Project-Based Billing

[melissamolejon]

Hi everyone,

I am new to Upwork and is now working as a Freelance Writer/Researcher for a client. Contact has been signed and all, it was a $6/hour contract by the way. 

My concern is client said that this is a project-based job as well. So I bill him every project completion and my work of course will be monitored by Upwork hourly. But Upwork bills weekly, so I can't really bill him every project completion. There was a project that I worked on that started on a Wednesday and it wasn't finished by Sunday yet, which is the end of the billing cycle. So the invoice came out on the following Sunday but the project isn't done yet. Is there a way where I can bill him per project instead?

[melissamolejon]

Hi,

I am new to Upwork and is now working as a Research/Writer for a client. I already signed the contract of $6 per hour. 

My concern is, the client also mentioned that it is project-based work. So I bill him every project completion, right? But Upwork bills weekly (Sundays). I worked on a project that started on a Wednesday and was still unfinished when Sunday came. I now have the invoice for the week but the project isn't finished yet. Is there a way I can bill the client per project? What is the best way to do moving forward?

[tlsanders]

No. If he wants to pay by the project, then he needs to set up a fixed price project and fund escrow. Hourly jobs are paid weekly based on hours worked, and if you don't log them during the pay period, you won't get another chance.

[melissamolejon]

"if you don't log them during the pay period, you won't get another chance" - So you mean the automatic invoice isn't enough yet to get paid? You have to log it as well? Or are you referring to the Toggle Button to track time of work? 

[petra_r]

---

Melissa M wrote:

"if you don't log them during the pay period, you won't get another chance" - So you mean the automatic invoice isn't enough yet to get paid? You have to log it as well? Or are you referring to the Toggle Button to track time of work? 

---

If you track the time you have worked with the tracker, the client is charged on Monday, for the work done the previous week. That is what generates the automatic invoice.

[melissamolejon]

Okay, that's what I thought. Thank you so much for all your help!

[AveryO · Accepted solution]

Hi Melissa, 

You may want to check out this help article that identifies the differences between Hourly and Fixed-price contracts. This will help you and your client decide whether an hourly contract is a good fit for your project. 

To clarify, on hourly contracts logging time through the Upwork Destkop App automatically bills the client's account at the end of the workweek. The amount charged is based on the hourly rate that was noted on the contract, and the number of hours you log for the week. In this case, if the project is not yet complete, and you still need to log more time, you can let the client know that you will be logging time this week to complete the project. You may want to read more about the Weekly Billing Cycle for more information on how your client is charged, and your earnings are processed.