A payment may be reversed or refunded to your client if your hourly work doesn’t qualify for Hourly Payment Protection.
This generally happens in two situations:
- Your client disputes hourly charges. We’ll review the disputed time to determine whether it meets the requirements for Hourly Payment Protection. If some or all of the time doesn’t qualify, the related payment may be reversed or refunded
- We can’t successfully charge your client’s billing method. We’ll review your logged time to determine whether it qualifies for Hourly Payment Protection. Payment for time that doesn’t meet the requirements may be reversed or refunded
Why might my time not qualify?
Hourly Payment Protection has specific requirements. For example, time may not qualify if it:
- Was added manually
- Exceeded the contract’s weekly limit
- Didn’t show qualifying work activity
- Was missing required memos or activity labels
If you didn’t track or manually add time for the work, there won’t be an hourly invoice eligible for Hourly Payment Protection.
What does a refund in my transaction history mean?
If you see terms such as refund, contract refund, or freelancer refund in your transaction history, the refund may be an automatic payment reversal. This doesn’t necessarily mean you sent or approved the refund.
If a Freelancer Service Fee was charged on an amount that was later reversed or refunded, that fee will also be returned to you.
What happens next?
We’ll email you with details about your specific case. If our review determines that your time doesn’t qualify for Hourly Payment Protection, payment for those hours won’t be covered under the program.
You can contact your client to discuss payment for the work. Your client may choose to send a bonus if you both agree that’s appropriate.
How can I help protect future hourly payments?
For future hourly contracts, these practices can help your time qualify for Hourly Payment Protection:
- Track your time with the Upwork Desktop App
- Add clear memos or activity labels that describe your work
- Stay within the contract’s weekly limit
- Review the Hourly Payment Protection requirements before you begin
Learn more about Hourly Payment Protection.