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Akshat's avatar
Akshat G Community Member

How can client and me agree on customised billing to bill for hours of colleague work as well?

I am agreeing to do work for my client and my colleague will also be involved in the work. However, his hourly rate is different. He can't join Upwork. Client is also agreeing to the fact that his hours can be billed with my hours so for example his 1 hour is equal to my 2 hours of rate. How can we solve this problem and how can we have a customised pricing and payment mechanism especially when both client and myself are agreeing for the same. We need a solution.

13 REPLIES 13
Robin's avatar
Robin H Community Member

Why can't he join Upwork? You need to create an agency account:

 

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211067598-Create-an-Agency

Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


Akshat G wrote:

I am agreeing to do work for my client and my colleague will also be involved in the work. 

You are not allowed to let anyone other than yourself work on your hourly contract. You can lose your account.

Tonya's avatar
Tonya P Community Member

You will have to use a fixed price contract.

Akshat's avatar
Akshat G Community Member

May be two different projects with different hourly rate in case my work and work of my colleague is not simultaneous i.e. one follows after the other. 

Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


Akshat G wrote:

May be two different projects with different hourly rate in case my work and work of my colleague is not simultaneous i.e. one follows after the other. 


Which part of "You will be kicked out of the platform if you let your friend work on your hourly project in any way, shape or form" are you having trouble understanding?

Akshat's avatar
Akshat G Community Member

I get your point. It is a request from the client. If client and freelancer want to create a custom contract how can they do so? I am asking for a solution and you are saying its not possible. My question is how to make it possible as there will be two persons involved in rendering a service to a client. In any case, if not possible and there is a legal challenge I can totally understand. I am not keen on breaking any rules. Just trying to understand. 

Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


Akshat G wrote:

I get your point. It is a request from the client. If client and freelancer want to create a custom contract how can they do so? I am asking for a solution and you are saying its not possible. My question is how to make it possible as there will be two persons involved in rendering a service to a client. In any case, if not possible and there is a legal challenge I can totally understand. I am not keen on breaking any rules. Just trying to understand. 


Your friend needs to get their account approved by upwork. If they can't, that's the end of it.

Unless you want yourself get suspended and permanently banned, you have to step away from this nonsense

Will's avatar
Will L Community Member

I am not aware of any Upwork prohibition as to what resources you are allowed to engage to complete a client's work.

 

For example, if you need to hire a graphics person you regularly use for other projects to help you complete a project on Upwork, you can pay that person directly for their services in helping you. To my knowledge, Upwork cannot require that a third party join Upwork in order to help you with special expertise you need for a project but cannot perform yourself.

 

But you cannot allow a third party to use your Upwork account in order to bill their services to your Upwork client.

Akshat's avatar
Akshat G Community Member

Thanks Will. Your suggestion looks valid. I guess I will do it on a fixed price. Or may be create two different projects with different hourly rates. In any case I am going to be working throughout and my colleague is going to assist me only, so I can always bill my hours. Thanks for help everyone. Seems we can't have a custom contract between Freelancer and Client. Upwork should consider option of offering client and freelancer to customise their contract and terms of engagement. Anyways upwork charges commission on earnings of freelancer. They can rather make the platform more facilitating so that people can do more business without breaking rules. It will always mean more revenue for Upwork also.  

Will's avatar
Will L Community Member

Akshat,

 

Upwork has many options for contract structures - hourly, fixed price, salaried, bonus payments. I doubt many freelancers and clients will find they cannot fit their agreed work structure within these options.

Tonya's avatar
Tonya P Community Member


Akshat G wrote:

Thanks Will. Your suggestion looks valid. I guess I will do it on a fixed price. Or may be create two different projects with different hourly rates. In any case I am going to be working throughout and my colleague is going to assist me only, so I can always bill my hours. Thanks for help everyone. Seems we can't have a custom contract between Freelancer and Client. Upwork should consider option of offering client and freelancer to customise their contract and terms of engagement. Anyways upwork charges commission on earnings of freelancer. They can rather make the platform more facilitating so that people can do more business without breaking rules. It will always mean more revenue for Upwork also.  


It's not Upwork's fault that you can't figure out how to create a fixed price contract. 

Tonya's avatar
Tonya P Community Member

Your client can pay by the hour without necessitating that those hours be recorded via Upwork's time tracker. Agree to a fixed-price contract with milestones. Provide the client with an estimate so they can create and fund the corresponding milestone. Then, when the work is completed, submit a request for payment and adjust the milestone request to reflect the amount due based on the time spent. If you trust the client, you can wait until the time has been accrued and then ask them to create the milestone. 

Upwork is not going to allow you to enter false time records so that you or a co-worker can be paid. The client will have to use a bonus, fixed price, or weekly salary format to transfer money to you. 

Akshat's avatar
Akshat G Community Member

Thanks. Your suggestions are great. Idea was anyways never to bill falsely. Glad I posted my query here at the community with you so many wonderful people helping me out. I guess I have largely understood how to go ahead.