Chatting with a fellow designer about her 'panic rate' made me rethink my pricing

She said she charges 50% more for any project with a turnaround under 48 hours, which finally made me see rush fees as a survival tool, not just a penalty. Anyone else have a specific rule like that for last-minute work?

3 comments

3 Comments

hill.hugo2mo ago

My panic rate is basically just me adding a "sorry for my future emails" tax, lmao. I once quoted double for a 24-hour thing and they still said yes, which honestly scared me more.

masondixon2mo ago

Heard about a buddy who got asked for a logo in a single day. He threw out a number that was triple his normal rate just to make them go away. They agreed on the spot, and he spent the next 24 hours in pure misery, fueled by bad coffee and regret. He said the money was good but it wrecked his whole week. Now his rule is that if a client says yes to his "oh crap" fee without blinking, he tells them he's suddenly booked. That price is really just the cost of his sanity.

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the_gavin1mo ago

Haha oh man, that "oh crap" fee turning into a "now I'm screwed" fee is brutal. I think that "suddenly booked" rule is smart though, because if they say yes that fast, they're definitely gonna be a nightmare client who expects way more than what you can deliver in 24 hours. Sometimes the money just isn't worth the panic attack.