Clients not understanding how to close contracts

[#1]

I'm relatively new to Upwork (only been working here approx. 3 weeks) but a good half of my flat-rate clients don't understand how to close a successfully completed contract. They submit the milestone (payment) and have no clue how to close the contract (or that they need to). Is this normal?

Is there something Upwork can do about client education or the client UI to make this easier? I can't walk them through it since I don't know what they see and, now, it looks like I have a bunch of pending/in process contracts. As relationships matter a lot and I value my rating, I don't want to have to continually chase after them to do something they already thought they did.

[#2]

Hi Tessa,

Typically, freelancers wait for the client to end a contract, make any final payments, and leave feedback. It is always best if everyone is aware of what's going on and in agreement about it. However, you can also end a contract from your end at any time. 

You may check this help article for detailed instructions on how to end a contract. You can also share this article with your client for them to be aware of how to end a fixed-price contract.