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andrewgreenart
Community Member

Payment terms question

Hello, I have a question for Upwork please:

 

I have recently quoted for supplying illustrations to a company. This transaction would obviously take place entirely through Upwork. However, I have also been asked to license a book I have written and illustrated.

 

A contract and various messages have been sent to me via the Upwork messages system. To receive payment for the licensing contract, does this need to be made through Upwork or can this be done externally without paying a percentage to Upwork? I do not want to breach terms.

 

Thank you very much, Andrew Green

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
petra_r
Community Member


Andrew G wrote:

To receive payment for the licensing contract, does this need to be made through Upwork or can this be done externally without paying a percentage to Upwork? I do not want to breach terms.


If you met the entity who will pay you on Upwork within the past 2 years, all payments must go through Upwork.

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8 REPLIES 8
petra_r
Community Member


Andrew G wrote:

To receive payment for the licensing contract, does this need to be made through Upwork or can this be done externally without paying a percentage to Upwork? I do not want to breach terms.


If you met the entity who will pay you on Upwork within the past 2 years, all payments must go through Upwork.

Obviously I don't know the actual percentage.

But I would bet that the majority of freelancers who have worked for a client for two years have no interest in moving their work off of the platform.

 

I have many clients with which I have a more-than-two-year relationship on Upwork. It doesn't even cross my mind. By the time we get to two years, then I have certainly gone from 20% down to 10%, and quite likely down to 5% in my fees.

 

Whether it is 10% or 5%, by continuing to work on Upwork, I maintain a lot of convenience, and I accumulate hours, jobs, and feedback - which makes my profile look better.

 

But Upwork's rule is 2 years, so I certainly have no qualms with any freelancer who wants to off-board after that time. I'm just not interested.

Thank you very much. Andrew


Preston H wrote:

Obviously I don't know the actual percentage.

But I would bet that the majority of freelancers who have worked for a client for two years have no interest in moving their work off of the platform.

 

I have many clients with which I have a more-than-two-year relationship on Upwork. It doesn't even cross my mind. By the time we get to two years, then I have certainly gone from 20% down to 10%, and quite likely down to 5% in my fees.

 

Whether it is 10% or 5%, by continuing to work on Upwork, I maintain a lot of convenience, and I accumulate hours, jobs, and feedback - which makes my profile look better.

 

But Upwork's rule is 2 years, so I certainly have no qualms with any freelancer who wants to off-board after that time. I'm just not interested.


Interesting. I've always taken my clients off of Upwork as soon as they're eligible. I see no reason to continue paying a 10% fee (I've never managed to get down to a 5% fee within two years) nor for the client to continue paying a 3% processing fee, when it's easier to just conduct everything via email. 

 

re: "Interesting. I've always taken my clients off of Upwork as soon as they're eligible."

 

I'm lazier than you are.


Christine A wrote:

Preston H wrote:

Obviously I don't know the actual percentage.

But I would bet that the majority of freelancers who have worked for a client for two years have no interest in moving their work off of the platform.

 

I have many clients with which I have a more-than-two-year relationship on Upwork. It doesn't even cross my mind. By the time we get to two years, then I have certainly gone from 20% down to 10%, and quite likely down to 5% in my fees.

 

Whether it is 10% or 5%, by continuing to work on Upwork, I maintain a lot of convenience, and I accumulate hours, jobs, and feedback - which makes my profile look better.

 

But Upwork's rule is 2 years, so I certainly have no qualms with any freelancer who wants to off-board after that time. I'm just not interested.


Interesting. I've always taken my clients off of Upwork as soon as they're eligible. I see no reason to continue paying a 10% fee (I've never managed to get down to a 5% fee within two years) nor for the client to continue paying a 3% processing fee, when it's easier to just conduct everything via email. 

 


I don't care about the fee (and the payment processing fee is going to come into play in most cases one way or the other, from one of us, with or without Upwork), but most of my clients are eagerly awaiting the end of the two year period. I don't know whether it's just because I work almost exclusively fixed price, but most of my ongoing clients find it cumbersome to work through Upwork. It's not about the payment processing fee--this was true before that was implemented. They just hate having to log in over and over again to keep things moving along.


Preston H wrote:

Obviously I don't know the actual percentage.

But I would bet that the majority of freelancers who have worked for a client for two years have no interest in moving their work off of the platform.

 

But Upwork's rule is 2 years, so I certainly have no qualms with any freelancer who wants to off-board after that time. I'm just not interested.


I am not either, and never have done, but I have clients who are abandoning Upwork because of the stupid client fees and plans so if I want to work with them (the ones I have been with for 2+ years) I have no choice.

Thank you very much. Andrew

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