Payment Timeline on Upwork

Pay for Hourly Contracts

For hourly contracts, you generally expect payments based on a specific timeline as determined by Upwork. Here are the steps to follow:

• Step 1: You log your work hours using the Upwork Desktop App
• Step 2: Upwork reviews your work diary every week – from Monday to Sunday
• Step 3: The client then gets five days – the review period – to check and approve the logged hours
• Step 4: If the client doesn’t have any issues with the hours logged, Upwork processes the payment to your account.

Note: This process can take up to ten days. Hence, you can expect your payment on the second Wednesday after the billing period ends.

Pay for Fixed-Price Contracts

For fixed-price contracts, you receive payment after accomplishing a set milestone. Here’s how:

• Step 1: You agree with your client on the deliverables and payment for each milestone
• Step 2: You submit your work via the Upwork platform
• Step 3: The client then reviews your work, typically, within 14 days
• Step 4: Upon approval, the predetermined payment will be released to your account.

Note: If the client does not respond within 14 days, the payment is automatically approved and released to you.

Always Protect Yourself

Regardless of the type of contract, always remember to safeguard your work and payments. Use the Upwork Desktop App to track hours and use the submit work/request payment option for fixed price contracts to document that you’ve completed agreed upon work. This will help in avoiding any disputes in the future.