Upwork simplifies payments for hourly contracts by automatically invoicing clients for time you log via the Time Tracker app or add manually. Payments follow a set billing cycle: hours are logged in Week 1, invoiced to clients in Week 2, and earnings become available for withdrawal in Week 3 after a five-day security period. If logged hours exceed the weekly limit, they won't be invoiced and will only be paid if the client agrees to issue a bonus to cover that amount. Additionally, some contracts may include a recurring weekly payment. You can track your earnings and withdraw funds using your preferred payment method. - AI summary
We understand timely payments are important, and invoicing takes time away from your work. That’s why we make getting paid for hourly contracts as simple and hassle-free as possible.
Your clients are automatically invoiced and billed for hours you log, whether tracked with our Time Tracker or added as manual time, according to the weekly billing cycle. Hourly contracts may also be covered by Upwork Hourly Protection.
However, if you log time over the weekly limit that you and your client set, it won't be invoiced. Your client can see it in your Work Diary, and you can discuss the possibility of a bonus payment for that time.
All applicable time is invoiced to your client according to the schedule below, using the UTC time zone:
- Week 1 — Log time using Upwork’s Time Tracker or manually enter hours
- Week 2 — Hours are invoiced on Monday (UTC), and clients have until Friday to review your work
- Week 3 — Earnings become available the following Wednesday (UTC)
Bonus payments do not go through the review process but are subject to a five-day security hold.
Some contracts are eligible for faster payments! Learn more here.
Weekly payment
A weekly payment is an automatic, recurring payment for a specific amount. Clients are invoiced for this amount each week in addition to your billable hours. Unlike billed hours, weekly payments do not have a review period and become available after the standard five-day security period.
Frequently Asked Questions
The weekly billing period begins Monday at 00:00 UTC and ends Sunday at 23:59 UTC. After this, your earnings enter a review period. Once the review is complete, a five-day security period begins. Afterward, your earnings, minus Upwork fees, become available for withdrawal. You can learn more about the weekly billing cycle here.
The time it takes to receive funds depends on your chosen withdrawal method and can exceed eight business days. If you haven’t received your payment after eight business days, contact us for help.
To check your available earnings, go to your Financial overview dashboard. You’ll see your available earning under the Available tab.
Payments under client review will be seen as In review and payments that are under security review will be seen under Pending.
In order to withdraw payment, you must have a withdrawal method on file — this is where your payments will be sent.
To withdraw your earnings or set up a withdrawal method
- Go to your account Settings
- Open the Get Paid tab
- If needed, choose Add a method to set up a withdrawal method, or choose Get paid now if you already have one set up
Once you’ve set up your withdrawal method, you can also withdraw earnings from your Financial overview dashboard by selecting the Available now tab and choosing Get paid now.
All contract payments are made to your agency. You’ll need to arrange payment directly with your agency.
Clients can issue bonus payments anytime while the contract is active or within 365 days after it ends. Bonus payments, minus Upwork fees, will be available after the five-day security period. However, bonus payments are not covered by Upwork Hourly Protection.
If a contract is paused for any period of time in the week, including because of a dispute, the corresponding weekly payment won't be issued.
When a contract includes a weekly payment, how much of it you get paid upon starting the contract depends on which day the contract began. The percentages break down like this:
- Monday — 100%
- Tuesday — 80%
- Wednesday — 60%
- Thursday — 40%
- Friday — 20%
- Saturday/Sunday — no payment until the following week.
When a contract that includes a weekly payment ends, how much of that weekly payment you receive depends on the day the contract was ended. The percentages break down like this:
- Monday — 20%
- Tuesday — 40%
- Wednesday — 60%
- Thursday — 80%
- Friday, Saturday, Sunday — 100%
Weekly payment terms are set in the advanced options when the client makes you a contract offer. To add, remove, or change the weekly payment, your client must end your current contract and offer you a new one with updated terms.
Cleared payments are released by 11:59 PM UTC on Fridays. If you live in another timezone, please consider the time difference. We will also email you once your payments are ready to be withdrawn.
Note that only your hourly contracts are eligible for faster payments. If you have both hourly and fixed-price contracts, only the payments for your hourly contracts are included.
If you issued a partial refund for your client, the rest of their payment to you will not be released according to the faster payouts schedule. A payment impacted by a refund will be subject to the 10-day wait on payments.