What to do if a freelancer wants to change the terms of your job offer

In this article

• A freelancer wants to change the terms of a job offer I sent. What’s next?
• What changes can the freelancer request and how long do they have to request changes?
• Where can I see the freelancer's request for changes?
• What do I do after reviewing the freelancer's request for changes to my offer?
• Why did I get an error message when trying to approve, reject, or modify a freelancer’s request?

A freelancer wants to change the terms of a job offer I sent. What’s next?

After you send an offer, a freelancer can suggest changes — like adjusting the scope, timing, or rate. You’ll see their requested changes side-by-side with your original offer so you can easily compare.

As long as the original offer is still active, the freelancer can accept it at any time. Keeping that original offer visible helps keep both sides aligned while you finalize the terms that work for everyone.

What changes can the freelancer request and how long do they have to request changes?

Freelancers or agency managers can request changes on fixed-price or hourly contracts with you if you are a Marketplace or Business Plus client.

Changes they can request:

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  • Project type: They can request that the job be hourly or fixed-price
  • Payment amount: They can enter an hourly rate for hourly contracts or an amount for fixed-price contracts
  • Payment schedule for fixed-price contracts: They can ask for the payment to be made all at once at the end of the contract or broken into milestones
  • Other payment details: They can request scheduled rate increases or additional automatic weekly payments
  • Scope of work: They can request edits to the job description
  • Other contract details: They can request changes to the start date, contract or milestone due dates, the hourly limit on hours worked each week, and whether they can enter time manually

Timing and limits for change requests:

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  • Seven-day offer period. Freelancers can make requests within seven days of when you send the offer. If you approve or modify an offer, the seven-day timer resets. Requests from freelancers do not reset the timer
  • Request limits. Freelancers can submit up to three requests for offer changes within one hour

Where can I see the freelancer's request for changes?

If a freelancer suggests changes to your offer, you’ll get a notification with a link to review them.

When you open the offer, you’ll be able to see:

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  • The freelancer’s proposed edits alongside your original offer
  • A full history of any change requests
  • Versions you’ve sent for their consideration

You can also view requests and offer history by going to Hire talent > Pending offers from your dashboard or the main navigation bar.

What do I do after reviewing the freelancer's request for changes to my offer?

Once a freelancer submits a request, you can:

• Approve changes: Accept their proposed changes and send a revised offer with those edits
• Reject changes: Reject their request, but keep the original offer terms active for their consideration
• Modify the offer with your own changes: Update the offer with different terms than your original or the freelancer’s request, and resend the offer
• Withdraw the offer: If you don’t want to move forward or have decided to hire someone else, you can withdraw the offer

Heads up: If you withdraw an offer on a fixed-price contract, any funds you’ve already deposited for milestones—along with any associated fees—will be automatically refunded. It can take up to five business days for the refund to appear.

As long as you don't withdraw your offer, the freelancer can continue to respond or take one of these actions:

• Make more requests: Submit additional changes, up to three change requests in a one-hour period
• Accept the offer: Accept or decline the original offer as long as it’s active, even after submitting a request for changes, until you submit a modified offer. They can also accept or decline modified offers that you’ve sent