Digital Agency Fees Explained: No Hidden Charges at TEDECA

I've seen too many businesses get burned by hidden agency fees. The quote says €5,000, but the final bill is €12,000. "Setup fees," "integration costs," "hosting charges"—they add up fast, and you're stuck paying.

After working with clients who've been burned by other agencies, I've learned that transparency isn't just nice to have—it's essential. Here's how agency fees actually work, what to watch for, and how TEDECA does it differently.

The Hidden Fee Problem (And Why It Exists)

Let me tell you about a client who came to us after a bad experience. They got a quote for €8,000. Seemed reasonable. They signed. Then the bills started:

• "Project setup: €500"
• "Design revisions (beyond 2): €200 per revision" (they needed 5 more)
• "Hosting setup: €300"
• "SSL certificate: €150"
• "Content migration: €600"
• "Third-party integrations: €1,200"
• "Performance optimization: €800"

Final cost: €11,750. Almost 50% more than the quote.

The agency hadn't lied—they just hadn't been transparent. The quote said €8,000, but it didn't say what wasn't included. The client was surprised, but technically, the agency was within their rights.

That's why transparency matters. You need to know what you're paying for, what's included, and what's not.

Common Fee Structures (And What They Mean)

Fixed-Price (The Good One)

How it works:

• One fixed price for the project
• Everything included (or clearly listed)
• No surprises
• Predictable cost

What to watch for:

• Make sure scope is clear
• Understand what's included
• Know the change process

Best for: Most projects, when scope is clear

Hourly Rates (The Risky One)

How it works:

• Pay for time spent
• Variable cost
• Can spiral out of control

What to watch for:

• Get an estimate (but know it's not guaranteed)
• Understand what's billable (meetings, emails, revisions)
• Set a cap if possible

Best for: Ongoing work, unclear scope, research projects

Retainer (The Ongoing One)

How it works:

• Monthly payment
• Ongoing work included
• Predictable monthly cost

What to watch for:

• Understand what's included
• Know the scope of ongoing work
• Understand cancellation terms

Best for: Ongoing maintenance, continuous development

What Transparent Pricing Actually Looks Like

Transparent pricing means:

1. Clear breakdown:

• Itemized costs
• Detailed descriptions
• Understandable pricing
• Complete information

2. No hidden fees:

• All costs disclosed upfront
• No surprise charges
• Clear scope definition
• Transparent process

3. Written quotes:

• Formal documentation
• Signed agreements
• Clear terms
• Legal protection

4. Change process:

• How changes are handled
• What costs extra
• How you're notified
• Approval process

At TEDECA, we provide all of this. No surprises, no hidden fees, complete transparency.

What's Usually Included (And What's Not)

Usually Included in Development Fees

Design:

• Initial design concepts
• Design revisions (usually 2-3 rounds)
• Responsive design
• Brand alignment

Development:

• Frontend development
• Backend functionality
• Basic integrations
• Testing and QA

Basic Setup:

• Domain setup (if you provide domain)
• Basic hosting setup
• SSL certificate (usually)
• Basic SEO setup

Usually NOT Included (Watch For These)

Additional pages:

• Beyond the agreed number
• Usually €200-500 per page

Extensive revisions:

• Beyond the included rounds
• Usually €100-300 per revision

Third-party services:

• Premium plugins
• External APIs
• Payment processors
• Email services

Content creation:

• Copywriting
• Image sourcing
• Video production
• Content migration

Advanced features:

• Custom integrations
• Complex functionality
• E-commerce (if not included)
• Advanced SEO

Ongoing costs:

• Hosting (after first year, usually)
• Maintenance (if not included)
• Updates (if not included)
• Support (if not included)

The TEDECA Approach: Complete Transparency

At TEDECA, here's exactly what's included:

Starter Plan: €49,99/month

Included:

• Complete website development
• Professional design
• 5 pages (Homepage, About, Services, Contact, Blog)
• Contact form
• Basic SEO setup
• Mobile responsive
• Hosting (first year included)
• SSL certificate (included)
• 30 days of support
• Performance optimization

Not included:

• Additional pages (€200 per page)
• Extensive content creation (we can help, quoted separately)
• Advanced integrations (quoted separately)
• E-commerce (upgrade to Business plan)

Business Plan: €79,99/month

Included:

• Everything in Starter, plus:
• E-commerce capability
• Advanced SEO
• Priority support
• Additional pages (up to 10)
• Advanced integrations (basic)

Not included:

• Complex custom integrations (quoted separately)
• Extensive content creation (we can help, quoted separately)

Enterprise: Custom

Included:

• Fully custom development
• Everything tailored to your needs
• Dedicated support
• Complex features
• Advanced integrations

Pricing: Quoted based on requirements

No hidden fees. Everything is clear upfront.

Red Flags: What to Watch For

1. Vague Quotes

Red flags:

• "Starting at €X" (what does it actually cost?)
• "€X-€Y range" (why the range?)
• No itemized breakdown
• "Additional costs may apply"

What to ask:

• "What's the exact price for my project?"
• "Can you break down the costs?"
• "What additional costs should I expect?"

2. Hidden Setup Fees

Red flags:

• "Project setup: €X" (not mentioned in quote)
• "Onboarding fee: €X" (not mentioned in quote)
• "Administrative fee: €X" (not mentioned in quote)

What to ask:

• "Are there any setup fees?"
• "What's included in the quote?"
• "Are there any fees not mentioned?"

3. Revision Limits Not Clear

Red flags:

• "Revisions as needed" (then billed per revision)
• No mention of revision limits
• "Standard revisions included" (what's standard?)

What to ask:

• "How many revisions are included?"
• "What happens after that?"
• "What's the cost for additional revisions?"

4. Hosting Not Included

Red flags:

• Quote doesn't mention hosting
• "Hosting available separately"
• Hosting cost not disclosed

What to ask:

• "Is hosting included?"
• "What's the hosting cost?"
• "What hosting do you recommend?"

5. Integration Costs Not Disclosed

Red flags:

• "Integrations available" (but cost not mentioned)
• "Third-party services extra" (but which ones?)
• Integration costs not in quote

What to ask:

• "What integrations are included?"
• "What integrations cost extra?"
• "What's the cost for [specific integration]?"

How to Protect Yourself

1. Get everything in writing:

• Detailed quote
• Signed agreement
• Clear terms
• Scope definition

2. Ask about additional costs:

• What's not included?
• What costs extra?
• What should I budget for?

3. Understand the change process:

• How are changes handled?
• What costs extra?
• How are you notified?

4. Compare quotes:

• Compare what's included
• Compare what's not included
• Compare total costs
• Compare transparency

5. Choose transparency:

• The most transparent quote is usually best
• Even if it's not the cheapest
• Transparency prevents surprises

The Bottom Line

Digital agency fees should be transparent. You should know:

• What you're paying: Exact cost, itemized breakdown
• What's included: Detailed scope, clear features
• What's not included: Additional costs, change process
• No surprises: Everything clear upfront

At TEDECA, we provide complete transparency. No hidden fees, no surprises, everything clear upfront. You know what you're paying, what's included, and what's not.

If you want transparent pricing with no hidden charges, get your fixed-price quote in 24 hours and let's build something with complete clarity.