Skip to main content

Rate Management

Overview​

CADENSA's rate management system provides flexible billing options with a hierarchical structure. Set default rates at workspace level, customize per project or user, and override at task level for maximum control over your billing.

Key concepts:

  • Rate Hierarchy - Multiple levels with clear precedence
  • 🔄 Flexible Override - More specific rates take priority
  • Multiple Rate Types - Hourly, fixed, mixed
  • Automatic Calculation - Billable amounts computed automatically
  • Scope-Based - Workspace, User, Project, User-Project, Task

Rate Hierarchy​

Precedence Order​

CADENSA uses a specific-to-general hierarchy. The most specific rate always wins:

Priority (Highest to Lowest):

1. ⭐ Task Rate
 └─ Specific rate for a task

2. User-Project Rate
 └─ Specific user on specific project

3. 📁 Project Rate
 └─ Default rate for entire project

4. User Rate
 └─ Default rate for a user (across all projects)

5. 🏢 Workspace Rate
 └─ Fallback rate for entire workspace

Example calculation:

Workspace Rate: €40/hour
User Rate (John): €50/hour
Project Rate: €45/hour
User-Project Rate: €55/hour (John on Website Project)
Task Rate: €60/hour (Frontend task)

Result for John working on Frontend task:
→ €60/hour (Task Rate wins)

Result for John working on other tasks in Website Project:
→ €55/hour (User-Project Rate wins)

Result for John working on other projects:
→ €50/hour (User Rate wins)

Rate Scopes​

1. Workspace Rate (Tier: All)​

Default fallback rate for entire workspace.

Setting workspace rate:

  1. Navigate to Workspace Settings → Billing
  2. Find "Default Hourly Rate" section
  3. Enter rate: €50.00
  4. Select currency: EUR
  5. Click "Save Settings"

When it applies:

  • No more specific rate is set
  • New projects inherit this rate
  • Backup for all time entries

Use case: Solo freelancer with consistent rate across all work.

2. User Rate (Tier: PRO+)​

Default rate for a specific team member.

Setting user rate:

  1. Navigate to Team → Members
  2. Click on user (e.g., "John Doe")
  3. Go to "Billing" tab
  4. Enter Hourly Rate: €50.00
  5. Click "Save"

When it applies:

  • User works on any project without project-specific rate
  • Overrides workspace rate
  • Useful for different skill levels

Example:

Team Rates:
- Junior Dev: €35/hour
- Mid Dev: €50/hour
- Senior Dev: €75/hour
- Designer: €60/hour
- Manager: €85/hour

Use case: Agency with team members at different billing rates.

3. Project Rate (Tier: PRO+)​

Default rate for all work on a specific project.

Setting project rate:

  1. Navigate to Projects
  2. Click project (e.g., "Website Redesign")
  3. Go to Settings → Billing
  4. Enter Default Hourly Rate: €55.00
  5. Click "Save"

When it applies:

  • Any user works on this project (unless user-project rate set)
  • Overrides workspace and user rates
  • Useful for client-specific pricing

Use case: Premium client requires higher rate than standard projects.

4. User-Project Rate (Tier: PRO+)​

Specific rate for a user on a specific project.

Setting user-project rate:

  1. Navigate to Project → Team
  2. Find user in project team list
  3. Click rate icon next to user
  4. Enter Hourly Rate: €60.00
  5. Click "Save"

When it applies:

  • Specific user works on specific project
  • Most specific combination before task level
  • Overrides all rates except task rate

Example:

Project: Website Redesign
- John Doe: €60/hour (senior on critical project)
- Sarah Johnson: €55/hour (designer premium rate)
- Mike Chen: €45/hour (junior dev rate)

Project: Internal Tools
- John Doe: €50/hour (standard rate)
- Sarah Johnson: €50/hour (standard rate)

Use case: Senior developer charges premium for high-stakes client work.

5. Task Rate (Tier: ENTERPRISE)​

Specific rate for a task, regardless of who works on it.

Setting task rate:

  1. Navigate to Project → Tasks
  2. Click task (e.g., "Database Migration")
  3. Go to "Billing" section
  4. Enter Hourly Rate: €100.00
  5. Click "Save Task"

When it applies:

  • Anyone working on this specific task
  • Highest priority in hierarchy
  • Overrides all other rates

Use case: Emergency bug fix or specialized work commands premium rate.

Example:

Project: Website Redesign
Default: €50/hour

Tasks:
- Design (Normal): €50/hour (project rate)
- Development (Normal): €50/hour (project rate)
- Emergency Fix (Critical): €100/hour (task rate override)
- Client Presentation: €75/hour (task rate override)

Rate Types​

Hourly Rates​

Most common billing method.

How it works:

  • Rate per hour of work
  • Time tracked × Hourly rate = Billable amount
  • Supports decimals (e.g., €50.50/hour)

Example:

Time Entry:
- Duration: 3h 45m (3.75 hours)
- Rate: €50/hour
- Billable: €187.50

Best for:

  • Ongoing projects
  • Consulting work
  • Retainer agreements
  • Unpredictable scope

Fixed Rates​

Flat fee per task or project.

How it works:

  • One-time fixed price
  • Not based on time
  • Set at project or task level

Example:

Task: Logo Design
- Fixed Rate: €1,500
- Time Tracked: 12h 30m (for internal tracking)
- Billable: €1,500 (regardless of time)

Best for:

  • Deliverable-based work
  • Defined scope
  • Predictable outcomes
  • Package deals

See Fixed Rates → for details.

Mixed Rates​

Combination of hourly and fixed.

How it works:

  • Some tasks hourly, some fixed
  • Flexible project pricing
  • Different billing per task type

Example:

Project: Website Redesign
- Design Tasks: Fixed €3,000
- Development Tasks: Hourly €60/hour
- Revisions: Hourly €75/hour

Best for:

  • Complex projects
  • Hybrid agreements
  • Partial scope definition

See Mixed Rates → for details.

Currency Support​

Supported Currencies​

All tiers support:

  • 🇪🇺 EUR (Euro)
  • 🇺🇸 USD (US Dollar)
  • 🇬🇧 GBP (British Pound)
  • 🇭🇺 HUF (Hungarian Forint)
  • 🇨🇭 CHF (Swiss Franc)
  • 🇯🇵 JPY (Japanese Yen)
  • 🇨🇦 CAD (Canadian Dollar)
  • 🇦🇺 AUD (Australian Dollar)
  • +30 more currencies

Setting Currency​

Workspace level:

  1. Workspace Settings → Billing
  2. Select Currency: EUR
  3. All rates use this currency

Multi-currency (ENTERPRISE):

Coming Soon

Automatic multi-currency conversion and exchange rate management are planned for a future release. Currently, a single workspace currency is supported.

  • Different currencies per client
  • Automatic conversion (at entry creation)
  • Exchange rate tracking

Rate Visibility & Permissions​

Who Can View Rates?​

Rate visibility depends on role:

RoleView Own RateView Others' RatesEdit Rates
Owner All All
Manager All Project rates
Member
Viewer

Settings: Workspace Settings → Privacy → Rate Visibility

  • ☐ Show rates to all team members
  • ☑ Show rates to Managers and above only (Recommended)
  • ☐ Hide rates from everyone except Owner

Rate History & Audit​

Tracking Rate Changes (ENTERPRISE)​

Every rate change is logged:

📋 Rate History - John Doe

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Date Scope Old Rate New Rate Changed By │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Jan 25, 2026 User Rate €45/h €50/h Owner│
│ Jan 15, 2026 Project Rate €50/h €55/h Manager│
│ Jan 1, 2026 User Rate €40/h €45/h Owner │
│ Dec 1, 2025 User Rate €35/h €40/h Owner │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Impact analysis:

  • Existing time entries: Keep original rate
  • New time entries: Use new rate
  • Retroactive changes: Optional (ENTERPRISE) (Coming Soon)

Use cases:

  • Salary increases
  • Client rate adjustments
  • Compliance audits
  • Historical billing accuracy

Rate Templates (ENTERPRISE)​

Creating Rate Templates​

Reusable rate configurations:

Example: Agency Rate Template

Template Name: "Standard Agency Rates"

Workspace Rate: €40/hour

User Rates:
- Junior Developer: €35/hour
- Developer: €50/hour
- Senior Developer: €75/hour
- Designer: €60/hour
- Project Manager: €85/hour

Project Type Rates:
- Client Work: +10% (multiply by 1.1)
- Internal: Base rate
- R&D: Base rate
- Emergency: +50% (multiply by 1.5)

Apply template:

  1. Create new workspace
  2. Select "Apply Rate Template"
  3. Choose template
  4. Rates auto-configured

Rate Calculations​

Automatic Billable Amount​

CADENSA calculates automatically:

Example 1: Simple Hourly

Time Entry:
- User: John Doe
- Project: Website Redesign
- Duration: 2h 30m (2.5 hours)
- Rate: €50/hour

Calculation:
2.5 hours × €50/hour = €125.00

Example 2: Hierarchy Override

Rates:
- Workspace: €40/hour
- User (John): €50/hour
- Project: €55/hour
- User-Project: €60/hour

Time Entry:
- User: John Doe
- Project: Website Redesign
- Duration: 3h 15m (3.25 hours)
- Applied Rate: €60/hour (User-Project wins)

Calculation:
3.25 hours × €60/hour = €195.00

Example 3: Task Override (ENTERPRISE)

Rates:
- User-Project: €60/hour
- Task (Emergency): €100/hour

Time Entry:
- User: John Doe
- Project: Website Redesign
- Task: Emergency Bug Fix
- Duration: 1h 30m (1.5 hours)
- Applied Rate: €100/hour (Task rate wins)

Calculation:
1.5 hours × €100/hour = €150.00

Rate Rounding​

Rounding Options​

Workspace Settings → Billing → Rate Rounding:

None (Default):

Calculation: 2.75h × €50.50/hour = €138.875
Result: €138.88 (standard rounding)

Round to Nearest €5:

Calculation: 2.75h × €50.50/hour = €138.875
Result: €140.00 (rounded to nearest €5)

Round to Nearest €10:

Calculation: 2.75h × €50.50/hour = €138.875
Result: €140.00 (rounded to nearest €10)

Always Round Up:

Calculation: 2.75h × €50.50/hour = €138.875
Result: €139.00 (always round up)

Best Practices​

Do's​

  • Set workspace rate first - Fallback for all entries
  • Use user rates for skill levels - Junior/mid/senior tiers
  • Apply project rates for clients - Client-specific pricing
  • Document rate changes - Keep audit trail (ENTERPRISE)
  • Review rates quarterly - Market adjustments
  • Communicate changes - Inform team of rate updates
  • Test calculations - Verify billable amounts are correct

Don'ts​

  • Don't leave rates unset - Entries will be €0 billable
  • Don't change retroactively - Can confuse billing
  • Don't overcomplicate - Use simplest scope that works
  • Don't forget currency - Verify workspace currency
  • Don't hide from team - Transparency builds trust (where appropriate)
  • Don't use task rates everywhere - Reserve for exceptions (ENTERPRISE)

Common Scenarios​

Scenario 1: Solo Freelancer​

Setup:

  • Workspace Rate: €50/hour
  • All projects inherit workspace rate
  • Simple, consistent billing

Result: All time entries automatically billable at €50/hour.

Scenario 2: Small Agency (3-5 people)​

Setup:

  • Workspace Rate: €40/hour (fallback)
  • User Rates:
  • Junior Dev: €35/hour
  • Senior Dev: €60/hour
  • Designer: €55/hour
  • Project Rates:
  • Premium Client: €70/hour (overrides user rates)

Result: Flexible billing based on team member and client value.

Scenario 3: Enterprise (20+ people)​

Setup:

  • Workspace Rate: €50/hour (fallback)
  • User Rates: Individual rates per employee
  • Project Rates: Client-specific rates
  • User-Project Rates: Premium rates for key team on critical projects
  • Task Rates: Emergency/specialized work premiums

Result: Maximum flexibility with clear hierarchy.

Troubleshooting​

Time entry shows €0 billable​

Problem: Entry tracked but billable amount is €0.00.

Causes:

  1. No rate set at any level
  2. Entry marked non-billable
  3. Rate calculation error

Solutions:

  1. Set workspace rate (Settings → Billing)
  2. Check billable toggle on entry
  3. Edit entry and re-save to recalculate
  4. Verify user/project has rate assigned

Wrong rate applied​

Problem: Entry using unexpected rate.

Cause: Rate hierarchy misunderstanding.

Solution:

  1. Check which rates are set (workspace, user, project, user-project, task)
  2. Remember hierarchy: Task > User-Project > Project > User > Workspace
  3. Edit specific rate to override
  4. Review rate in time entry details

Cannot edit rate​

Problem: Rate field disabled.

Causes:

  • Insufficient permissions (need Manager+ role)
  • Entry already approved (ENTERPRISE)
  • Project archived

Solutions:

  1. Request Owner/Manager role
  2. Unapprove entry to edit (ENTERPRISE)
  3. Unarchive project (ENTERPRISE)

Next Steps​

Need Help?​