Business English Podcast · Negotiations · Episode 13

Choosing Between a Fixed Price and an Hourly Rate

Fixed price or hourly rate? A consultant and a buyer negotiate the commercial model for a project — including a hybrid solution with a cap.

B2 · Dialogue · 4 Min. · free

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Editorially reviewed by James Simmonds – English teacher since 2004Published 6 August 2026

SceneThe project scope is agreed — now it is about money. Daniel explains the trade-off between fixed price and hourly rate and proposes a hybrid model with a cap.

0:00 / 4 Min.

Tip: listen to the episode twice before you start the test. · Worksheet (PDF)

✓ To the comprehension test

Daniel — Consultant, software agencyAnja — Procurement lead, engineering company

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Transcript

The full transcript opens after the comprehension test — so you train real listening instead of reading along.

German support

DanielSo, Anja, we've agreed on what the new customer portal should do. The last big question is the commercial model: fixed price or hourly rate. Do you have a preference?

AnjaHonestly, I'm torn. My chef prefers a fixed price — he wants certainty about the budget. But I've heard fixed-price projects can get complicated when requirements change.Ich bin hin- und hergerissen.

DanielYour chef — I like that. Quick language note: in English, the person you report to is your boss or your manager; a chef runs a kitchen. But your boss has a point about certainty.

AnjaHa — my boss, of course. After years of English meetings, that word still trips me up. Anyway: he wants a number he can put in the budget and defend to the board.Über dieses Wort stolpere ich immer noch.

DanielCompletely understandable. Here's the trade-off: with a fixed price, we carry the risk of delays and surprises. So we build a safety margin into the number — typically ten to fifteen per cent. In other words, you pay for certainty.Beim Festpreis tragen wir das Risiko – dafür kalkulieren wir einen Sicherheitspuffer ein.

AnjaAnd with an hourly rate, we carry the risk instead. If the project runs over, our budget does too.

DanielExactly. The hourly rate is usually cheaper if the scope stays stable. The danger is scope creep — small extra requests that add up. With an hourly model, every 'could you just quickly add this' costs real money.„Scope creep": viele kleine Zusatzwünsche, die sich summieren.

AnjaKnowing our marketing department, there will be plenty of those requests. Is there a middle way?

DanielThere is, and it's what I'd recommend. We agree a fixed price for the core scope — everything in the specification we signed off last week — and an hourly rate for change requests. On top of that, a cap: change requests never exceed twenty per cent of the project value without a new agreement.

AnjaSo the board gets certainty on the core, and we stay flexible on the details. I like that. What happens if you finish faster than planned?

DanielWith a fixed price, that's our upside — just as a delay would be our downside. That's the deal both sides accept. With hourly work, you would simply pay less.

AnjaThat sounds like a structure I can sell internally. I'll need to run this past my boss before we sign, but my recommendation will be the hybrid model.

DanielPerfect. I'll send you a one-page summary today: fixed price for the core scope, hourly rate for change requests, and a twenty per cent cap. If your boss has questions, I'm happy to talk him through the numbers.

AnjaDo that. And Daniel — thank you for explaining the trade-offs instead of just selling me the more expensive option. Speak soon.

Key phrases

the trade-off

a balance between two things you cannot fully have at once

The trade-off is simple: more certainty means a higher price.

a safety margin

extra amount added to cover risks

We added a ten per cent safety margin to the estimate.

scope creep

the gradual growth of a project beyond the agreed scope

Scope creep turned a three-month project into a six-month one.

to run over

to take more time or money than planned

The project ran over by six weeks.

change requests

formal requests to add or alter agreed work

All change requests are billed at the agreed hourly rate.

a cap

an agreed upper limit

We agreed a cap of twenty per cent on additional costs.

to sign off

to formally approve something

The board signed off the specification last week.

to run something past someone

to show something to someone for their opinion or approval

Let me run the proposal past our legal team first.

Language notes

In this episode a consultant and a procurement lead negotiate the pricing model for a software project: fixed price with a safety margin, hourly rate with scope-creep risk — and a capped hybrid model as the solution. Plus the false friend Chef/chef — at level B2.

Chef ≠ chef

This episode's false friend is a reliable source of smiles: the German "Chef" is "boss" (informal), "manager" or "line manager" (more formal, British) in English. An English "chef" runs a kitchen. "I have to ask my chef" sounds to native speakers as if you need your cook's permission. At B2 level, register matters: "my boss" fits conversation, "my manager" fits email, and when discussing hierarchies, "the person I report to" is the most elegant option — it needs no title at all.

Budget certainty vs. flexibility: two business cultures

Anja's boss wants "a number he can put in the budget and defend to the board" — a very German concern: planning certainty, budget discipline, board approval. In Anglo-American project business, "time and materials" billing is more widespread, trusting ongoing control rather than the initial calculation. Daniel's hybrid model translates between the two worlds: the fixed price on the core scope serves the German need for certainty, the hourly rate on changes serves Anglo flexibility. If you sell internationally, be able to explain both models and their vocabulary.

The language of risk: carry, cap, upside

At B2 level this conversation carries precise risk vocabulary. "To carry the risk" names who bears it — the central question of any pricing model. "A cap" limits it: "change requests never exceed twenty per cent without a new agreement". And "upside/downside" describes both sides of the same bet: "that's our upside — just as a delay would be our downside". Note Daniel's closing technique too: he compresses the package into one sentence and announces a one-page summary — complex terms only become decidable through that compression.

Keep practising: Learn business English online — with real teachers from Simmonds, since 2004.

Frequently asked questions

What language level is this episode for?

Level B2 (CEFR). The dialogue uses idiomatic business English (trade-off, scope creep, cap); the vocabulary list explains all eight key terms bilingually.

Fixed price or hourly rate — which is better?

It is a trade-off: with a fixed price you pay for certainty (including a 10–15% safety margin); with an hourly rate you carry the risk of overruns and scope creep. The episode shows the middle way: fixed price for the core scope, hourly rate for changes, capped.

How do you say "Chef" in English?

"Boss" (informal) or "manager" / "line manager" (more formal). An English "chef" is a kitchen chef — one of the best-known false friends in business English.

Where can I practise price negotiations at this level live?

In the online business English courses from Simmonds Language Services (englisch-lehrer.com/online): live lessons with real teachers on Zoom. Book a free consultation to discuss your level and goals.

Are the voices real?

Episodes are produced with high-quality AI voices (Hume) and editorially reviewed by our trainer team — the same method as our interactive lessons.

Want to practise these phrases in a real conversation?

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