What Are Project Rate Cards?
A Project Rate Card functions similarly to a standard Rate Card, but it is applied only to a specific project rather than across multiple projects. This allows businesses to maintain customized billing rates for individual projects without modifying account-wide rate structures.
When setting up a Project Rate Card, users can define:
Default Bill Rates – A base rate that applies to all roles if no specific rate is defined.
Role-Specific Rates – Custom billing rates for different roles involved in the project.
Effective Date – The date from which the updated rates take effect within the project.
This flexibility ensures that teams can control and customize billing rates at the project level while maintaining clarity in rate application.
Why Use a Project Rate Card Instead of Custom Rates for Individuals?
Using Project Rate Cards instead of assigning custom rates per individual brings several advantages:
1. Simplified Billing Setup
If you want to apply a single custom rate for everyone in a project, a Project Rate Card makes this process easier. Instead of adjusting individual rates, you can simply define a default rate at the project level.
2. Automatic Rate Application for New Team Members
When new people are added to a project, you don’t have to manually edit their bill rates every time. The system will:
Assign role-specific rates if available.
If no role-specific rate is set, it will use the default project rate.
This removes the need for repetitive updates and maintains billing consistency for every project.
Previously, when a bill rate was changed, Rocketlane prompted users to choose whether to apply the new rate going forward or from the project start date. Instead of choosing between two options, users must now define the exact date from which the updated rates will take effect.
Note: These changes apply not only to Project Rate Cards but also to existing billing rate structures like: Account-Level Rate Cards, Custom Bill Rates on Projects
How to Set Up a Project Rate Card
Navigate to the Project Settings
Go to Billing & Rates → Rate Card Settings
Select Use Project-Specific Rate Card
Define the default bill rate for the project
Set up role-specific rates (if applicable)
Choose the effective date for the rate card to take effect
Save the changes
Once set, the Project Rate Card will automatically apply the defined rates for all billable hours logged in the project.