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Direct Contracts now live for all freelancers

lenaellis
Community Member

To help grow and support your freelance business on and off Upwork, we are releasing Direct Contracts to all Upwork freelancers today. With this new release, we have also expanded the functionality to now include multiple milestones. 

 

Direct Contracts allows you to enter into fixed-price contracts with non-Upwork clients, offering access to Upwork's safety and security features with greater flexibility for your business. Freelancers can access their Direct Contracts by clicking on the new paper airplane icon next to notifications or directly here.

 

Direct Contract Icon.png

 

Here’s how it works: 

 

On the Direct Contracts page, freelancers will see the option to start a new Direct Contract and a list of all existing Direct Contracts along with the status of that contract.

 

The steps to start a new Direct Contract are very simple:

 

1. Enter your client’s details

1. Create.png

 

2. Add either a single amount or create milestones with each amount

MM - Collapsed.png

 

3. Review and send the contract

3. Review.png

 

4. An email is sent to your client to begin

4. Confirmation.png

 

 

Your client will receive an email notifying them of your detailed proposal, along with some guidance on how the product works. 

 

Just like your other fixed-price contracts on Upwork, your client deposits project funds in escrow before the contract starts. You will see the status of the milestone listed below each one, so you will know when to begin working. When you’ve completed the contract or each milestone, you’ll request payment from your client. And with Direct Contracts, once they’ve accepted your request, the funds are released to you immediately, with no security period.

 

5. - Active - m1.png

 

As a freelancer, you’ll pay a processing fee of 3.4% of the total contract amount, but you won’t pay any freelancer service fees to Upwork. It’s easy for your clients because they won’t have to create an Upwork account.  And with payment protection and dispute assistance, you can work confidently with your clients who are not on Upwork. 

 

Let us know if you have any questions.

 

405 Comments
g_vasilevski
Retired Team Member

Thank you for the confirmation, Samuel.


Our team will reach out to you via ticket as soon as possible and will assist you further with your direct contract.

albert_samuel
Community Member
Thank you.

I'll appreciate that
smartelectronsng
Community Member

Hello, I tried creating a direct contract for a client (Not registered on Upwork). After filling all fields and setting milestones, I get the error  "We are sorry! We are experiencing a technical problem and cannot process your request right now. Please try again in a minute" at the top of the contract registration page. Please can I get some help to fix this?

 

Thank you.

JoanneP
Moderator

Hi Oyeyemi,

 

I’ve shared your concern with the team. One of our team members will reach out and assist you directly via a support ticket. Thank you!

kochubei_valeria
Community Member

Hi Mrigaya,

 

When the client releases the payment, they'll receive an email to confirm that. They can keep the invoice/project receipt attached to that email for their records. Your client may need to seek tax advice from an independent tax advisor based on their particular circumstances though.

smartelectronsng
Community Member

Hello Joanne,

Thanks for reaching out. I will wait while this gets resolved. 

 

Thank you.

Oyeyemi.

aijdissanayake
Community Member

Hi 

 

I tried to get a clients payment through Upwork direct contracts. But the Client said payment is not processing. The client is from UK. Couldn't find anywhere to contact the support team. The image of payment processing failure that the client sent me is attched herewith

sahin1234
Community Member

Hello dear community members, I have a question to ask I want to know if there are any options for client to review freelancer in direct contract?

AleksandarD
Community Manager

Hi Muhammad,

 

Are you referring to the client leaving a feedback for your Direct Contract? If so, please note that sharing feedback is not an option with Direct Contracts. Feel free to check out this help article for more information.

 

Thank you.

chairston
Community Member

I'm not seeing the benefits, other than to Upwork. What are the freelancers getting out of this? Upwork gets free advertisement to the new client, new money, and hopes of maybe landing them in the future. 

 

Everything is about money. 

We now have to pay for credit ( I was here in the Odesk days ).

20% is taken off the top automatically, so you do not only get that from us, but you charge the clients 3% so you're getting money from all sides.Smiley Frustrated Sometimes factoring in that 20% in your bid causes you to lose to someone else who didn't.

 

Clients I get from my website mostly pay via PayPal they get no charge, and I pay a 2.9% + 30cent fee. Paypal also has the ability to make partial payments ( milestones if you will ) so again I ask what's the benefit?  A Direct contract with Upwork would charge me 3.4%

 

You can't say the benefit is not paying 20% because Paypal doesn't charge that either. 

I was thinking about advertising this payment option on my website.. but why would I? I get no benefit from this, it only takes more. 

 

Help me understand what I'm missing.

 

Thanks, 

Crystal