🐈
» Forums » Freelancers » Opt out fee/Skype
Page options
itsjessicajester
Community Member

Opt out fee/Skype

Does Upwork have a opt out fee from users asking for help on work in order to be paid outside of Upwork's platform?
Someone accepted my proposal and stated that they are paying outside of Upwork's platform because they had paid for Upwork's opt out fee. I just want to know if it violates Upwork's policies and if this opt out fee actually a thing?

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
martina_plaschka
Community Member

It is a thing. You can find it in the ToS, should you want to do your research yourself. 

Freelancers and clients can arrange for payment outside of upwork if they agree to do so, either after 24 months of processing payment ON upwork, or after one party has paid the opt-out fee. In your case that would be $7488. 

That seems high? Because it is. No client has ever paid it for any freelancer. It supposed to be prohibitive. 

When your "client" tells you he paid it for you - do you believe him?

(Hint: he is a lying scammer)

 

View solution in original post

4 REPLIES 4
martina_plaschka
Community Member

It is a thing. You can find it in the ToS, should you want to do your research yourself. 

Freelancers and clients can arrange for payment outside of upwork if they agree to do so, either after 24 months of processing payment ON upwork, or after one party has paid the opt-out fee. In your case that would be $7488. 

That seems high? Because it is. No client has ever paid it for any freelancer. It supposed to be prohibitive. 

When your "client" tells you he paid it for you - do you believe him?

(Hint: he is a lying scammer)

 

Thank you so much, Martina! this greatly helps.

I have never heard of any client paying that fee BEFORE working with a freelancer.  However, I have heard of a very few instances where it happened with a freelancer who had been working with a client for YEARS on Upwork and the client want to make them a full-time employee with their company because the freelancer had become 'essential' their business operations.  

 

The message you got sounds like a scam to lure you off Upwork, IMHO. I don't know how they'd pay an 'opt out' fee for a freelancer without knowing WHICH freelancer they will eventually hire.

 

However, there is ONE other exception: If the client contacting you is an 'Enterprise Client' or a 'Upwork Business Client', they actually CAN interview outside of Upwork and they PAY for that right through a special, expensive 'premium' membership with Upwork.

 

If the client is an Enterprise or Business client, their profile will say it VERY clearly in their profile and in the job search. They are always LEGIT - usually big, established companies that paid Upwork lots of money to find them good talent

 

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Announcements/Communicating-On-and-Outside-of-Upwork-Terms-of-Servic...

 

  1. Exception

Our larger business partners often have specific requirements and business needs that make it more difficult to use our communications exclusively. Clients who utilize Upwork Business and Enterprise solutions are permitted to request and share contact information, as well as conduct interviews or pre-contract communications, outside of Upwork. This exception extends to professionals’ communications with an Upwork Business or Enterprise client. 

 

 

 

thank you for this important help

Latest Articles
Featured Topics
Learning Paths