Contract Suspended

[wwwoman]

I started an hourly contract and I have worked for over 12 hours. Now I have been informed that the contract is suspended as Upwork is carrying out an investigation. So what will happen to the 12 hours worked?  Will I be paid?

[0e6e7259]

If both of your contracts are currently paused, and the payments are still pending, it is unclear whether you will receive the bonus amount or not.

If you cancel or end both projects, the outcome will depend on the terms of your contract and the agreement you have with the client. In most cases, if the project is cancelled or ended before completion, any outstanding payments will be refunded to the client. However, if there is an agreement in place between you and the client regarding the bonus payment, you may be entitled to receive the bonus amount despite the project being cancelled or paused.

To resolve this issue, it is best to communicate with both the client and Upwork support to discuss the matter and come to a mutually agreeable solution. Upwork support may be able to provide guidance on the next steps to take and help facilitate a resolution that is fair to all parties involved.

It is important to remember that clear communication and transparency is key when dealing with contract disputes on Upwork. Be sure to document all communications with the client and Upwork support, and keep a record of any relevant information or evidence that may support your claim for the bonus payment.

[saqlain09]

Thanks 

[feed_my_eyes]

There is no payment protection if you agreed to be paid via bonus. The correct way to do jobs on Upwork is to either use the time tracker (for hourly jobs), or ensure that your payment is in escrow (for fixed price jobs). Upwork cannot help you recover money from a client if you arranged to be paid via bonus.

What sort of jobs were these, and how much money were you promised?

[saqlain09]

It's total 350$ including fee that he pay bonus

[feed_my_eyes]

For doing what? Did the client tell you that the entire fee will be paid by bonus, or is there any money in escrow?

[b577efee]

Greetings to colleagues and UpWork support, I am very grateful to your platform for convenient communication with customers and the opportunities that they provide! I had a question, the client concluded an hourly contract with me but could not attach a card to make a payment, he tried several times, but the contract was stopped by UpWorks. I still have this project hanging in progress and does it affect my rating? the client does not answer me, I lost contact with him

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[759e32fa]

Hi Anastasia,

Thank you for reaching out to us. Please note that if a contract is on hold, it means that there is a problem with your client’s Upwork account, and you cannot continue to bill that client through Upwork until the issue is resolved. There are many possible reasons this could occur, although we can’t share the specifics regarding your clients' accounts due to privacy concerns.

Also note that hours billed prior to the contract being paused are still eligible for Payment Protection.  We also recommend that you stop working on the contract and get in touch with your client to know when the contract could resume. You can check this help article to learn more.

[b577efee]

Thank you for your detailed answer!

[nyuta]

Hello team!

I earned an hourly contract. I worked for a day on it and was notified that Upwork suspended it. The client said she had fixed the problem and that contract had to be renewed in 24-48 hours. However, more time passed, and nothing happened - the contract was still suspended. The client offers to open a new contract not to lose time. I'm not sure about that. Could you please check if the client has indeed fixed the issue on her side? The contract id is https://www.upwork.com/nx/wm/workroom/33295019/overview.

Thank you!

[759e32fa]

Hi Anna,

Thank you for reaching out to us. Please note that if a contract is on hold, it means that there is a problem with your client’s Upwork account, and you cannot continue to bill that client through Upwork until the issue is resolved. There are many possible reasons this could occur, although we can’t share the specifics regarding your clients' accounts due to privacy concerns.

Also note that hours billed prior to the contract being paused are still eligible for Payment Protection.  We also recommend that you stop working on the contract and get in touch with your client to know when the contract could resume. You can check this help article to learn more.

[2c78f184]

Hi there!

Recently Upwork paused one of my contracts. I contacted him and he said that there's some problem with his bank account and it will be fixed by tomorrow. Please note that the contract is paused from 11 April 2023, the previous Tuesday. All of a sudden, a refund was given. What's the problem here? Did my client request a refund? And is there any chance I will get the bills?

Best regards,

Shagor

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[spectralua]

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/Unauthorized-refund/td-p/873154/jump-to/first-unread-mes...

[ArjayM]

Hi Shagor,

I'm sorry to hear that you got caught off guard about the status of your contract and payment. Please note that if a contract is on hold, it means that there is a problem with your client’s Upwork account, and you cannot continue to bill that client through Upwork until the issue is resolved. There are many possible reasons this could occur, although we can’t share the specifics regarding your clients' accounts due to privacy concerns.

You should stop working on the contract and continue communicating with your client to know when the contract could resume. Additionally, our team has sent you an email notification with more information and further instructions on how to resolve the issue. You can also coordinate with the team by responding and they will surely assist you accordingly.

You can check the ticket linked to your case here. You may also check this help article to learn more. 

[archfreelancing]

Hi there!
Hope you are doing well.
I've a similar problem. I've noticed that my contract (Site Plan needed for construction project) with**Edited for Community Guidelines** paused by Upwork. I did the tasks completely and enter the hours I worked (5 hours), but Upwork stopped the payment process and suspended the contract. I sent a message to the client to ask about the problem that happened but he didn't answer at all.

Could you please let me know the following items?
- Since the client payment method is verified, why Upwork paused the contract when I did the tasks completely?
- What is the problem with this contract?
- When I will get paid?

Thank you in advance,
Regards,
Salman

[759e32fa]

Hi Salman,

If a contract is on hold, it means that there is a problem with your client’s Upwork account, and you cannot continue to bill that client through Upwork until the issue is resolved. There are many possible reasons this could occur, although we can’t share the specifics regarding your clients' accounts due to privacy concerns.

Also note that hours billed prior to the contract being paused are still eligible for Payment Protection.  We also recommend that you stop working on the contract and get in touch with your client to know when the contract could resume. You can check this help article to learn more.

[archfreelancing]

Dear Annie,

Thank you for the clarification.
Actually, I entered the working hours in my work diary before holding the contract and the payment process went on without any problem, but suddenly Upwork paused the contract and refund the payment. Can I now claim these hours?

Regards

[PradeepH]

Hi Salman,

Thank you for your message. I see that the support team has already notified you about this contract via a support ticket. As advised on the support ticket, our team reviewed the job in question carefully to see if this payment is covered under Upwork Hourly Payment Protection and noticed that you do not meet the criteria to be covered for payment protection. 

Please don't hesitate to follow up with the team on the same support ticket if you have additional questions regarding your concern. You can access your support tickets here. Note that support requests are responded to in the order they are received. Kindly allow 24-48 hours for the team to follow up with you and assist you further.

Thank you,
Pradeep

[yossef-mohamed]

i have made work for my client since 2/3 days and the it's hourly contract

but today , the first day in the review days i got a notification says it's Suspended and i shall not make any new work

my question is : the work that i made already days ago , i will be payed for it ? it's in " the review " now 

[yofazza]

You might  still get paid if you followed all of the payment protection rules.

Or if the client's payment method can finally be charged.

[andres-axle_ivan]

My client's account was suspended the last few weeks. So some funds are refunded. 

He said that he settled the payment now, and his account is lifted from suspension. 

My concern is: if he paid his balance, when should I expect to receive the funds?

[45a2183b]

Hi there, since there is no way to contact someone at Upwork by chat anymore, can someone please investigate why one of my contracts is suspended. I just contacted my client and they don't see any suspension from their end, so neither myself or the client don't know what to do. Very frustrating. Thanks

[spectralua]

Noone will answer you here. Client must contact Upwork and resolve issue he have.

Stop works until resolved.

[ArjayM]

Hi Pablo,

Please note that if a contract is on hold, it means that there is a problem with your client’s Upwork account, and you cannot continue to bill that client through Upwork until the issue is resolved. There are many possible reasons this could occur, although we can’t share the specifics regarding your clients' accounts due to privacy concerns.

I can see that you've also raised a ticket about your concern. Please allow our team 24-48 hours to review and you will be getting an update on that ticket here once done.

[2657d03c]

Hi everyone, 

I was working on a $50 fixed rate project for a client that I finished this afternoon. I have been communicating with this client on Upwork for two weeks, and there weren't any red flags. They had the $50 in escrow for me. 

I went to upload the completed work today, and it is showing that the account is suspended and not to work on the project until the investigation is complete. 

If for whatever reason the client's account is deactivated, do I receive the $50 in escrow if I can show proof of the completed project? If not, I suppose the worst case is I have a really good 20k novella for my portfolio to show future clients. 

[ArjayM]

Hi Tiffany,

Please note that if a contract is on hold, it means that there is a problem with your client’s Upwork account, and you cannot continue to bill that client through Upwork until the issue is resolved. There are many possible reasons this could occur, although we can’t share the specifics regarding your clients' accounts due to privacy concerns. We highly advice you to stop working on the contract and get in touch with your client to know when the contract could resume. You can check this help article to learn more.

[2657d03c]

Thank you, Arjay! Currently the client is telling me that the issue is due to the milestone due date being May 7th (we had agreed on an extension to the 8th). He's trying to encourage me to send the finished product via Upwork messenger rather than through the "submit work for payment" link. I told him that the problem could be with his payment method on file.

To be clear, though, the client will have received emails from Upwork explaining the problem and how to fix it, correct? I've directed the client to check their emails. 

[759e32fa]

Hi Tiffany,

Thank you for your message. Yes, our team will reach out to the client with information regarding his account.

[2657d03c]

Thank you, Annie!

[mehran44]

Dear Community members,
This morning I received an Email from Upwork that my contract with current client is suspended due to some issue which is not mentioned as what issue caused the suspension, I further asked my other team members, they also got the same suspention email. My earnings from last week are supposed to be released today, but they are still in "In-Review".
Need to know the following:
1. What should we do in this situation, Is there anything we can do on our side?
2. How long does Upwork going to take to activate the contract?
3. When is the earning from last week available?

Many Thanks,
Mehran 

[AndreaG]

Hi Mehran,

If there is an issue with your client’s Upwork account, your contract with them will be paused and you will not be able to continue to bill that client through Upwork until the issue is resolved. There are many possible reasons this could occur, though we cannot share the specifics regarding your client’s account due to privacy concerns. We advise that you wait for the hold on the contract to be lifted before taking any action or doing any additional work on the contract. For more information, please check out this help article.

[mehran44]

Hi Andrea,
Thanks for reaching out. I just talk to my client and his team is working to resolve the issue. Just for general information, if a reputed client whom I worked for years, ask me to complete the remaining task so that the routine work won't get affected and asks me to pay after his suspension is lifted through Upwork, should I work for any client like this?
This is the first time that my contract is suspended like this so I'm curious to know more posibilities that might happen in future.

Many thanks,
Mehran

[970c5bf1]

Hi i was doing a contract then they suspended my contract because of id verification then i verify my account butthe contract is still suspended what should i do

[AndreaG]

Hi Nobel,

If there is an issue with your client’s Upwork account, your contract with them will be paused and you will not be able to continue to bill that client through Upwork until the issue is resolved. There are many possible reasons this could occur, though we cannot share the specifics regarding your client’s account due to privacy concerns. We advise that you wait for the hold on the contract to be lifted before taking any action or doing any additional work on the contract. For more information, please check out this help article.

[eunice-ymas]

My contract for this client was "put on hold" yesterday due to my client's CC failure. Am I getting the full amount for the pending amount? Half of the time was manually added. 

[pythondev90]

Since you mentioned Half of the time was manually added. So you might be aware about Upwork Payment Protection For Hourly Contract 

Which means,

Time segments in the Work Diary that don’t meet all of the qualification criteria above. For example, we exclude segments that are:

• Added manually
• Idle or empty
• Over the weekly limit
• Showing the freelancer engaged in non-work-related activity
• Missing memos or have inadequately described memos

[akraees]

I am writing to address a contract-related issue that I am currently facing on Upwork. On June 24, 2011, I was hired by a contractor named **Edited for Community Guidelines**(Contract ID:11445511) Unfortunately, the contractor's account has been suspended, leading to the job being paused by Upwork. As a result, I find myself unable to conclude the contract, and I am seeking your guidance on resolving this matter.

Additionally, I have received an invitation from another agency with whom I would like to collaborate. However, upon attempting to accept the invitation, an error message appeared stating, "User Already Affiliated with an agency." I kindly request your assistance in terminating the current contract so that I can proceed with joining the new agency.

I greatly appreciate your prompt attention and support in addressing these concerns. Please let me know the steps I need to take to resolve this issue successfully.

Thank you in advance for your invaluable help.

[LuiggiR]

Hi Raees,

If there is an issue with your client’s Upwork account, your contract with them will be paused and you will not be able to continue to bill that client through Upwork until the issue is resolved. There are many possible reasons this could occur, though we cannot share the specifics regarding your client’s account due to privacy concerns. I have checked the account and would like to assure you that your client is already in correspondence with our team about their support ticket.

We advise that you wait for the hold on the contract to be lifted before taking any action or doing any additional work on the contract. For more information, please check out this help article.

Regarding the problem you're experiencing while trying to join another agency, I've escalated your concern to the appropriate team and one of our agents will be contacting you soon via a support ticket.

[akraees]

Thank you, sir for further problem resolution will coordinate with them. Thank you 

[1f5dda7a]

hello.

how are you?

I have a problem and I tried to solve it with the website but it didn't work From the month of 11-2022, I worked with a woman from South Africa, and the site suspended her account, and every time I asked, they told me that she had a problem and she had to investigate and solve it .. We did not complete any work, nor did she pay But she paid the site, confirming that she was verified

What is the solution? 

Please advise me if possible

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[LuiggiR]

Hi Nihad,

If there is an issue with your client’s Upwork account, your contract with them will be paused and you will not be able to continue to bill that client through Upwork until the issue is resolved. There are many possible reasons this could occur, though we cannot share the specifics regarding your client’s account due to privacy concerns. 

We advise that you wait for the hold on the contract to be lifted before taking any action or doing any additional work on the contract. For more information, please check out this help article.