Upwork Payment Protection adds a level of security to payment processing for hourly and fixed-price projects, allowing clients and freelancers to collaborate on projects with peace of mind.
Hourly Payment Protection for Clients
- You can monitor your freelancer's Work Diary to see work-in-progress snapshots and confirm what work is being invoiced to you
- If your freelancer logs hours not related to your project you can file a dispute for the previous week's hours. You will be refunded for any hours that do not qualify for Hourly Payment Protection
- Upwork Hourly Payment Protection doesn’t apply to bonuses or fixed-price projects. See the Upwork Terms of Service and Hourly Escrow Instructions for full terms and conditions
Fixed-Price Payment Protection for Clients
- You and the freelancer agree on deliverables in the form of milestones and you deposit funds (minimum $5 per milestone) into escrow
- Work is submitted for your approval before funds are released from escrow
- You can ask for changes to the work or request an escrow refund if necessary
Hourly Payment Protection for Freelancers and Agencies
- On hourly contracts, you will invoice your time by logging it with Upwork Desktop App
- As long as your hours meet Hourly Payment Protection criteria you will be paid for the time you invoice
- Upwork Hourly Payment Protection doesn’t apply to bonuses, manual time, or fixed-price projects. See the Upwork Terms of Service and Hourly Escrow Instructions for full terms and conditions
Fixed-Price Protection for Freelancers and Agencies
- Your client deposits funds into escrow before you start working and you submit work for their approval
- Funds are automatically released to you 14 days from submission if your client does not approve the work or request changes
- You can file a dispute if your client refuses to release the payment for a completed milestone. See the Upwork Terms of Service and Fixed-Price Escrow Instructions for full terms and conditions.