Contract

[angel715]

Hi, I'm new to Upwork and I was invited to an interview and demo by a client with unverified payment status. How can I tell them that they need to verify their contract first? Will the contract show up when they verify their payment?

[NikolaS]

Hi Ma, 

You were not hired for this job and shouldn't provide any work until your client sends you an offer and a contract is created under your My Jobs tab. Please note that any request for free work is not allowed on Upwork, and it is a  violation of Upwork's Terms of Service.

It is always good to communicate and politely explain everything to your client to avoid any misunderstanding. You can discuss the terms of further engagement on the contract and attempt to resolve the situation amicably. You can share this article with the client so that they can send you an offer and create a contract. 

Let us know if you have further questions. 

[feed_my_eyes]

It's pretty common for clients to want to interview you before making a hiring decision (and it's fine as long as you keep it on Upwork). And it's not necessary for them to verify their payment method unless and until they want to hire you. You'll know that you've been hired when you get an offer notification and then accept it.

I'm a little suspicious that they want to do a "demo" though - that sounds like they might be trying to sell you something, or at the very least it gives me the impression that the interview is going to take a long time. You might want to tell them that you're only available for 15-20 minutes, and if further explanations of their product/service are required, that can be done AFTER they hire you.