#core-concepts #rate-card #pricing #estimation ## Rate Card Overview The Rate Card functions as your organization's pricing database, storing comprehensive rate information for all services, equipment, and resources you regularly use in productions. By maintaining standardized pricing in the Rate Card, you can: - **Accelerate Estimation**: Quickly add pre-priced line items to estimates without manual rate entry - **Ensure Pricing Consistency**: Maintain uniform pricing across all projects and team members - **Standardize Profitability**: Establish consistent margin expectations for different services and resources - **Reduce Pricing Errors**: Eliminate manual rate calculations and potential pricing mistakes - **Onboard Team Members**: Provide pricing guidance for users unfamiliar with industry standards > [!abstract] Important! > Setting up the rate card should be a first priority when getting started in PAI. It's the one of the most important things to help supercharge your project estimation & budgeting. We offer spreadsheet -to- rate card conversion to help you out, feel free to reach out to us via [[Help & Support]] and we'll provide instructions and templates! You can access the Rate Card via [[Organization Settings]] > Rate Card ![[open-ratecard-action.gif]] ## Rate Card Structure ### Project Type PAI maintains separate rate card structures for project types. Today, PAI only has two project types, PAI Project & AICP. As far as you need to know, these are two completely separate rate card structures and do not intermix with each other. A "AICP" Line item with the same name as a "PAI Project" Line item are each Unique *because* they live in separate project types. Thus if you need to add or edit a PAI Project line item, ensure it belongs to "PAI Project". > [!info] BTW: > Project Types are not modifiable, but since users can see this as a field, now you know why they exist ### Adding New Items You can Add new items directly to the rate card 1) Use the "Add Item" Button Top Right of the page 2) Name your new item (duplicate names will be rejected) 3) Select the Item's department 4) Set the default Unit the item will spawn with 5) Set the Item's default Category the item will be associated with 6) Click "Create" to save and create the new item ###### "Show More" Options: - **Project Type**: You can Set the items "Project Type" - the default is "PAI Project" - **Day Type**: "Day" Unit Items create logical days in PAI (see [[Days In PAI]] to learn more). Here you can set the default day type that item creates when added to an estimate - **Default Headcount:** Some items may represent actual Humans. You can define how many humans an item represents to better utilize the headcount sum in estimation. - **Revenue Recog Category:** A piece of metadata for the CFO's (if you know, you know) - **Internal Notes:** You can define default internal notes to spawn with the line item. These notes are not externalized in an estimate, and can be specific instructions for your team regarding the line item, ie "Requires additional time" - **External Description:** You can define a default external description for a line item which becomes externalized on estimates. This is great for including additional services the line item represents, or other important service level details, ie, "Camera Package" > External Note: "Includes a Camera & Tripod" ### Multi-Rate Capability Rate Cards support multiple rate configurations for the same line item: - **Unit Type Variations**: Different rates for Days, Hours, and Flat pricing - **Minimum Hour Options**: For Day units, multiple minimum hour configurations (e.g., 8-hour, 10-hour, 12-hour days) - **Default Application**: Choose the appropriate rate structure when adding items to estimates ### Setting Rates > [!info] Its a Table! > When you load the rate card, grid of all items currently in the rate card is shown using [[PAI Tables]] > > ![[open-ratecard-action.gif]] > [!info] Use Item Search > Search for items using the search bar > > ![[ratecard-search.gif]] > > [!info] Editing Rates in the Grid > Directly edit rates in the grid by modifying the External and Internal Rates. > > ![[edit-rates-grid-action.gif]] > [!info] Use Preset Rate Card Filters > Cycle between rate setting using the pre-set filters > > ![[ratecard-filters-action.gif]] > [!info] Edit Items Rates and Access Item Default Settings > Click the item name to access the item properties and directly edit the items rate grid > > ![[ratecard-search.gif]] ## Integration with Estimates When building estimates, the Rate Card provides: - **Quick Access**: Search and select from your Rate Card inventory - **Pre-Configured Pricing**: External and internal rates automatically populate - **Metadata Transfer**: Category, department, and account information automatically applied - **Rate Customization**: Ability to modify rates for specific projects while preserving Rate Card standards ### Save Rate - Estimate - You can save a rate to the rate card in the estimate via the save rate feature. This is found in the action buttons left of the line item. ### Multi-Rate Card Organizations Some organizations may utilize multiple Rate Cards for: - **Regional Pricing**: Different rates for various geographic markets - **Client-Specific Pricing**: Customized rate structures for major clients - **Service Line Differentiation**: Separate Rate Cards for different types of production work > [!warning] Modification of Line Items Names > Renaming a line item in the rate card will cause it's name to update in all places it has been used or is visible. > > Why does this Matter? > > Renaming Line Item "Cam-Op" to "Camera Operator" is fine, because both names represent *the same thing / service* > > Renaming Line Item "Cam-OP" to "Box Truck" changes the service the Line Item represents across all future *and* Past Uses in your workspace. Bewear! ### Account Numbers When a new Line Item is created, it is automatically assigned an account number. You can modify the account number in the line item properties as needed. The system will prevent duplicate account numbers being assigned. ## Related Topics - [[Projects & Estimates]] - [[Budgets|Budgets]] - [[Fringes|Fringes]] © 2025 PAI Tech, Inc. [paihq.com](https://www.paihq.com/)