How to pay freelancers/us
Review the contract
Approve the payment
Introducing Direct Contracts
With Upwork, your payment is safe and sound until you approve releasing it. No hassle. No Upwork account necessary.
It's very easy and secure way to pay anyone globally for any serive. We are using this service to make us more trusted. You have option to get your money back if we can't satisfy you.
Isn't it easy and trusted?
Why Direct Contracts?
Your payment is safe
Upwork will hold your payment for safekeeping until the work is complete (it’s called ‘escrow’, in case that term comes up in the future).
Pay your way
Help with disputes
If your project hits a snag, Upwork can step in to help. You can quickly get your funds back into your wallet.
Quick and easy
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would I use this instead of my current method?
With Direct Contracts, you and the freelancer get escrow protection in addition to the ability to easily make payments through Upwork. Freelancers feel assured because you’ve deposited the project funds into a third-party escrow partner and you don’t have to worry about paying for a project that doesn’t get completed or filing tax forms. If during the contract you want to cancel it, you can request to cancel and get your funds returned back to you.
What’s the cost to set up a Direct Contract?
Clients pay low to no fees. All transactions will occur in USD.
Do I have to create an Upwork account?
No, you will not have to create an Upwork account. Any time action is needed on your part we will send you an email and link to the webpage where you can take the needed action.
Can I set up a Direct Contract with anyone, anywhere in the world?
Currently, Direct Contracts are only available to freelancers and their clients in certain countries. If you attempt to sign up and you or your client are not eligible due to the country you live in, you’ll see this message: “We’re sorry to inform you that Direct Contracts are currently not available in your country.” We hope to expand Direct Contracts to more countries in the future.
What are Upwork escrow services?
With Direct Contracts, you and the freelancer get escrow protection in addition to the ability to easily make payments through Upwork. Freelancers feel assured because you’ve deposited the project funds into a third-party escrow partner and you don’t have to worry about paying for a project that doesn’t get completed. If during the contract you want to cancel it, you can request to cancel and get your funds returned back to you. You’ll also get dispute assistance should a problem arise.
Can I fund a Direct Contract via PayPal?
Yes! You can fund Direct Contracts via credit card, ACH bank transfer, or PayPal account.
How do I view my contract?
When you accept the contract, you’ll receive an email confirmation. That email will have a link to allow you to view the contract and request cancellation in case you decide to cancel an active contract.
How do I file a dispute if I'm not satisfied?
With escrow service, your funds are protected and won’t be released until the work has been completed. Once the freelancer has completed and submitted work for the project, they will send you a request for payment. You’ll receive an email notification with the option to “Accept” or “Decline” the request.
If you accept the request, the funds are immediately released to the freelancer and the contract is closed. If you reject it, the funds remain in escrow and the contract is kept open. The freelancer can then make any necessary changes to the work and resubmit their payment request.
Important note: When your freelancer submits a payment request you have 14 days to review. If you do not take action, that is considered approval and funds will be automatically released to the freelancer.
Important note:
For fixed-price contracts, you have 14 days to review after your freelancer submits work and a payment request. Doing nothing is considered approval under the Direct Contract Fixed-Price Escrow Instructions, and we will automatically release funds to the freelancer.
For hourly contracts, you’ll be invoiced on Mondays for any hours your freelancer worked the previous week. You’ll have 4 days to review the hours before the payment is released on Friday. It is during these four days that you can file a dispute, if needed. If you do, we will be there to help. An Upwork Dispute Specialist will reach out to you and help mediate.
To file a dispute:
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Go to the “Contract Details” page.
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Hover over the ellipses (…) in the upper right-hand corner and choose the “Get help” option.
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In the “How Can We Help” box that appears, choose “Contact us”.
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Under “Select the reason you’re contacting us”, choose “File a dispute”.