Guides · 6 min read · updated November 4, 2026

Asking for more money

How to ask for a raise, a higher offer or a higher day rate, with wording you can copy and answers to the usual pushback.

Key points

• Three different asks need three different plans: a raise at your job, a better offer, a higher freelance rate.
• Bring a one page record of what you did and what it was worth. Evidence beats confidence.
• In an offer, talk about the whole package, not just salary. Do not bluff about other offers.
• As a freelancer, give about 30 days' notice, keep old bookings at the old rate, and change scope before you discount.
• Put payment terms in writing, including currency and who pays transfer fees.

Before you ask: the one page

Write a page titled "What changed since I was last paid". It has four parts: work you now do that was not in your original scope, results with a number or a name (the launch you led, the client who renewed), what comparable roles or projects pay, and the number you want. For market numbers use several sources and say which, for example job posts that list salaries, community rate surveys in your discipline, and what peers tell you directly.

Choose a figure you can say out loud without a question mark at the end. A little above the number you would be happy with leaves room to settle.

Asking for a raise at a job

Ask your manager for a short meeting, titled so they can prepare: "Can we talk about my role and pay on Thursday?" Do not ambush them in a corridor.

Sample wording:

Over the last year I took over the brand templates, trained two new designers, and shipped the rebrand ahead of the March launch. Based on that scope and what similar roles pay, I would like to move to 4,200 a month. Can we talk about how to get there?

Then stop talking. Silence is part of the method. If the answer is "not now", ask for a date and a condition: "What would I need to show by June for this to happen?" Write down what they say and send it back to them by email the same day.

Negotiating an offer

Deepak Malhotra's rules for job offers in Harvard Business Review include a few that fit creatives well: do not underestimate likeability, show that you really want the job, do not lie or bluff, and consider the whole deal, not only salary. Ways to apply that:

• Say you are excited first, then ask. "I would love to join. Can we look at the base figure?"
• Ask about the parts that cost the company less: start date, remote days, a conference or software budget, a review after six months with a pre-agreed figure.
• Never invent a competing offer. If you have one, name it plainly. If you do not, say your range comes from your research.
• Ask who you should negotiate with. A recruiter, a hiring manager and a founder have different room to move.

Raising a freelance rate

Twine's guide to freelance rates suggests raising prices with existing clients after six to twelve months, or when your scope or the market has moved. Whatever the timing, tell clients early. A short note with a date does the job:

Subject: Rate update from 1 February Hi Karim, I am updating my rate to 450 per day from 1 February. Anything booked before 15 January stays at the current rate. Thank you for the work this year, I am looking forward to the next project.

Do not apologise and do not explain your rent. New clients simply get the new rate.

When they push back

• "That is more than we planned." Offer a smaller scope at a number they can approve: fewer rounds, fewer formats, a slower deadline.
• "Someone else quoted less." Do not fight on price. Say what you deliver that the cheaper option may not, and be willing to lose it.
• "Can you discount?" Trade, do not give. A longer commitment or payment in advance is a fair exchange for a lower figure.
• "We pay everyone this." Ask whether the budget is fixed or the scope. Often one moves.

Get the terms into writing

A higher rate means little if payment arrives in 90 days. The Freelancers Union has a free contract creator that includes a late fee clause. Add a deposit on signing, an invoice due date, and one line about how many revision rounds are included. Send the invoice the day the work is delivered, because the payment clock starts when the invoice does.

If you are outside the US or UK

• State the invoice currency in the contract and say who pays transfer fees. Ask the client which payment methods they support before you quote, because options differ by country.
• If you are paid in a currency that moves against yours, consider quoting in the stronger currency, or add a review clause for projects longer than three months.
• Local clients may expect a lower figure. You can hold a separate local price list, and say in writing that it applies to local projects only.
• Check your own country's rules on tax and invoices. This guide cannot do that for you.

Do this today

1. Open a note and write the one page: new scope, results, comparison, number.
2. Write your exact ask as one sentence and read it out loud twice.
3. Send the meeting request, or the rate update email to your smallest client first.
4. Add a late fee and deposit line to your invoice template.
5. List two things besides money you would accept if the answer is "not yet".

Further reading

• 15 rules for negotiating a job offer (Harvard Business Review) Practical rules on likeability, honesty and looking at the whole package.
• How to negotiate higher freelance rates (Twine) Timing, email templates and answers to pushback.
• Contract Creator (Freelancers Union) A free tool that builds a contract with payment and late fee clauses.

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