Understanding Upwork Payment Timelines

Introduction

As an experienced Upwork freelancer, I am glad to share my encounters on how the payment system functions. The payment timeline on Upwork might seem complicated to a beginner, but it’s actually simple and straightforward once you understand it.

Getting Paid on Upwork

Once you complete a job and it gets accepted by the client, Upwork puts your payment through a ‘security period’, also known as financial review. This duration lasts for approximately five days. It’s a window that allows Upwork to ensure the legitimacy of every transaction br>It is important to note that, however, the five days begin to count after the end of the week when the hourly work was logged (weekly billing cycle), not immediately after the work was performed or the payment was authorized.

Manual Transfers

If you choose to initiate a manual transfer, such as to your bank or PayPal, this additionally requires 1-2 business days. However, many freelancers like to control when they receive their payouts instead of having Upwork automatically do it.

Schedule of Automatic Payments

By default, Upwork runs automatic payments following the schedule:

• Hourly contracts – Every Wednesday of the week following the week when you logged the hours
• Fixed-price contracts: Five days after the payment has been approved by the client

Important Considerations

Here are some factors you might want to consider:

• Earnings from a new client are subject a five-day security period to ensure safe business practices.
• Weekend and Public Holidays: Remember that bank holidays also tend to slow down the payment process, because banks do not process transactions on those days.

I hope this provides you with a comprehensive overview of how the payment process works on Upwork. Happy freelancing!