Learn how Hourly Payment Protection keeps freelancers safe on hourly contracts, what qualifies or doesn’t, and what to do if a client disputes your logged hours.
In this article
- How do I qualify for Hourly Payment Protection?
- What doesn’t qualify for Hourly Payment Protection?
- What happens if a dispute is filed on my hours?
How do I qualify for Hourly Payment Protection?
To qualify for Hourly Payment Protection, all must be true:
- You have an hourly contract
- You logged your hours with the time tracker in the Upwork Desktop App AND:
- The activity captured in screenshots is related to the contract
- You added memos or activity labels in your work diary that describe the work
- You maintained adequate and fair activity levels
- You stayed within the contract's weekly limit
- You have verified your identity
- You are working with a client who is using a verified billing method
- Your Upwork account is in good standing
What doesn’t qualify for Hourly Payment Protection?
We exclude work diary segments that are:
- Added manually
- Idle or empty
- Over the weekly limit
- Showing you engaged in non-work-related activity
- Missing memos or have inadequately described memos
What happens if a dispute is filed on my hours?
If your client files an hourly dispute, you should:
- Stop working: We will pause your contract and set the contract’s weekly limit to zero. If you wish to resume working on the contract after the dispute is settled, discuss resuming the contract with your client
- Respond to the dispute: You have three days to decline or accept the dispute, and it is important that you respond. Learn how to respond here. If you don’t respond, we’ll investigate and protect any hours that qualify for Hourly Payment Protection. Any funds acquired outside Hourly Payment Protection may be lost. If you and your client decide that some of the funds should be returned, you can issue a refund and your client may decide to withdraw the dispute.
Hourly Payment Protection is subject to the terms and conditions outlined in the Upwork Terms of Service.