The contract
What is Smart, in a few words?
Smart is a cooperative that acts as an intermediary between the customer (you) and the translator, like a temporary employment agency. You sign a contract with Smart, which then collects the invoices and pays the translator.
For more information, please visit the Smart website.
Are there any fees for the Smart services?
No, you will not be charged any additional fees. You only pay the amount agreed with the translator.
How to sign the contract?
The invoice
Do I have to pay a deposit?
No, there is no deposit to pay.
When will I receive the invoice?
It takes approximately 7 to 10 days after the signed contract has been submitted.
How do I pay the bill?
The invoice will be sent to the e-mail address you have provided on the contract. It is payable by bank transfer only. All the information you need to make the transfer appears on the invoice: amount, due date, bank account number and structured communication.
When filling in the bank transfer, remember that you are paying the Smart. The name of the recipient on your transfer should therefore be that of the Smart and not that of the translator.
For your information, here is a typical Smart invoice:
The electronic signature
How can I check the electronic signature?
To check the electronic signature of a PDF document, you will need to open it with an application that supports electronic signatures, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or Foxit PDF Reader. Opening the PDF with your web browser (Firefox, Chrome, etc.) will not allow you to check the electronic signature.
This is what an electronically signed PDF looks like when opened in Foxit PDF Reader :
How to preserve the electronic signature of the PDF?
To preserve the validity of the electronic signature, you must keep the PDF file as it is. Under no circumstances can you modify the content of the PDF and then re-save the file, for example.
You can, however, transfer the PDF to another storage medium or send it by email without any problem.