How do you set your makeup artist travel fee and get clients to cover the cost without hassles?
That’s exactly what I’m going to share with you in today’s blog post.
I’m going to walk you through a simple guide that will help you set a fair price for your travel fee and clearly communicate it to clients.
Follow this guide and you’ll hardly face objections when you send your travel expenses to clients.
As a bonus, I’ve added a free travel fee calculation guide at the end of this blog post to make it even easier for you.
Now before we dive in, let’s answer a very common question about makeup artist travel fees:
Should Clients Always Cover A Makeup Artist’s Travel Fee?
Short answer… absolutely!
Here’s why (and this is the long answer):
Every journey you make to a client’s location always comes with its own set of expenses.
There’s either gas, tolls, or parking fees — and it’s only fair that clients cover these costs.
Because, hey… you're not just charging for the flawless artistry you’ll deliver…
You’re charging for the whole experience — which includes the time it will take to convey yourself, your kit, and your team to the client’s location.
So, you shouldn’t shortchange yourself by paying out of pocket for your travel expenses.
Now the question is… How do you go about setting your travel fee?
And how do you communicate your fee to clients without objections?
Here’s a simple guide to follow…
How To Set Your Makeup Artist Travel Fee & Justify It To Clients
It’s a simple 2-step process, and I lay them out in the video below.
But here are the steps at a glance:
#1 – Calculate Every Travel Expense
That includes gas, tolls, parking, and any other cost you might incur on your trip to the client’s location.
There are 2 options for calculating these costs: mileage rate or hourly rate.
Personally, I’ve found that clients are more willing to pay my travel fee without questions asked when I use the mileage rate.
And I share an example of how I use the mileage rate option in the video below.
#2 – Breakdown Every Dollar
Clients appreciate transparency…
And they will gladly cover your travel expenses when you make it make sense to them.
Which is why I recommend using the mileage rate to calculate travel fees (and I explain how to do this in the video)…
Because it breaks down your travel fee to the last dollar and justifies whatever you charge.
Watch the video below to learn how to set a fair price for your travel fees and get clients onboard.
As I hinted at the start, I’ve got a free resource to guide you whenever you need to calculate your travel fee.
Click the download button below to get the travel fee calculation guide for FREE.
On a final note, always remember…
Charging for your travel fee as a makeup artist is not just a good idea, but an essential part of presenting yourself as a professional.
So if you want clients to cover your travel expenses in full without pushbacks, use the 2-step process outlined in this blog post and explained in the video.
And hey… don't forget to grab the free makeup artist travel fee calculation guide too!
Stay fabulous,
Lauren D’Amelio Ventre
