membership really make a difference in the rate at which I can expect to meet new clients?
4 Eu uso o ProZ.com regularmente sem pagar. O que eu ganharia me tornando um membro?
5 Quanto custa para ser um membro?
6 Caso eu me torne um membro, eu posso esperar conseguir um retorno do meu investimento?
7 How can I pay for membership?
8 How can I upgrade to membership, paying partly with BrowniZ?
9 Why does ProZ.com sometimes charge VAT tax on memberships purchased from within the EU?
10 Is the membership fee tax deductible? Will I get an invoice?
11 What if I decide that I am not satisfied with my membership--can I get a refund?
12 I'm in the EU. Do I have to pay VAT?
13 Why does ProZ.com collect VAT? The company is not based in the EU.
14 In my case, the fees seem to add up during purchase. How can I avoid extra charges like VAT or payment fees?
15 Why are members in the Euro Zone charged in Euros, while members elsewhere are charged in dollars?
16 I am trying to upgrade, but ProZ.com's credit card processor will not accept my CVV2 number. What to do?
17 Your credit card processor cancelled my payment on the basis of my country of residence. What are my options?
18 Does ProZ.com accept payments via Moneybookers?
19 Why do you charge translators for membership, instead of companies that search for them?
20 Your fee is too high for translators in my country.
21 How can I change the currency of my credit card payment at 2checkout?
22 I am unable to pay by credit card via ProZ.com's credit card processor. Is there another credit card payment option?
23 What happens to my partial membership if I upgrade to full membership?
24 Eu sou considerado um "membro" do ProZ.com caso eu não pague?
25 Why are members (ie. those who pay) given advantages when it comes to meeting clients? Just because you pay, it does not mean you are good.
26 Eu recebi uma Mensagem de Erro 10417/10505/10745 do Paypal. O que é isso?
27 I need my invoice in French/German for tax purposes.
28 If I renew my membership before it expires, what happens with my renewal date?
29 Somebody wants to donate me BrowniZ for my renewal, but I can't find the option.
30 Eu recebi uma Mensagem de Erro 10754
31 Eu recebi uma Mensagem de Erro 15005
32 Could I submit a payment via Western Union or MoneyGram?
33 Will ProZ.com membership really help me to meet clients? Isn't my certification / degree more important?
34 How can I pay by wire transfer?


1. 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.

2. What are the benefits of membership?

Membership entitles one to full participation in the ProZ.com community, where the translation profession is being defined and improved continuously.

Among the specific benefits of membership are:
- Instant access to the largest global community of online translators via forum posts, job posts, group mails and KudoZ questions. *
- Featured or exclusive access to translation clients via the directory, job postings and Blue Board
- Full access to the Blue Board database of translation clients
- Free web and email hosting, and profile pages linked to throughout ProZ.com (you benefit from ProZ.com's high search engine ranking)
For a complete list of specific benefits and features of ProZ.com membership, see http://www.proz.com/join

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

3. Does membership really make a difference in the rate at which I can expect to meet new clients?

Yes. Members are four times more likely than non-member site users to meet new clients. The disparity is growing as we create new member-only features, and as more people decide to join ProZ.com. (Ratio current as of June 2005.)

4. Eu uso o ProZ.com regularmente sem pagar. O que eu ganharia me tornando um membro?

Joining ProZ.com means becoming a member of the site that redefines and improves translation and language, but there are other more down-to-earth advantages as well:

If you look closely, you'll notice that for each channel provided for clients and translators to meet, there is an advantage or two built in for ProZ.com members. For example, members appear in the first set of results shown to clients in the directory and job quote pages. Also, clients can restrict job postings to members, and full access to the Blue Board is reserved for members.

You'll notice many more differences once you join ProZ.com. Members can post to the forums instantly, they can host powwows, track profile visits, send group mails and post jobs instantly.* Members also get free hosting, they are randomly featured on the home page, and they get linked to from various areas in ProZ.com's site. As a result, their profiles and home pages get higher search engine ranks and they meet clients and colleagues more frequently and more directly.

In short, joining ProZ.com is the way to ensure you have full access to, and derive full benefit from, all that ProZ.com has to offer.

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

5. Quanto custa para ser um membro?

"Full" membership costs 129 usd/ 114 eur per year when you first upgrade. To renew costs 119 usd/ 104 eur. "Partial" membership (allowing access to just jobs-related functions or just community-related functions) costs 70 usd and 48 usd , respectively. Renewal costs the same.

It is also possible to buy full memberships for a 6-month period for 80 eur/usd.

A discount is available to users who have earned "browniz" points. Those who pay with 4,000 browniz pay 115 usd/ 99 eur for a year of full membership, or 60 usd for a year of partial membership. Full membership renewal with browniz is 109 usd/ 94 eur and 36 usd for partial membership renewal.

6. Caso eu me torne um membro, eu posso esperar conseguir um retorno do meu investimento?

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. (Data as of June 2005)

7. How can I pay for membership?

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

Credit Card
Paypal
Check or Money Order (only payable in USD)
Wire Transfer
Moneybookers
Wallet

1. Go to the Membership Purchase Page
2. Click the "buy now" link next to your chosen membership option
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.

8. How can I upgrade to membership, paying partly with BrowniZ?

If you have at least 4000 browniz, you can trade them for a discount on ProZ.com membership. To do so, start at the Membership Purchase Page. Those with enough browniz to take advantage of the discount will see the option to buy with a browniz discount.

New members can join for 90 $/euros and 4000 browniz.

Current members can renew before their membership expires for 80 $/euros and 4000 browniz.

9. Why does ProZ.com sometimes charge VAT tax on memberships purchased from within the EU?

(This question only affects members in Europe.)

If, when purchasing a membership from within the European Union, a member does not supply a VAT number which can be verified online, ProZ.com is obliged by law to collect VAT tax against the purchase made, according to the VAT rate applicable in the country of the purchaser.

If a VAT number is supplied, no VAT tax is charged.

For those desiring more details: In July of 2003, the EU entered into effect a directive obliging non-EU suppliers of digital services to collect VAT tax on sales made to individuals (not businesses) living in the EU countries. ProZ.com reports and remits VAT taxes it collects to the German tax authority, under the provisions of the "Special Scheme for non-EU Businesses Providing Electronically Supplied Services to EU Consumers"

For more information, see the EU "Directive relating to VAT on digital services
entered into force on 1 July 2003" at http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/taxation/vat/traders/e-commerce/article_1610_en.htm

http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/taxation/vat/traders/e-commerce/article_1610_en.htm

10. Is the membership fee tax deductible? Will I get an invoice?

In every jurisdiction we are aware of, ProZ.com membership can be written off against taxes as a business expense.

When you upgrade, you will be issued an electronic invoice. You should print this invoice.

11. What if I decide that I am not satisfied with my membership--can I get a refund?

Yes. We offer a full satisfaction guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with ProZ.com membership, submit a support request with include the method by which you prefer to receive your refund and the account information. We will issue a prorated refund, less any payment fees that we have been charged.

(So for example, if you pay 120 euros for ProZ.com membership and after 6 months decide to ask for a refund, we will send you 60 euros, minus any payment fees we were initially charged.)

12. I'm in the EU. Do I have to pay VAT?

If you live outside the EU, or if you live in the EU and have a VAT number, no. If you live in the EU but do not have VAT number, yes.

13. Why does ProZ.com collect VAT? The company is not based in the EU.

Even though ProZ.com is not based in the EU, as a company selling a digital service "consumed" in the EU, ProZ.com is obligated by the EU to collect VAT at the national rate of the consumer, and to remit all VAT collected to a single EU country in a quarterly basis. (ProZ.com remits to Germany.)

For more information, see: http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/taxation/vat/traders/e-commerce/article_1610_en.htm

14. In my case, the fees seem to add up during purchase. How can I avoid extra charges like VAT or payment fees?

To avoid payment fees, pay by wire in the EU (to an account we maintain in Germany), and by check in the US (to our office address). To avoid a VAT charge, supply your VAT number during the upgrade process - this relieves us of the obligation to collect VAT tax from you.

Each of these options is presented during the course of the upgrade payment process.

15. Why are members in the Euro Zone charged in Euros, while members elsewhere are charged in dollars?

Although ProZ.com is based in the US, only 25% of paying members live there. Twice as many live in the EU. As a result, 30% of ProZ.com expenses are euro-based. (Euro expenses include payroll, VAT tax, CAT tools, event sponsorships, etc.)

Adding to this fact, in June of 2003, ProZ.com became obligated by EU directive to remit VAT tax (in euros.) In light of the high percentage of euro expenses, and associated currency risk, it became necessary in June to adopt a pricing policy that involves both euros and dollars. Without this policy, ProZ.com would have to absorb currency fluctuations of 25% of more and still pay VAT taxes of up to 25% on membership sales. The company is not in a position to do that. It was determined that the fairest policy would be to charge members fixed rates in their own currencies. So rather than paying a different amount each year due to currency fluctuations, members both in the Euro Zone and the US will pay a fixed amount, regardless of currency fluctuations. (The 1/4th of members who are neither in the US nor the EU are asked to pay in USD; however, if significant expenses are incurred in a third currency, a similar policy will be adopted for yen, GBP, etc.)

Only ProZ.com members in EU member states that have adopted the Euro (the Euro Zone) are charged in Euros. Currently, the countries in the Euro Zone are Austria, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal.

Though this policy means that there may be discrepancies in the absolute amounts paid by EU and non-EU members from year to year, ProZ.com has promised to apply the policy consistently going forward. Over time it is thought that amounts paid will balance out (and if they do not, adjustment will be made). By paying in your own currency, you enjoy stability, and help to give stability to ProZ.com.

Note that ProZ.com provides in Europe an account for no-fee transfers of euro-based payments, and in the US, no-fee check payment. There are also discounts for renewals and site activity (as expressed by browniz total). The savings from no-fee payment methods alone, as compared to wire transfers or other methods, outweigh the *perceived* differential due to currency fluctuation. Discounts offer further compensation.

16. I am trying to upgrade, but ProZ.com's credit card processor will not accept my CVV2 number. What to do?

2checkout's help page about the CVV2 number can be found here:
https://www.2checkout.com/cgi-bin/buyers/cvv.2c

This page includes pictures of credit cards, highlighting the CVV2 number. It also includes the following text:

"If you are using a Visa, Mastercard, or Discover card, it is a 3 digit number that appears to the right of your card number...

"If you are using an American Express card, the verification number is a 4 digit number that appears on the front of your card, above and either on the left or right of the card number...

"If your card does not have a verification number, try another card or enter the number 000."

If the above does not help you complete payment, please enter a support request. Thank you!

17. Your credit card processor cancelled my payment on the basis of my country of residence. What are my options?

We apologize for the inconvenience; we do not have full control of the risk management policies of our third-party processor. Please consider making payment using another payment method. We will work with you on this to make sure you do not pay more as a result of this inconvenience.

18. Does ProZ.com accept payments via Moneybookers?

ProZ.com has a Moneybookers account, but it is not yet integrated with our payment system. To make a payment to ProZ.com using Moneybookers you must first visit our payment page to receive an invoice. Go to http://www.proz.com/join and click the "buy now" button next to the membership you wish to purchase. You will be asked for your billing information and then asked to select a payment method. Please select "check or money order". This will provide you with an invoice.

Pay the amount shown on the invoice to ProZ.com via Moneybookers, setting the recipient to cathy@proz.com.

Finally, submit a support request indicating the payment has been made, and we will manually process your purchase.

19. Why do you charge translators for membership, instead of companies that search for them?

If you are a translator, we in the ProZ.com team work 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.

20. Your fee is too high for translators in my country.

According to data available to us from members and renewal rates, ProZ.com membership is a smart investment for a professional translator anywhere in the world. Taking just one aspect of membership--meeting clients--nearly 90% of members report a positive return on their investment in just the first year (over 40% in the first three months). As a result, we have built up significant member bases not only in Western Europe and North America, but also in Eastern Europe, Latin America and elsewhere.

21. How can I change the currency of my credit card payment at 2checkout?

ProZ.com's credit card processor, 2checkout, attempts to guess the local currency of the buyer and defaults to charging in that currency. To change the currency in which to make your credit card payment, click the small flag icon at the top of the page for the country in whose currency you wish to pay.

22. I am unable to pay by credit card via ProZ.com's credit card processor. Is there another credit card payment option?

If you continue to have trouble paying by credit card via ProZ.com's credit card processor, you may wish to try using Paypal instead. Paypal allows buyers in many countries to pay by credit card without requiring them to have a Paypal account.

23. What happens to my partial membership if I upgrade to full membership?

When upgrading from partial to full membership, half of the time remaining in the partial membership will be added to the full membership period. The full membership will take effect immediately.

24. Eu sou considerado um "membro" do ProZ.com caso eu não pague?

No. The term "member" is reserved for those who take out membership subscriptions. (Initially, the term "member" was used generally to include all registrants; in 2005, the terminology shifted to reflect the fact that member income is what makes the site possible.)

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

We do 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, we at ProZ.com offer 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, we work 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.

26. Eu recebi uma Mensagem de Erro 10417/10505/10745 do Paypal. O que é isso?

Paypal says the most likely cause for this type of error is the method of payment chosen at Paypal's website did not succeed. The most likely cause is that the credit card did not receive bank authorization. You may want to consider another payment method, such as 2checkout. If you receive a 10505 Error Message, it means that you have a problem with the AVS, address verification system. Paypal requires that the same address be used that is on record with the credit card being used.
The 10745 error is also related to address. The application requires not your current address but the billing address of you credit card. The address entered when making payment must match the billing address of the payment method.

27. I need my invoice in French/German for tax purposes.

ProZ.com emails you an invoice at the time you purchase your membership. That is the only invoice we send. We are sorry but we don't translate, send hard copies, stamp or modify the invoice in any way.

28. If I renew my membership before it expires, what happens with my renewal date?

Every time you purchase a renewal, or for example, a software promotion with a six- month 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 the membership for one year, your renewal date will be in 15 months.

29. Somebody wants to donate me BrowniZ for my renewal, but I can't find the option.

Nobody can donate browniz to you because you are a site member.
Donation of brownies are only for new membership purchases, you can't use it for renewals.
If you wait for your membership to expire, you will not have that option neither. You do can use your BrowniZ to pay your renewal.

30. Eu recebi uma Mensagem de Erro 10754

Please read the information below from 2checkout.com regarding this situation:

Simply put, when orders are being processed, the transaction goes like this:

1. Our server talks to the CC company server and says "card # *** wants to buy something for $25.00 US".
2. The CC company responds with "ok, the card number is valid, I've reserved the $25.00, the funds are available" (*****note***** funds are reserved, NO charge has been made!).
3. Our server contacts the CC company and then says, "OK...lets verify things first. The address is....the phone number is....the CVV2 code is...."
4. The CC company then responds and says "yes, all the information is valid."
5. Our server contacts the CC company and says, "ok, place the charge."
6. The CC company then responds with "order complete, card charged."

Sometimes the process completed the first 2 steps and failed at some point between step 3 and 5.

Your card was not charged. There was never a completed transaction. The money that shows as being charges are simply the funds that have been reserved. Normally, these funds are released by the CC company within a few days when their system recognizes that there was no completed transaction.

You will need to attempt your transaction again, this time using PayPal as the payment method instead. PayPal accepts credit cards as well, and their transaction fee is lower than the dedicated credit card processor.

If you find that either of the pending transactions post to your account, please open a support ticket and we will promptly refund your money.

31. Eu recebi uma Mensagem de Erro 15005

Although marked as not required, sometimes credit cards or Paypal require complete information in the “address” and “state” fields that appear in the billing page.

This error message is related to those fields. If you didn’t enter any information in those fields, please, enter the same information in those fields that you have in your credit card or Paypal account and try again.

32. Could I submit a payment via Western Union or MoneyGram?

If you would like to submit a payment via Western Union or MoneyGram, submit a support ticket stating so. ProZ.com staff will reply to your ticket with the name and address to send the payment. After the payment is sent, respond to the support ticket with the MTCN ("Money Transfer Control Number") and the contact information (including your own) you used for the payment. After your payment is verified, your purchase will be processed.

Please note that ProZ.com staff must physically go to a Western Union or MoneyGram office to receive a payment. Because of this, we ask that you use these payment methods as a last resort for submitting payments to ProZ.com. Recommended payment methods include credit card (direclty on ProZ.com, or using 2checkout.com), PayPal, and Moneybookers.com.

33. Will ProZ.com membership really help me to meet clients? Isn't my certification / 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.

34. How can I pay by wire transfer?

Please go to http://www.proz.com/join and follow the payment steps for the type of membership you wish to purchase. From the payment method selection page, choose either "Wire Transfer" (for transfers in USD) or "Wire Transfer (Euros)". Click "Next" to receive your confirmation invoice and detailed account information and instructions on how to make the type of wire transfer you have chosen. You should allow up to two weeks for your wire transfer to be fully processed.