Getting Paid by Upwork

This is a common question among new freelancers, and I’m glad you’re asking. On Upwork, you get paid by your clients, not directly by Upwork. Here’s a step-by-step guide to how it’s done:

1. Earn money by completing projects

To begin with, you must first locate and secure a job through Upwork. After you’ve accomplished this, you can start working on the project and earn money. You earn money by completing projects and fulfilling the requirements outlined in the job post.

2. Work through the Upwork system

Make sure to document your work and submit it through the Upwork platform. Your clients will be able to make payments once they have received and approved your work.

3. Receiving your payment

Now, let’s look at the actual process of getting paid:

A. Invoice

After all work has been submitted and approved, an invoice will be created for the client. This process may differ depending on whether it’s a fixed-price or hourly contract. For hourly contracts, the Upwork Work Diary generates invoices automatically based on hours worked and logged into the Diary.

B. Payment from client

The client should now fund the total amount listed in the invoice. The funds will be moved to a temporary account by Upwork, typically within a few days after the client confirms the payment.

C. Withdraw payment

Once the money has been confirmed and released by Upwork, you can withdraw your funds. You can choose to transfer your money to your bank, Paypal, or any other payment methods listed. Remember that transaction times may vary based on the method chosen.

Things to Remember:

• Upwork charges a service fee, usually between 5% and 20% of your earnings, depending on your lifetime billings with each client.
• Never start working unless a contract has been made and the first milestone (for fixed-price contracts) or weekly payment limit (for hourly contracts) has been funded.
• All payments should be made through Upwork. It is against Upwork’s terms of service to get paid outside of the Upwork system.

I hope this guided you through the process of getting paid on Upwork. Happy freelancing!