This article covers how to update billable rates and how different types of rate updates are applied to your projects. Please note that Harvest does not support historical rates in all areas, so please use caution when making updates to a project’s billable rates. 

For an overview of the different types of rates in Harvest and details on setting initial billable rates, check out the details and video in our article on setting billable rates.

If you're looking for information on cost rates, please refer to setting and editing cost rates.

Project billable rates updates

Projects set to bill by Project billable rate bill out at the same rate no matter who tracks to the project or which task they are working on. 

Editing project billable rates

You can edit the rate for projects that bill by Project billable rate and have the new rate applied starting on the date you specify and maintain the historical rate for existing time entries tracked to the project. 

To edit the rate for a project set to bill by Project billable rate:

1. Head to Projects. 
2. Select Actions > Edit next to the project you’d like to update. 
3. In the project's Billable rate settings, click the Edit billable rates link.
4. In the table that opens, click +New billable rate.  
5. Enter the new rate and an effective date for the rate. 
6. Click Add rate. 

Task billable rates updates

Projects that bill by Task billable rate can use a task’s default rate or a custom, project-specific task rate. 

Updating default billable task rates

Updates to a task's default billable rate from Manage > Tasks will apply only to newly created future projects billing by Task billable rate.

There’s currently no way to change a task's default billable rate on an existing project and maintain the previous rate for time tracked before that date. If you need to do this, we recommend updating the task’s default rate from Manage > Tasks and then duplicating the project. The new project will use the updated default billable task rate. You’ll have as many projects as you do rate changes per task, but this will ensure the accuracy of your reports and invoices.

To edit a task’s default billable rate:

1. Head to Manage > Tasks. 
2. Click Actions > Edit next to a task name. 
3. Enter the new default task rate. 
4. Update task. 

Updating custom task billable rates

Updates to the task billable rate for a project that bills by Task billable rate will apply to all entries for that task on the project. This includes hours tracked before the rate change.

There’s currently no way to change a task's custom billable rate on a project as of a certain date and maintain the previous rate for time tracked before that date. If you need to do this, we recommend duplicating the project and using the new billable rate in the new, duplicate project. You’ll have as many projects as you do rate changes per task, but this will ensure the accuracy of your reports and invoices.

To update the custom, project-specific billable rate for a task:

1. Head to Projects. 
2. Click Actions >Edit next to the project you’d like to update. 
3. Scroll down to the Task settings for the project. 
4. Change the rate for the task in the Billable rate (per hour) column. 
5. Scroll down to Update project. 

Person billable rates updates

Projects that bill by Person billable rate can be set to use a person’s default rate or a custom, project-specific rate. 

Updating a person’s default billable rate

If you update a person’s default billable rate (set in their profile), the new rate will apply to all projects that are set to bill by Person billable rate and use the person’s default billable rate, starting on the date specified. It won’t apply to projects set to bill using a project-specific custom rate for the person or to projects using other billing methods. 

To update a person's default billable rate:

1. Go to Team and click Actions> Edit next to the person’s name.
   • Only Administrators and Managers with assigned people have access to the Team section.
   • If you're the only person in your account, you can access your own default billable rate by clicking your name in the top right and choosing My profile.  
2. Go to their Rates tab (left menu).
3. Click + New billable rate.
4. Enter the new billable rate and an effective date for the rate.
5. Click Add rate.

Updating a person’s project-specific custom billable rate

If you update a person's project-specific custom billable rate from one custom rate to another, the new custom rate will apply to all of the hours that they track to that project. This includes hours tracked before the rate change.

There’s currently no way to change a person’s project-specific custom billable rate as of a certain date and maintain the previous rate for time tracked before that date. If you need to do this, we recommend duplicating the project and using the new billable rate in the new, duplicate project. You’ll have as many projects as you do rate changes per person, but this will ensure the accuracy of your reports and invoices.

To change a person’s project-specific custom billable rate for a project that bills by Person hourly rate:

1. Head to Projects. 
2. Choose Actions > Edit next to the project you’d like to update. 
3. Scroll down to the Team section of the project form.
4. Click Edit rate in the row for the person you’d like to update a custom rate for. 
5. Ensure Use custom billable rate of . . . is selected. 
6. Enter the new custom rate.
7. Save billable rate. 
8. Scroll down to Update project.

Switching between using a person’s default billable rate and a project-specific custom billable rate

If you change a person’s project-specific custom billable rate from their default rate to a custom one, the new custom rate will apply to all of the hours that they track to the project. This includes hours tracked before the rate change.

If you change a person’s project-specific billable rate from a custom one back to their default billable rate, any default billable rate changes tied to dates will once again apply to time tracked to the project.

For projects billing by Person billable rate, you can switch between a person’s default rates and a custom rate at any time. 

Changing the billable rate setting for a project

Updating the billable rate setting for a project, for example from Task billable rate to Project billable rate, will apply to all entries for the project. This includes hours tracked before the billable rate setting update. 

Updating billable rates via import

It is possible to update a person's default billable rate using a people import, but default historical rates are not supported when updating rates via import. The imported rate (or even an empty rate field) will override a person's current default, including any historical rates, and apply to all time tracked to projects that use the person’s default billable rate. 

Also, if you’re re-importing an existing teammate, keep in mind that in addition to billable and cost rates being overridden, existing roles, user permissions (the Admin column, which only supports Administrator (Y) and Member (N) permissions), employee/contractor status, and capacity will also be updated based on the new import.