How to reimburse client for hourly work if the client is not happy with the progress?

[wizzdev_lukasz]

I have number of clients and a good 100% Success Score which I would like to maintain. My new client asked me to developed a solution for 3rd party SDK which uses industry standard. When trying to use the example from the 3rd party SDK I discovered the bug and asked the 3rd party SDK support to reproduce it and fix it (still not fixed - low priority). Meanwhile, the client decided to find another freelancer who suggested alternative solution. Hence the client paused the project with me. The project is hourly-based with manual time entries. The client would also like me to refund him for the cost he already paid to me.

How can I refund the client on hourly project?

[BojanS · Accepted solution]

Hi Lukasz,

You can easily issue a refund following the instructions shared in this help article.

Thank you! 

[wizzdev_lukasz]

Hi Bojan,

We are alredy in 4th week of the project but the second part of the article showed me how to do it even with hourly projects which ended 180 days ago.

To issue a refund

1. Go to My Jobs › All Contracts and click the contract title. If the contract has ended, select the Include closed contracts checkbox at the top of the page
2. Click the Give a refund button from the (...) options menu
3. Choose the amount to be refunded and click Give Refund
   

Many thanks,
Lukasz

[prestonhunter]

re: "How to reimburse client for hourly work if the client is not happy with the progress?"

It is NOT Upwork's intention that a freelancer reimburse a client if the client claims to "not be happy" with the progress.

It is Upwork's intention that a client pay a freelancer for all of the time that the freelancer spends on the project.

If you are the freelancer, YOU ARE NOT THE PROJECT OWNER. And you are NOT the project manager. As a freelancer, you may QUIT working on a project at any time. If you do not quit, then it is the responsibility of the project owner or the project manager to FIRE you.

If the project owner or project manager are not happy with the progress, then they may FIRE you. It is not appropriate for the project owner or project manager to try to get money from a freelancer by claiming to be "unhappy with the progress."