Why doesn't Upwork clearly calculate and display the actual date freelancers get paid?

[jshulman563]

I know this is technically possible using modern computers, so I can only assume there is some financial benefit to Upwork to hide the date freelancers will get paid, whatever the terms of their contract are.  I do understand that the payment date is conditional depending on many factors, but the possible payment dates can be displayed directly with that conditional information. 

Instead, it seems Upwork has chosen to provide information to freelancers on how to calculate that date for themselves(!), provided they have the time and the ability to wade through all the related complex online documentation and view various reports to hazard a -guess- for themselves.

My apologies if I am somehow mistaken in what I have said. However, if I am not, please calculate and clearly display the date (or possible dates) of payment for freelancers.  It is the ethical thing to do and will improve retention.

[LuiggiR]

Hello Jack,

Are you referring to the date funds become available or the date you'll receive your funds after being withdrawn?

If it is the date for the funds to become available for fixed-price contracts, you'll typically see that date right next to the contract in question, below the "Pending" tab on your Reports Home page, and on your Transaction History. For hourly contracts, since this is based on the Weekly Billing Cycle, the date will always be the same; funds become available every Wednesday following the client's review period. 

If it's the date your funds reach your payment method after being withdrawn, this can vary widely depending on your chosen method and other circumstances out of our control, such as Holidays. However, I understand that it can be helpful to have at least an estimate displayed. We greatly appreciate your feedback, and we'll be sure to share it with our product team for consideration. 

[jshulman563]

Thank you.

I was referring to the date the funds will become available for withdrawal.

Yes, tha variables affecting the date are out of your control, but at any point in time, you know what the current values of those variables are(!). it's basically a statement with a series of knows and unknowns, where the unknowns are stated as conditionals. So, for example, a payment available date may be wednesday of next week if and only if the payment is approved by Friday this week. If a payment has already been approved, then you can simply state what the date available is. The fact the the freelancers status is affecting when funds are available also needs to be made transparent in the statement.

 I can understand if it is somehow expensive for Upwork to implement such a feature, but that is an issue that would need to be balanced against the benefits in retention and loyalty of providing such a feature.

To clarify, I was just asking if Upwork could provide a statement that showed the "date available" scenarios given a freelancer's status, and the nature of the contract. The values of some variables affecting the date available might be different under different scenarious, but that could easily be made clear in a single summary statement.

Thanks again.