Terms and Conditions of Sale
These Terms and Conditions of Sale govern the commercial relationship between TranslateBE and its clients, as well as the terms of collaboration with translation and interpretation service providers.
Last updated: 23 May 2026
Terms of Sale
Applicable to clients (individuals and businesses) ordering translation or interpretation services from TranslateBE.
Formation of the contract
The contract between TranslateBE and the client is formed on the date on which the client formally accepts the quote issued by TranslateBE, by any means (electronic signature, confirmation email, validation via the platform). Prior to such acceptance, no contractual obligation is incumbent upon TranslateBE, and no translation or interpretation work is undertaken.
The quote is drawn up on the basis of the documents and information provided by the client at the time of the request. It is valid for a period of 14 calendar days from its date of issue, unless otherwise expressly stated on the quote. After this period, the quote automatically lapses and a new quote must be requested.
Acceptance of the quote by the client constitutes acknowledgement and full acceptance of these Terms and Conditions of Sale, which are incorporated into the contract by reference. Any specific condition derogating from these Terms and Conditions must be the subject of a prior written agreement between TranslateBE and the client.
Important clause
Any purchase order, accepted quote or assignment agreement constitutes a firm and definitive contract. TranslateBE cannot be held liable for any obligation prior to the signing of the quote or the formal acceptance of the assignment.
Client obligations
The client undertakes to provide TranslateBE with source documents that are complete, legible and of good quality, in a format allowing efficient processing (text PDF, Word, DOCX, etc.). The client is solely responsible for the quality, accuracy and completeness of the source documents provided. Any illegible, incomplete, truncated or poor-quality document may give rise to a request for completion or a new quote.
Errors, ambiguities, mistakes or inaccuracies contained in the source documents are not the responsibility of TranslateBE. The translation is carried out as faithfully as possible to the source text provided; if that text contains errors, these will be reflected in the translation, unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing. In that case, any additional correction work will be invoiced separately.
The client undertakes to specify the intended use of the translation (internal use, publication, official filing, judicial use, etc.) so that TranslateBE can adapt the required level of quality and certification. The omission of this information engages the sole responsibility of the client should the translation prove unsuitable for the intended use.
The client warrants that it holds all the necessary rights over the documents provided and shall indemnify TranslateBE against any third-party claim arising from an infringement of intellectual property rights or other rights over the source documents.
Prices and quotes
The prices of translation services are set on the basis of the source document actually received by TranslateBE. Any request relating to a document other than the one initially provided, or to volumes greater than those indicated in the quote request, is the subject of a new, separate quote. The first quote is deemed null and void for the additional documents.
All prices indicated in the quotes are expressed inclusive of all taxes. TranslateBE operates under the tax exemption scheme in accordance with Article 44 §3 of the Belgian VAT Code: VAT does not apply to our services and is not collected. The displayed price is therefore the final price, without any tax surcharge.
TranslateBE's rates may be amended at any time. However, services that are the subject of an accepted quote are carried out at the price set out in that quote, with no possibility of unilateral amendment after acceptance by the client.
Payment terms
Individuals
For individual clients, a deposit of 50% of the total amount is payable upon order (on acceptance of the quote). The balance is payable before final delivery of the translation. No work is undertaken before receipt of the deposit, and the final translation is delivered only after full payment (see the retention of title clause below).
Companies and professionals
For professional clients (registered entities holding a company number), the terms are: 50% deposit upon order + 50% on delivery. For recurring assignments, credit terms may be negotiated in writing.
Full payment upon order
TranslateBE reserves the right to require full payment (100%) upon order, without a split deposit, in certain cases, in particular: urgent or express assignments, sworn translations involving disbursements (sworn translator’s fees, postage, legalisation or apostille), the first order of a new client, or low amounts. The payment terms actually applicable are specified on the quote, which prevails in the event of any discrepancy with these terms.
Accepted payment methods
Payment is made exclusively by secure bank transfer. After acceptance of the quote, the bank details are communicated by email. The assignment begins upon receipt and confirmation of the transfer. Payment references are kept for accounting purposes in accordance with legal obligations.
Non-payment - Legal consequences
- Immediate suspension of the assignment and of access to the platform until the full settlement of the balance due
- Application as of right of late-payment interest at the applicable Belgian statutory rate (currently the ECB rate + 8 points), without prior formal notice, from the due date
- A fixed indemnity for recovery costs of EUR 40 (forty euros) per unpaid invoice, in accordance with Article 6 of the Belgian Act of 2 August 2002 on combating late payment in commercial transactions
- In the event of persistent non-payment, TranslateBE reserves the right to terminate the contract at the exclusive fault of the client and to claim additional damages
Retention of title clause
The translation carried out by TranslateBE remains the exclusive property of TranslateBE until full payment of the agreed price. The client may use, distribute, publish or exploit the translation only after full settlement of the corresponding invoice. TranslateBE may demand the return or destruction of any delivered document in the event of non-payment within the agreed deadlines.
Performance deadlines
The delivery deadlines indicated in the quotes or order confirmations are indicative deadlines, established in good faith on the basis of the information available at the time the quote was drawn up. These deadlines do not constitute a strict obligation of result, unless expressly agreed in writing between the parties stating a mandatory deadline.
The calculation of the delivery deadline begins to run only from the date on which the following are simultaneously met: (i) receipt by TranslateBE of all source documents in their final and complete version, AND (ii) receipt of the deposit or full payment required under the terms set out in Article A.4. Any modification of the source document during the assignment suspends the deadline and may give rise to a new quote.
Urgent assignments (deadline of less than 24 working hours) are accepted subject to the availability of competent translators at the time of the order. They are subject to price surcharges expressly indicated in the quote. TranslateBE cannot guarantee availability for express assignments.
Delivery
Translations are delivered exclusively by electronic means, via the secure TranslateBE platform (client area) and/or by email to the address provided by the client at the time of the order. Delivery is deemed to have been made on the date and time the translated document is sent by TranslateBE, regardless of the date on which the client actually accesses it.
The client has a period of 48 working hours from the date of electronic delivery to report any delivery defect (file not received, corrupted file, delivery to a wrong address). After this period, delivery is deemed complete and accepted. TranslateBE cannot be held liable for delivery problems resulting from an incorrect email address or a spam filter on the client’s side.
For sworn translations requiring the provision of a signed and stamped original document, physical delivery is made by registered post or courier service. Postage costs are included in the quote or invoiced separately by prior agreement.
Revisions and corrections
TranslateBE grants its clients one (1) free revision per assignment, within a period of 5 working days from delivery. This free revision is limited to corrections relating to translation errors attributable to TranslateBE (mistranslations, omissions, established terminological errors) and does not cover stylistic changes or changes of meaning requested by the client after delivery.
Revision requests must be submitted in writing, with a precise identification of the passages to be corrected and the nature of the alleged error. TranslateBE reserves the right to refuse a revision request if the requested changes do not correspond to translation errors but to a change in the client's preference or direction.
Revisions resulting from errors in the source document provided by the client, from changes made to the source document after delivery of the translation, or from style/tone changes requested afterwards, are treated as new services and are invoiced separately at the applicable rate.
Complaints
Any complaint regarding the quality of a delivered translation must be made in writing (email or registered post) within a period of 5 working days from the delivery date. The complaint must precisely identify the contested passages, set out the nature of the alleged errors and, where possible, propose a documented alternative correction.
After this period of 5 working days, the translation is deemed to have been accepted in its entirety by the client, without reservation. Any late complaint will be inadmissible and may not give rise to any free correction or refund.
TranslateBE undertakes to handle admissible complaints within a period of 10 working days. In the event of an established quality dispute, TranslateBE may offer a free correction, a partial credit note or, in exceptional cases of serious defect, a partial refund. A full refund is granted only in the event of a total and manifest failure of the service, rendering the translation unusable in its entirety.
Liability of TranslateBE
TranslateBE’s liability is strictly limited to the total amount actually paid by the client for the service concerned. Under no circumstances may TranslateBE be held liable for indirect, consequential or immaterial damages, in particular: loss of turnover, loss of clients, loss of a contract, loss of a commercial opportunity, damage to image or reputation, damages resulting from decisions taken on the basis of the delivered translation.
TranslateBE endeavours to produce translations faithful to the source text. However, translation is an exercise in linguistic and cultural interpretation; certain nuances may differ from one translator to another without constituting a translation error. TranslateBE does not guarantee the perfect suitability of the translation for each specific use by the client, in particular for literary, advertising or highly creative texts.
Express exclusion of liability
TranslateBE cannot under any circumstances be held liable for the consequences of a translation used in a judicial, medical, pharmaceutical, financial or regulatory context without prior validation by a professional qualified in the relevant field. The client assumes full responsibility for the final use of the translation.
Sworn translation
Sworn translations are carried out by sworn translators officially sworn in before the Belgian courts and tribunals. These translations are certified as true by the sworn translator and bear their signature and official stamp.
The legal value of a sworn translation depends exclusively on the country and the receiving authority of the translation. TranslateBE guarantees the compliance of the sworn translation with Belgian legal requirements but cannot guarantee its acceptance by foreign authorities, institutions or administrations. It is the client’s responsibility to check, with the relevant authorities, the specific requirements regarding official translation.
TranslateBE cannot be held liable for an administrative or judicial refusal of the sworn translation by third-party authorities, in particular due to specific local requirements (apostille, legalisation, particular format) which were not brought to TranslateBE's attention at the time of the order.
Order cancellation
Any cancellation request by the client must be notified in writing (email or registered post) to TranslateBE as soon as possible. The financial consequences of the cancellation depend on the stage of progress of the assignment at the time the notification is received:
Cancellation before work begins
If the cancellation notice is received before the actual start of the translation work, a fixed indemnity corresponding to the deposit paid (at least 50% of the total amount) remains acquired by TranslateBE for the costs incurred and the loss of scheduling. If the client had paid the full price, the surplus exceeding this indemnity is refunded. No other refund is due.
Cancellation during the work
If the assignment is already in progress at the time of the cancellation notice, the client is liable for invoicing pro rata to the work actually completed, calculated in proportion to the number of words or pages processed. If this amount is greater than the deposit already paid, the difference remains due by the client.
Right of withdrawal: In accordance with the Belgian Code of Economic Law, the 14-day right of withdrawal applicable to distance contracts does not apply to services fully performed with the prior agreement of the consumer. For ongoing translation assignments, the right of withdrawal is excluded once the work has begun with the express agreement of the client.
Confidentiality of documents
TranslateBE undertakes to treat with the strictest confidentiality all documents and information provided by the client in connection with the performance of the services. TranslateBE undertakes not to disclose, use, reproduce or exploit these documents for any purpose other than the performance of the ordered assignment.
The client expressly authorises TranslateBE to entrust the performance of the service to independent freelance translators, carefully selected and bound by a strict and enforceable non-disclosure agreement (NDA). These translators have access only to the documents strictly necessary for the performance of their assignment and undertake to comply with the same confidentiality obligations as TranslateBE.
The source documents and the delivered translations are stored securely on servers hosted in Europe and are automatically deleted 30 days after delivery of the assignment, in accordance with our data retention policy. A warning email is sent to the client 7 days before deletion.
Intellectual property of the translations
The translation carried out by TranslateBE becomes the full and entire property of the client from the full payment of the corresponding invoice. Before this full payment, TranslateBE retains all property rights over the work carried out, in accordance with the retention of title clause (Article A.4).
Through the order and the full payment of the service, the client benefits from a complete assignment of the economic rights over the translation, for all uses, all media and all territories, without limitation in time. The client may in particular reproduce, distribute, adapt and exploit the translation without restriction.
TranslateBE reserves the right to mention the performance of the assignment for commercial reference purposes (portfolio), in an anonymised manner and without disclosing the content or the confidential information of the client, unless the client expressly objects in writing at the time of the order.
Force majeure
Constitutes a case of force majeure, within the meaning of these Terms and Conditions, any event external to the parties, unforeseeable, irresistible and beyond their control, rendering impossible the total or partial performance of the contractual obligations. Without this list being exhaustive, the following are notably considered as cases of force majeure: general or sectoral strikes, pandemics, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, major IT failures affecting hosting or communication infrastructures, service interruptions of essential third-party suppliers.
In the event of a force majeure event, the deadlines for the performance of TranslateBE’s obligations are automatically suspended for the duration of the event, without this being able to engage TranslateBE’s liability or give rise to penalties. TranslateBE undertakes to notify the client of the occurrence of such an event within 48 hours by any written means, and to provide an estimate of the likely duration of the suspension.
If the force majeure event persists beyond 15 calendar days, either party may terminate the contract without indemnity, by written notice. In that case, TranslateBE will refund the client the sums paid pro rata to the work not yet carried out.
Governing law and dispute resolution
These Terms and Conditions of Sale are governed by Belgian law, to the exclusion of any other system of law, and without prejudice to the mandatory consumer protection provisions applicable in the client’s country of residence.
In the event of a dispute relating to the interpretation, performance or termination of these Terms and Conditions, the parties undertake to attempt an amicable resolution of the dispute, by recourse to a mediation procedure, prior to any legal action. The mediation is organised by an accredited mediator appointed by mutual agreement or, failing agreement, by the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation (CEPANI), in accordance with its applicable rules.
Failing an amicable resolution within a period of 30 days from the start of the mediation, disputes fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the judicial district of Brussels, to which the parties irrevocably submit.
Terms of Collaboration
Applicable to independent service providers (freelance translators and interpreters) collaborating with TranslateBE for one-off or regular assignments.
Service provider status
The translators and interpreters collaborating with TranslateBE act as independent service providers, carrying out their activity as self-employed persons, sole traders or through their own legal entity. The relationship between TranslateBE and the service provider is a commercial relationship of subcontracting of services, governed by these terms and by the accepted assignment briefs.
There is no relationship of subordination, no employment contract and no employment relationship between TranslateBE and the service provider. The service provider retains full autonomy in the organisation of their work, subject to the quality and deadline requirements set by TranslateBE for each assignment. The service provider is solely responsible for compliance with their tax, social and accounting obligations in the country where they carry out their activity.
Reclassification - Shared risk
Any attempt by the service provider to reclassify the commercial relationship as an employment contract, without an established legal basis, engages their liability for the damages caused to TranslateBE, in particular the costs of legal defence and any convictions.
Assignment acceptance
Any assignment proposed by TranslateBE is the subject of a detailed assignment brief sent to the service provider, specifying: the nature of the document, the language combination, the estimated volume, the delivery deadline, the specific instructions and the planned remuneration.
Acceptance of the assignment brief by the service provider - by email, via the platform or by any other written means - constitutes a firm and definitive commitment. From then on, the service provider undertakes not to abandon the assignment in progress, except in the event of force majeure duly notified to TranslateBE within 2 hours of becoming aware of the event. Any unjustified abandonment engages the contractual liability of the service provider and may give rise to damages covering the additional costs incurred by TranslateBE to ensure the continuity of the assignment.
The service provider is free to refuse an assignment before its formal acceptance, without having to justify it. However, a high and repeated refusal rate may lead to a reduction in the assignments offered or to the termination of the collaboration relationship.
Quality requirements
TranslateBE requires all its service providers to comply with the highest professional standards. Translation services are carried out exclusively into the service provider's native language, unless an express derogation is granted by TranslateBE in writing.
Each delivered translation must have been the subject of a mandatory proofreading and revision by the service provider themselves before any delivery to TranslateBE. The service provider undertakes to deliver work free of translation, spelling, grammar and terminology errors. The use of automatic translation tools (CAT, AI) is permitted provided that the service provider checks, revises and fully assumes the quality of the final result.
The service provider undertakes to immediately report to TranslateBE any terminological difficulty or ambiguity in the source document likely to affect the quality of the translation, so that additional instructions can be provided. The failure to report and the knowing delivery of a poor-quality translation engages the liability of the service provider.
Performance deadlines and late penalties
The delivery deadlines agreed in the assignment brief are strictly contractual and mandatory in nature. The service provider undertakes to deliver the complete translation no later than the date and time set in the accepted brief.
Applicable late penalties
- Delay reported less than 2 hours before the deadline: formal warning, with no financial penalty on the first incident
- Unreported delay of 2 hours or more: penalty of 10% of the assignment amount per hour of delay, capped at 50% of the total amount
- Delay making it impossible to deliver to the end client within the agreed deadline: the service provider is held liable for the additional costs incurred by TranslateBE to remedy their default (including the urgent recourse to another translator, management costs and commercial loss)
- In the event of recurring serious delay (3 incidents or more over 12 months): termination of the collaboration relationship without notice or indemnity
The service provider is required to report any risk of delay as soon as they become aware of it, without waiting for the due date. Proactive communication enables TranslateBE to take the necessary measures to protect the interests of the end client, which may reduce or cancel the applicable penalties at TranslateBE's discretion.
Confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
The service provider undertakes a perpetual and absolute confidentiality obligation concerning all information, documents, data and content to which they have access in connection with the performance of their assignments for TranslateBE. This confidentiality obligation persists without limitation in time after the end of the collaboration relationship, whatever the reason.
The service provider undertakes in particular to: (i) not disclose any information relating to the clients of TranslateBE, their identity, their activities or the translated documents; (ii) not use the confidential information for personal or commercial purposes; (iii) take all the technical and organisational measures necessary to protect the documents received against any unauthorised access.
It is formally and irrevocably forbidden for the service provider to directly contact the clients of TranslateBE for commercial, professional or any other purposes whatsoever, whether during the term of the collaboration or after its termination. Any breach of this prohibition constitutes serious misconduct liable to engage the liability of the service provider for unfair competition and constitutes grounds for immediate termination together with a claim for significant damages.
Sanction in the event of breach
Any breach of the confidentiality obligation or of the prohibition on direct contact engages the full liability of the service provider, and gives rise to: (i) the immediate termination of the collaboration relationship, (ii) a claim for damages the amount of which will be calculated according to the actual harm suffered by TranslateBE and by the affected client, and (iii) if necessary, legal proceedings for breach of contract and unfair competition.
Prohibition of subcontracting
The subcontracting of all or part of an assignment to a third party is strictly prohibited without first obtaining the explicit written agreement of TranslateBE. This prohibition applies regardless of the form of the subcontracting (partial, total, recourse to a collaborator, family member, friend, colleague, etc.).
In the event of a breach of this prohibition, TranslateBE is entitled to: (i) immediately terminate the collaboration relationship without notice or indemnity, (ii) refuse the delivery and payment of the assignment concerned, (iii) claim damages covering the additional quality-control costs, the induced risks of breach of confidentiality and any other harm arising from the unauthorised subcontracting. The service provider remains jointly and severally liable for the quality of the work and the confidentiality of the information, even in the event of an established unauthorised subcontracting.
Ownership of the delivered translations
By accepting the assignment brief and delivering the translation, the service provider assigns to TranslateBE, on an exclusive, irrevocable basis and without geographical or temporal limitation, all economic rights over the translation carried out, including: the right of reproduction, the right of representation, the right of adaptation, the right of translation into other languages, the right of distribution and the right of commercial exploitation in any form.
This assignment of rights takes effect from the delivery of the translation to TranslateBE and is definitive upon the corresponding payment. The service provider expressly waives the exercise of any moral right that may be incompatible with the full exploitation of the translations by TranslateBE or its clients. The delivered translation becomes the exclusive property of TranslateBE, which may in turn assign it to the end client in accordance with the Terms and Conditions.
Invoicing and remuneration
The service provider’s remuneration is defined in the accepted assignment brief. The service provider may only issue an invoice for the amounts agreed in the brief. Any additional service (revisions, in-depth documentary research, special formatting) must be the subject of a prior written validation by TranslateBE before being included in the invoicing.
The service provider undertakes to issue their invoice within a period of 5 working days following the accepted delivery of the assignment. Payment is made by TranslateBE under the terms agreed at the time of the service provider's registration (generally 30 days end of month or specially negotiated terms). In the event of a dispute regarding the quality of the service, TranslateBE may suspend payment until the dispute is resolved, without this constituting a breach of contract.
Service provider liability
The service provider is fully and entirely responsible for the quality of the work delivered. In the event of a serious translation error - defined as an error of meaning, a manifest mistranslation, a significant omission or a serious terminological error in a specialised field - requiring a total or partial re-translation, TranslateBE may claim the full or partial refund of the sums paid for the assignment concerned, as well as the additional costs incurred.
The service provider is strongly encouraged to take out professional civil liability insurance covering professional errors and omissions in connection with their activity as a translator or interpreter. TranslateBE reserves the right to require proof of this as a condition of collaboration for high-stakes assignments.
Assignment exclusivity
During the performance of an assignment entrusted by TranslateBE, the service provider undertakes not to work simultaneously for direct competitors of TranslateBE in the same field of specialisation and in the same language combination, if this competing activity is likely to compromise the quality or the meeting of the deadlines of the ongoing TranslateBE assignment.
This assignment exclusivity clause is limited to the duration of the assignment concerned and does not constitute a general non-competition clause. The service provider is free to carry out their independent activity with any other client outside the above restrictions. TranslateBE does not claim any general commercial exclusivity over the service provider's activity.
Termination of the collaboration relationship
Either party may terminate the collaboration relationship by observing a notice period of 30 calendar days, notified in writing, unless assignments are in progress, in which case the service provider is required to complete the ongoing assignments before the termination takes effect.
TranslateBE reserves the right to terminate the collaboration relationship immediately and without notice in the event of serious misconduct by the service provider, in particular: abandonment of an assignment without justification, delivery of a plagiarised translation or one carried out by an unauthorised third party, breach of confidentiality obligations, unauthorised direct contact with the clients of TranslateBE, abusive or dishonest behaviour towards TranslateBE or its clients, or any other serious breach of these terms.
Termination for serious misconduct takes effect immediately upon notification and gives the service provider no right to any indemnity or compensation. TranslateBE further retains the right to claim damages for the harm caused by the serious misconduct of the service provider.
Post-collaboration obligations
At the end of the collaboration relationship, whatever the cause, the service provider is required to: (i) return or destroy all confidential documents in their possession, (ii) not retain any copies of the translations carried out on behalf of TranslateBE, and (iii) confirm in writing compliance with these obligations within a period of 5 working days following the end of the collaboration. The obligations of confidentiality and of the prohibition on direct contact with the clients remain applicable without limitation in time.
Questions about our contractual terms?
Our legal and commercial team is available to answer all your questions relating to these terms, whether you are a client or a service provider.