Rei Filipino VA
Rate Calculator
The only rate calculator built specifically for virtual assistants in the Philippines.
Filipino VAs are undercharging and the tools aren't helping.
Over 2 million Filipino VAs are in the market and most are undercharging because they have no tool built for their actual situation. Generic freelance rate calculators assume Western expenses, Western platforms, and Western living costs. When a VA in Cebu uses a tool calibrated for a freelancer in San Francisco, the output is useless and often actively harmful.
Common workarounds that fail:
- Asking in Facebook groups and copying what others charge
- Using US-market calculators and guessing a conversion
- Picking a number and hoping for the best
"I was charging $4/hr for social media work for two years. This calculator showed me my expense floor alone demands $6.50/hr." User feedback
Three actionable numbers. Real negotiations.
Rei is a 4-step rate calculator that takes a Filipino VA's actual monthly expenses, niche, platform, and engagement type and outputs three actionable numbers they can use in real negotiations.
Lightweight, fast, and standalone.
| Layer | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Frontend | HTML / CSS / Vanilla JS |
No framework needed, fast load |
| Static Site | Jekyll |
Blog + pages from markdown |
| Hosting | GitHub Pages |
Free, zero infra overhead |
| Fonts | Custom brand type |
Distinctly not generic |
Core Logic
Expense floor calculation
Platform fee gross-up
Three-rate output model
Fair = floor rate + niche benchmark midpoint, weighted toward PH market data.
Asking = fair rate + a confidence buffer (roughly 10–15%), calibrated per niche. This is what you quote. It builds in room to negotiate down without going below fair.
Niche benchmarks
Key Features
It's working.
What worked, what I'd change.
The three-rate output model resonated immediately. Users didn't want one answer they wanted a range so they could walk into a negotiation with confidence rather than a single fragile number.
I'd build in a shareable results link from day one. The most organic sharing moment sending your rate breakdown to a client happened anyway, but users were taking screenshots. A link would have been far more powerful.
Key insight: The blog became an unexpected distribution channel. Articles on platform comparisons and rate negotiation scripts drove more traffic than any direct product mention.