Your options depend on the contract type, whether the funds are still in Project Funds, and when the payment was released.
If the funds are still in Project Funds or escrow, use the refund of a deposit process instead. The guidance below is for payments that have already been released to the freelancer or agency.
For fixed-price payments that have already been released:
- You can request a refund from the freelancer or agency for up to 180 days after payment is released. Approval is at the freelancer’s or agency’s discretion.
- Standard Upwork mediation assistance may be available if the payment was released within the past 30 days. If the contract is still active, you may need to close the contract first before Support can review a mediation request for released funds.
- After 30 days, formal mediation is generally not available. You can still request a voluntary refund from the freelancer or agency, and Support may be able to review whether any limited account-support options are available based on the specific contract and account history. Refunds are not guaranteed.
For hourly payments:
- You can dispute billed hours only during the five-day review period after the work week ends. If that deadline has passed, you and the freelancer should work together to resolve the issue, or you can ask the freelancer to issue a refund.
- Hourly disputes are based on the hours billed and Work Diary records, not general satisfaction with work quality or project outcome.
Upwork mediation specialists serve as neutral agents, meaning we cannot guarantee or enforce refunds or delivered work. Once payment is released, the work is considered approved unless the freelancer or agency provides a refund or a qualifying dispute/support process applies.
If Upwork separately offers an account credit as a courtesy, the terms of that credit will be explained at that time. A courtesy credit is not the same as a guaranteed refund to your original billing method.
To help avoid future issues, release funds only after you have received the work, reviewed it, and feel satisfied with it. For hourly contracts, review the Work Diary during the weekly review period and file any hourly dispute before the deadline.