Overview
A rate card tells Drum how much to bill for each type of work, based on who's doing it. Your account can have one default rate card, which is automatically applied to every new project you can still override it on individual projects later if needed.
This guide walks you through setting up that default rate card for the first time.
Before You Start
Your staff roles (e.g. Designer, Project Manager) must already be created in Drum. Rate cards are built on top of staff roles, so these need to exist first.
You'll need Drum Admin access, or a role with broad settings permissions, to reach these settings.
Common Mistake
Creating a rate card before your staff roles exist can trigger a “default rate card must exist” error when creating an opportunity. Always set up staff roles first, then build your rate card.
Set Up Your Default Rate Card in Drum
Step 1: Open Rate Card Settings
Click your profile picture or initials in the top-right corner of any Drum screen.
Select Settings from the dropdown menu. This opens on Fundamental Data by default.
From the left-hand menu, select Rate Cards under Fundamental Data.
Step 2: Create Your Rate Card
Create a new rate card.
Mark it as Active.
Set it as your Default. This is the rate card Drum will automatically apply to new projects.
Important Note: If you activate a new default rate card with an effective date of today, Drum automatically expires the old default rate card. Rates won't overlap, but double-check the effective date before publishing, since the new card takes effect immediately.
Step 3: Add Billable Rates
Add your standard billable rate for every staff role listed on the rate card.
Tip: Set billable rates at the role level (e.g. “Designer,” “Project Manager”) rather than per individual it keeps your rate card simple to manage as your team grows. If your business genuinely needs a rate unique to one person, you can still set one at the individual level; it's supported, just not the default recommendation.
Important Notes & Common Mistakes
Your default rate card automatically applies to every new project, but you're not locked into one set of rates. If it doesn't fit a specific project, you can create a custom rate card for that project instead.
Only Drum Admins or Members with broad permissions can access rate card settings, keeping your billing data controlled by the right people.
Setting up staff roles before your rate card avoids the most common setup error (see Step 1 above).
Always check the effective date before publishing a new default rate card it replaces the old one immediately (see Step 2 above).
Expected Result
Once complete, Drum will automatically apply your default rate card and its role-based billable rates to every new project you create.
Quick Checklist
☐Staff roles are created before setting up the rate card
☐A new rate card is created and marked Active
☐That same rate card is set as Default so it auto-applies to new projects
☐Every staff role on the rate card has a billable rate entered
☐Effective date is checked before publishing (it will expire the old default)
☐ Billable rates are set at the role level, unless an individual rate is truly needed