Payment

[#1]

I need to get paid for a completed project.

Actually, it was supposed to be a fixed price project but being new to Upwork, I didn't know the client had to choose the fixed price option. 

So, I just told her to make it hourly up to 10 hours but to reflect the same amount agreed for the project.

The project is done and she is happy. How do I get my payment? 

Is it me or the client that initiates payment? What do I (or the client) click on to get my payment in?

[#2]

I am having the same problem too. The job is finished. Client is happy. Do I have to click any button that says "pay me?" Or does the client have to click "Pay?" In which case, how do I know she has paid? Thanks

[#3]

Because you did log time with the desktop app, you now have two options:

- log time manually, an amount appropriate for how much you want the client to pay you

- ask the client to pay you using the client-side Pay Bonus tool

In the future, do not mix fixed-price and hourly contract concepts with each other.

[#4]

Hi Preston, thanks for your answer.

Another question: is she able to pay by the bonus tool after she has clicked "end contract?" I ask because she has clicked the end contract button.

Thanks in advance.

[#5]

re: "Another question: is she able to pay by the bonus tool after she has clicked 'end contract?' I ask because she has clicked the end contract button."

Yes.

A client may pay a bonus to a freelancer on a CLOSED contract.

[#6]

@Preston hi again. Also is it possible to delete time manually logged in yesterday. Cos if it's possible I would just delete the record and ask her to pay me using that bonus pay took you suggested.

Thanks.

[#7]

re: "Is it possible to delete time manually logged in yesterday?"

Yes.

If you have an open contract, then you can add manual time for any past time slot during the week. And you can delete any time segment from the work diary.

You can continue to add manual time or delete time segments as long as the contract isn't paused or closed.

If you have an OPEN contract, it would be better for you to add your time using manually-logged time, if you are allowed to do so. But that won't work if there is no open contract.

re: "if it's possible I would just delete the record and ask her to pay me using that bonus pay took you suggested."

If you're in contact with the client and she is working with you, trying to figure out pay you... then, yes, you can have the client use the "Pay Bonus" tool.

But generally speaking, don't plan on using Bonus payments in this way. Remember that Bonus payments are purely handled using the "honor system."

[#8]

Thanks Preston for your help so far.

The contract is closed which means I can't deletel/modify time. past I guess.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean when you say "Bonus payments are purely handled using the "honor system." Could you please explain?

Thanks.

[#9]

---

Nkechinyere Ngozik O wrote:

The contract is closed which means I can't deletel/modify time. past I guess.

---

You can not delete time on a closed contract.

What Preston means by the "honour system" is that if the client does not pay, you don't get paid.

But of course the same applies to any time you logged manually, so it works out pretty much the same.

There is no need to make it all so complicated.

In future, use the tracker on hourly contracts for security, and fully funded milestones for fixed rate contracts. 

Bonuses are meant for cases where a client wants to pay you something extra as a reward for a great job done or for going over and above!

[#10]

Thanks Petra. So what do you advise? Do I just wait till next week for the manually logged time to be invoiced to the client by Upwork?

Does that happen automatically or do I have to initiate something. Sorry but this is all so new and confusing. Thanks for your help.

[#11]

Hi @Preston. Hope your weekend was great.

Yesterday, I received an Upwork notification yesterday that my time log is ready.

When I viewed it, there was a duplication. There was

1. the hourly billing amount

2. the same amount in form of a bonus. (the client paid me via bonus payment since I could not delete the hourly billing due to the contract being closed.

If I let it go through, the client will be double billed. 

Could you please advise how to avoid this?

I tried issuing a refund but it seems the client will not be getting the amount I refunded as it says I will be debited for an amount lesser than what I actually mean to refund.

Kindly help. 

Thanks

[#12]

---

Nkechinyere Ngozik O wrote:

I tried issuing a refund but it seems the client will not be getting the amount I refunded as it says I will be debited for an amount lesser than what I actually mean to refund.

---

The client gets back what they paid as a bonus, Upwork adds the fees back in (which is why you are debited a lower amount than was paid).

There was never any need to pay via a bonus! 

[#13]

I apologize. This is my first experience with Upwork. Now I know better.

So, I will go ahead and refund. Thanks.

[#14]

Hi Nkechinyere, 

Your earnings on Upwork are processed according to the Weekly Billing cycle. 

Are you referring to Contract ID #23855303? If you logged your time last week using the Upwork Desktop App, making sure that you provided appropriate memos on your logged time, your client will be automatically billed this week (16-March, Monday), and has up to Friday (20-March) to review the hours you logged last week (9-15 March). If your client doesn't dispute any of the hours you logged, the payment for the hours logged will go to a 5-day security period starting Friday of this week (20-March). If there are no issues, the payment will be processed and will be available to your account on Wednesday next week, 25-March. 

If you check your Reports page (Reports > Overview), you will see where in the billing cycle the payment is. If the payment is in the Pending tab, this means it's already in the security period. You may read through each tab to know when you should expect the payment to be available on your account.

[#15]

Hi. Thanks for replying. Yes it's for Contract ID #23855303. I logged in time yesterday manually. She has ended the contract and I really don't want to wait next week to get the money.

Is there a way upwork support can change it for me to fixed price and prompt her for approval which she is willing to provide. I really didn't expect getting the money would be this complicated haha. Would appreciate your help.

[#16]

re: "I logged in time yesterday manually. She has ended the contract"

Then you will receive your oney.

re: "I logged in time yesterday manually. She has ended the contract and I really don't want to wait next week to get the money."

That is inappropriate. The amount of time it will take your money to go through the different boxes (upwork.com/reports) is the same for you as it is for everybody else.

re: "Is there a way Upwork Support can change it for me to fixed price and prompt her for approval which she is willing to provide."

No.

re: "I really didn't expect getting the money would be this complicated"

Now you know.

Technically it may be appropriate for to get this client to pay you a bonus payment. But there is no way for you to remove the time segment for a closed contract. You would need to issue a refund for that payment in addition to getting the client to pay you a bonus.

This would be inappropriate behavior on the part of any freelancer.

[#17]

Thank you so much. I will just wait to get the money then. What got me worried was when I clicked the get paid button and the pending payments buttons, there was nothing. Zero.

Let me wait and see what happens this time next week.

Thanks for your help.