Hourly Rate Never Set??

[#1]

I did a very quick job for someone, so either way, it looks like I won't lose out on much, but it seems I may have been screwed....

I proposed a job at my hourly rate and immediately recieved an offer. It was for a <1 hr logo revision. I didn't even look at the contract because it was so simple and straightforward. It was a verified payment (35 hires, over 10k spent...).

I just happened to be looking over my work week and it just says "N/A" under amount billed.

Is it possible to have an hourly contract without a rate?

I know, I should have looked at the contract, but hopefully we can look past that for a moment and someone could let me know about whether or not a rate is required, I thought there was a minimum?

Also, perhaps Upwork could include a note that the contract proposed was different from your proposal in those instances....

[#2 · Accepted solution]

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Jeremiah A wrote:

I proposed a job at my hourly rate and immediately recieved an offer. It was for a <1 hr logo revision. I didn't even look at the contract because it was so simple and straightforward. It was a verified payment (35 hires, over 10k spent...).

I just happened to be looking over my work week and it just says "N/A" under amount billed.

Is it possible to have an hourly contract without a rate?

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You seem to be an exclusive member of your agency, so you need to look at your agency account to see the rate. When you do contracts through an agency, it's the agency that gets paid, not the person doing it.

No, it isn't possible to create an hourly contract without an hourly rate, but exclusive agency freelancers can't see the rate.

[#3]

You definitely have to make it a habit to double-check that a client who "accepts" your proposal did not first change it and the accept it. (Yes, Upwork should alert freeancers when this happen.)

On every hourly project you should use the TimeTracker app to record your work time, regardless how show the work time segment is. Especially for short work segments, try to start each session at an even multiple of 10 minutes (e.g. 9:00, 9:10, 9:20) and remember that you will be paid based on the number of 10 minute segments in which TimeTracker records some activity on your keyboard. Key those keys clicking!

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/TIME-TRACKING-NOT-SYNCHRONIZED/m-p/407763

And never use manual hours! A client has no obligation enforceable by Upwork to actually pay your for hours you manually add to your timelog, even if the client has agreed to "allow" you to book manual hours.

[#4]

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Will L wrote:

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And never use manual hours! A client has no obligation enforceable by Upwork to actually pay your for hours you manually add to your timelog, even if the client has agreed to "allow" you to book manual hours.

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Will's advice is excellent, up to the last paragraph. You should never use manual hours UNLESS you and the client agree, for any number of reasons, that an hourly arrangement suits you best AND:

- the nature of the work makes using UW's desktop time tracker unfeasible

- you and the client have a specific discussion and a clear mutual understanding about what you will be doing and approximately how long you expect to take, including a contingency plan if it takes substantially longer (and you agree on what "substantially longer" means ).

- you and the client trust each other to work and communicate as professionals to achieve a successful outcome.

- it won't devastate you to walk away unpaid if things do go sideways: either the project is small or you can ease into it with a few hours the first week, until you and the client get more comfortable with each other.

The only true payment protection on UW is for hourly contracts wherein the desktop time tracker is properly used. That's wonderful for those projects that are conducive to using the tracker. For everything and everybody else, we have to fall back on the same skills and experience required to survive in FLing anywhere: vet clients effectively, don't over-promise, manage the client as well as the project, communicate, watch for hints of red flags and address them forthwith, be a grown-up and be professional.