Helping v. having helped

Question

Why is "Merci de m'avoir aidé
aujourd'hui, c'était super !" not translated as "Thank you for having helped me today" It’s
not the same thing as ‘thank you for helping me’ – or is it?

Answer

Merci de m'avoir aidé. This thanks someone for the help that has already been rendered. The literal and truest translation would, indeed, be: "Thank you for having helped me." However, this isn't what you'd hear in everyday situations. You'd (rightly or wrongly) probably just say "Thanks for helping me." The context providing the information that this sentence references a past good deed.