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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
LuiggiR
Moderator

Hi Suhaibe,

 

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. A team member will reach out to your client directly to assist them further.

 

Thank you.

emanuel_froes
Community Member
Hallo! I bring a new vlient to Upwork. We had job outside but we want to use Upwork. Can i, as a freelancer,  get please a reduction of fee as it were DIRECT contract?
 

 

BojanS
Community Manager

Hi Emanuel,

 

Freelancers are charged a 3.4% payment processing fee for Direct Contracts. You are not charged a freelancer service fee, only 3.4%.

 

Thank you! 

justin-hammond
Community Member

I want to use Direct Contracts with a friend to manage work between us, but he already has an Upwork account from before. Direct Contracts says that you can only invite "non Upwork" clients, which I assume means someone who's email isn't registered with Upwork - but since I still brought in this client myself we'd still like to do the project at the lower 3.4% fee. Is the only way they can accept the Direct Contract invite would be to accept it with an email that's not already registered with Upwork?

VladimirG
Community Manager

Hi Justin,

 

Thanks for the message. Please note that Direct Contracts can only be used with clients who do not have an Upwork account. I moved your post to the main thread discussing Direct Contracts feature. You can find more information about Direct Contracts in this Help article.

Can you please confirm if the client recently created their account and whether you used our “Bring Your Own Client” option to invite them to join Upwork?

ezrakipkirui
Community Member
Hello. I also got the same error from my direct contract. Worse, she says her card keeps getting charged the full amount every time it is declined
Contract 1385812164703469568
NikolaS
Moderator

Hi Kipkirui,

 

Could you please click on my name and send me a PM with more information and the email of the client you are referring to? I will be sure to look into your report and escalate it accordingly.

 

e9d979a9
Community Member

Hey Upwork Community members,

I want to get the payment from my direct client. He is also from my city. I didn't trust on him so that's why I asked him to pay through the upwork direct contract. He agreed but when he tried to put the payment in the escrow he faces some issues. I have attached the screenshot please have a look. He facing the technical issues during adding the payment method. Please respond me ASAP!

 

Thanks

AveryO
Community Manager

Hi Muhammad, 


I'm sorry for the delay. I can't seem to identify the contract you are referring to. Do you have more information you can share so that our team can investigate it further?

 

Please disregard my message earlier. We were able to locate the contract you are referring to, and the Customer Support Team will reach out to your client directly to assist them with their billing method concern.

 

Let us know if our team can assist you further with anything. 

justin-hammond
Community Member

Hi I'm also now experiencing this same problem with a client receiving that exact same error message.


Was there ever a formal solution provided to this problem?