Kill Fee & Cancellation Benchmark
Typical kill/cancellation fees as a percentage of project value by field.
Client cancelled a project mid-way? Check standard kill fees by field so you're paid fairly for the work you've already done.
About Kill Fee & Cancellation Benchmark
When a client cancels a commissioned project partway through, a kill fee compensates the work already done. This benchmark shows typical kill/cancellation fees as a percentage of project value across journalism, photography, design and consulting.
How to use Kill Fee & Cancellation Benchmark
- 1Choose the field that match your situation.
- 2Read the 25th, median, 75th and 90th percentile bands for that selection.
- 3Enter your own figure to see exactly which percentile you fall in.
- 4Add a data point to sharpen the kill-fee benchmark for everyone — it stays in your browser.
Why use Kill Fee & Cancellation Benchmark?
- ✓Free, instant kill-fee percentiles — no sign-up, no paywall.
- ✓Filter by several dimensions to find numbers that actually match your situation.
- ✓Enter your own figure and see exactly where it lands in the distribution.
- ✓Community-contributed data points keep the bands fresh and realistic.
Frequently asked questions
What is a kill fee?+
It's a pre-agreed payment owed if a client cancels a commissioned project before completion — protecting the freelancer from working for nothing.
What percentage is a typical kill fee?+
It commonly ranges from 25% to 50% of the agreed project value depending on the field and how much work was completed.
Is the kill fee benchmark free to use?+
Yes. It is completely free, runs in your browser and needs no sign-up. Any data point you add stays on your device — nothing is uploaded.
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Want Kill Fee & Cancellation Benchmarkon your own site? Paste this snippet into any HTML page — it's free, with no API key or sign-up. The tool loads in an iframe and keeps working exactly as it does here.
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