🐈
» Forums » Freelancers » Re: Upwork Plus Client - Payment unverified
Page options
richardsmith94
Community Member

Upwork Plus Client - Payment unverified

Hi everyone. Could someone please explain how somebody is able to register as an Upwork Plus client (which I understand they have to pay for) but not have a verified payment account?

 

Yep, I'm still at that stage where I am submitting proposals into the open marketplace and (rightly or wrongly), I don't like pitching for jobs where payment is unverified. How can this be the case if they've already paid (via some method), to be an Upwork Plus client?

 

 

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
abinadab-agbo
Community Member

Hi! Richard.

Those kinds of clients are enjoying one month free trial of Upwork Plus.

No credit card required to enjoy the trial.

View solution in original post

13 REPLIES 13
tlsanders
Community Member

Verification is a completely separate process which can take a couple of business days. Making a payment does not require verification.

 

On a side note, I don't know what you do, but if you are a highly skilled or specialized freelancer, you are cheating yourself of many of the best opportunities on Upwork by avoiding clients who aren't verified at the time of posting.

Thanks Tiffany, no need for your view on which jobs I decide to apply for, but I very much appeciate your help.


Richard S wrote:

Thanks Tiffany, no need for your view on which jobs I decide to apply for, but I very much appeciate your help.


That's not what Tiffany is doing - she is telling you, and I am too, that some of the best clients we get are brand new and shiny. And if you get them from the start, there's a good chance they'll become repeat clients, because once they've latched onto a freelancer they like working with, why not stick with them.

 

Unverified is only a problem if you start any work before they're verified. Something like 80-90% of my clients were new ... and I have never not been paid.

Pretty much all of my clients were payment unverified.  When they hire me, I tell them I can start just as soon as they get verified.

Funny cause all the "clients" I get with Upwork+ unverified payment methods just turn out to be scammers. First thing they want you to do is to take the messages off of Upwork to Skype. Then they want you to fill out broken 1099 forms to get all your info. I say clients should have to verify their business and their payment method the same as we have to verify who we are 10x over before we can start working. 

Exactly. As this is an old thread, that may have been the case in the past, but with the recent massive upswing in scam posts that simply is no longer true.

Yeah I didn't notice it was an older post until a bit ago. Sadly I searched this topic because an Upwork talent specialist sent me a job offer for a job with a client who has Upwork + but unverified payment method. It's like the 5th client they have sent me like this. 3 of which turned out to be scammers and the last 2 I've just declined telling them I'll no longer accept unverified clients

abinadab-agbo
Community Member

Hi! Richard.

Those kinds of clients are enjoying one month free trial of Upwork Plus.

No credit card required to enjoy the trial.

b81f9f99
Community Member

Richart, you are right, i amost got scam by pro-member with not reviews, so now im going to be really carefull abouth promember with not payment verify and not reviews, I dont know why upwork is allowing this 

mtngigi
Community Member


Pamela D wrote:

Richart, you are right, i amost got scam by pro-member with not reviews, so now im going to be really carefull abouth promember with not payment verify and not reviews, I dont know why upwork is allowing this 


You only get scammed if you start a job before your client's payment method is verified. As I and a few others in this post have pointed out, some of our best clients were brand new and unverified.

 

Upwork allows this because thousands of clients are first-time job posters. Upwork and freelancers would lose a lot of great clients if they required new clients to verify payments up front. Learn how to use this site properly, and you won't get scammed.

tlbp
Community Member


Virginia F wrote:

Pamela D wrote:

Richart, you are right, i amost got scam by pro-member with not reviews, so now im going to be really carefull abouth promember with not payment verify and not reviews, I dont know why upwork is allowing this 


You only get scammed if you start a job before your client's payment method is verified. As I and a few others in this post have pointed out, some of our best clients were brand new and unverified.

 

Upwork allows this because thousands of clients are first-time job posters. Upwork and freelancers would lose a lot of great clients if they required new clients to verify payments up front. Learn how to use this site properly, and you won't get scammed.


I assumed the poster was referring to one of the many other ways a freelancer can be scammed. The Pro Member client designation should offer some reassurance that a client is legit. But, the reality is that when Upwork gives the designation away as a free trial, scammers are able to wear a veil of credibility while taking advantage. So, it is still important to look at the client's review history. 

61df1233
Community Member

Learn how to use the site properly? Really. The safety and well being of any consumer using the site should be held at the highest regard by Upwork, Whether it is a freelancer or client the private and personal information shouldn't be taken so lightly. Upwork should be enforcing verification on clients the same as it does it's freelancers, Unless they want people to have the impression that Upwork is a shady site that carelessly disregards the safety of it's users. 

I completely agree with your assessment.

Latest Articles
Featured Topics
Learning Paths