Announcing new, simpler fees on Upwork

[#1]

Today we introduced two key pricing changes: on May 3, 2023, we are retiring our sliding scale fee structure and introducing a 10% service fee for all freelancers, and on April 26, 2023, we are implementing a one-time contract initiation fee for clients of up to $4.95 per contract. Click here for the full announcement.

Please share your questions and feedback in the thread below.

[#2]

better now to decide we can take projects or not

[#3]

Hi all, 

Just curious on thoughts of other freelancers about the 10% fee for payments. I agree,yeah, cool, it's not 20% from the jump anymore - really is great! But my client and I for years had been at the 5% fee for payments and is now back up to 10%. Just seems like an injustice to freelancers, especially 100% top rated plus freelancers with long long term clients. It's frustrating, thoughts? Nothing we can do I'm sure, but it just seems like an issue that is more nuanced than just "hey, let's do 10% for everyone" no matter what. It's awesome, the 20% is gone, but it's just more complicated than that, in my opinion. I don't know. I'm just a freelancing human being person. 

People who are going to tell me "didn't you receive the memo?". Yes I did, I suppose, I didn't notice it. Still doesn't make it make sense or make it fair. 

Thank you all! Love you!

[#4]

Unfair. But who promised that it will be fair?

It is profitable. How to make money for nothing? Set 10% instead of 5%. Piece of cake! How to make more profit? Set 20%. Then 40%. 😸

Saw how many lazy stable clients and freelancers (who working longterm and just paying millions to Upwork for years) left platform at 2024? Many of them need nothing from Upwork, no expenses. Was surprised and leaved outside bacause them working for years and trust one to other.

[#5]

Mykola, thank you or the response. I'm not sure I understand all of it... I'm trying. Thank you though.

But I do agreee, yes, nobody said anything would be fair haha? So, of course you aren't wrong bro. And, and... lol why would I be surprised to see Upwork pull some shady stuff on freelancers as they've been doing quite frequently since early 2022. This one though dude, this one is just weird, more weird and annoying than buying connects and having to spend like 6 connects at the very least on a job that is probably dumb and not serious and possibly a scam. 

Flipside, I understand Upwork is a business. I understand that Upwork helps me make money and I help Upwork make money. But this one is just unjust and dumb... again not surprised just super annoyed. Yup. 

Anyway, thank you dude. Best to you!

[#6]

I don't like it either - but then again, I don't think I was here when the fee was 20%. I guess I am lucky. If we are all lucky, they will not increase the fee.

[#7]

Hi Lora, yeah it's a wild one. Defiintely lucky, super good on you, for real. The 20% was crazy, but at that time work was easier to get, for me anyway. Increasing it back 20% wouldn't surprise me. Nothing Upwork does anymore surprises me. I love em, I hate em. I make money with their platform, they make money from my jobs.

I just wish they would stop messing with stuff. But blah blah, wishes, don't wish for things, stop complaining, nobody promised anything... I can feel the comments coming. Let it be so. 

Thanks Lora, best!

[#8]

It makes sense when you consider the motivation. Experienced freelancers will not throw connects, but the unskilled, and under-skilled will. They are far more likely to jump at ideas to spend more connects. If you think of it this way, the bizarro world penalties for high earners, and the rewarding of low earners makes perfect sense.

[#9]

Jeanne H, respect, you are seniority, but please do not ever respond to any thing I say ever again. It's not that I disagree with you, yes it makes sense for Upwork. Of course it makes sense for Upwork. I'm talking about watching out for freelancers. Does it make sense for long term freelancers? It does not. It hurts our pockets. 

Like I said, respect for Upwork for existing, I make money with their help, they make money with my help. This situation is just not good for us freelancers.

I genuinely think you are looking to be a contrarian in every possible situation and you should avoid human contact as much as possible until you have a more rounded approach to a conversation. But hey I'm not perfect and were all human. You do you, but please... leave my posts alone. You were a bully to me in 2022 amongst other freelancers, you've always been this way. Please take your bullying somewhere else and contrarianism somewhere else. Other opinions are lovely, it's what makes us human. You do not do this. 

Best

[#10]

I have no idea what you are referencing, and I will not respond to more of your posts, since obviously you are upset, and don't like to hear opinions you think disagree. However, this is a public forum. You posted, and I responded. I was not rude or offensive, unless Upwork moderators want to be offended for my statements about Upwork. When you post in a public forum, you may read things you do not like. Such is the nature of public forums.

[#11]

Jeanne, there is no hate, I don't respect you, but I don't hate you. I don't like your bullying. I can't believe I'm responding to you. Years of seeing you be rude to people maybe?

Yes, I am aware that it's public, such is the nature of these posts and have posted in this forum expecting to get different opinoins... it's your attitude in particular that is quite odd and I would say almost sociopathic and lacking empathy. Almost like a bot.

I know you are cliqued up so I'll get wringed out for not liking... you. But it's okay, it's life. We don't have to agree with each other. Like I respect your seniority, I don't respect you. 

Good day, sincerely, no sarcasm, hopefully you find some peace your day. Cool, carrying on. 

[#12]

This thread will almost certainly get rolled into the existing thread under "Platform>Feedback" with 1900+ replies but to address your reply to Jeanne: I don't know your history but it seems like Jeanne was actually agreeing with you, saying that they make less money off skilled, experienced freelancers, so they had to try to find a way around that. The odd part is that they didn't grandfather in old contracts. I have now converted all my 2+ year contracts and will continue to do so as other contracts hit that mark; I don't know if they are losing more or less money on those of us who are doing that than they estimated they would.

[#13]

To be honest, Jeanne just gets old. Her comments just get old.

People side with whoever they want, to each their own. Regardless whether we agree or not, I just prefer her not communicate with me, her in particular. But yes, like I said I do agree with Jeanne, on some things.

But Jeanne also does have a massive track record of siding mainly with Upwork and also being cruel to people who cannot speak English very well, or may not be the best at wrtiting out their thoughts. These freelancers are sometimes just confused and frustrated and trying to figure out what is going on. It's a serious lack of empathy coming from Jeanne, I can just feel it. It's annoying. 

Can you explain to me, and with that said, thank you for your time and comment... the part about converting your 2+ year contracts? 

Thank you so much, I really do appreciate you taking the time to comment. Agree or disagree, if their is respect it's all good. Thank you!

[#14]

It seems to me that you are being quite unpleasant to Jeanne. She is a person who has helped a lot here and for that reason alone she deserves a little more respect.
That said, if you're so upset, take those clients you've been with for so long off of Upwork.
You just have to search for the information either in the forum or in the help, easy to do.

ETA - By the way, if she treated you so badly in a thread, it would be nice if you linked it so we can comment on it.

[#15]

It's 2022 I'm not going back to it. If you are interested just look at how she treats people she disagrees with. Glad you're on team save "Jeanne" as well as she clearly needs your help. Good day. 

[#16]

Well, it has become clear that you are a very unpleasant person.
And it's not a clique of people saving Jeanne. She doesn't need saviors, I assure you.
When you've done as much for the community as she has, we'll talk.
I can look up the information, I'm not stupid, and in fact I have do it. And really the comments I've seen (if they are the ones you are talking about) say more about you than about her.
By the way, just as I can write and search for comments, you can write and search the help for how to remove a client from Upwork by following the rules, right?
Good day.

[#17]

Proving my point. And of course you are not stupid, never said you were. Feel how you feel, feels good to feel. Have a good day Maria T. 

[#18]

You want to be part of more drama? I don't understand this clique, ya'll are being super protective and weird of this woman. This is not happening - me posting anything Jeanne previously said or I said and bring more gossip in here. You can type and search her comments, I imagine you have the capacity, yeah?

[#19]

> But Jeanne also does have a massive track record of siding mainly with Upwork

> cruel to people who cannot speak English very well

People are entitled to their opinions and I would respectfully express that I believe you may be hallucinating 😁

[#20]

Thank you for you opinion Radia. It appears I've started a "save Jeanne" movement. Very glad to see everyone here cliqued up with Jeanne, I love teamwork. So weird. 

Were you around to see her bullying? You know who helps people and then hurts them or does cruel things? Sociopaths. So... yeah. Good day to you. 

[#21]

Thank you for posting. I couldn't understand why that wasn't clear, but there was no point in trying to explain, as you can see.

[#22]

---

Kelly B wrote:

The odd part is that they didn't grandfather in old contracts. I have now converted all my 2+ year contracts and will continue to do so as other contracts hit that mark; I don't know if they are losing more or less money on those of us who are doing that than they estimated they would.

---

There was some discussions back there.

Based on some people who mentioned that they will keep their contracts on Upwork, and the fact that Upwork has all the data, Upwork calculated that they will still make more profit than before.

So "5% is better than nothing"  is not necessarily true, when the 10% from the other people might give them more.

It was also discussed that Upwork on the latest reports "said" that there's no additional value on long term contracts.

And some other reasons I can't remember.

[#23]

Some of you are weirdly obsessesed with saving Jeanne. Certain she can make it through these forums on her own, but glad she has her clique. 

In any case, I've not heard of converting clients off of Upwork. I thought this could get me kicked off the platform and I'm not trying to do that. Maybe I missed that memo that it's okay to do that, maybe Upwork wouldn't know, maybe I'm stupid for being loyal. Regardless, I'm interested in this. 

[#24]

You started the argument against the person you know, with incorrect facts as well.

None of the people have a 'massive track record of siding mainly with Upwork' (well, except for one 'AI expert-vetted' guy). They are just being logical, and also can see things from a different POV.

And being mean to someone for their lack of English is a crime here, not to mention they will be scolded by many members as well.

So, you need to check your facts.

Yes you can bring clients outside after two years, with introduced problems lately.

And finally, don't depend on 3rd parties. I experienced something similar with the guy in the link (although in a much smaller scale) when everything turned upside down after the 3rd party decided to change something in their algo.

[#25]

Bless your soul and have a lovely weekend, sincerely, no sarcasm. 

[#26]

I just want to take the time out to sincerely apologize to anyone who I may have been an unpleasant person with. If I was ever unpleasant I was frustrated and if I was that frustrated it was because it was a very heavy topic. Doesn't excuse me, but I'm human. If you knew me in person you would think otherwise as I might think otherwise about you, you'd see that I'm not unpleasant, hopefully I'd see the same in you. 

I appreciate any and all feedback, even from that one person. There are some on here who are helping, some just being metiche out of boredom? I don't know, but I don't want any part of that. Thanks to all who have commented, I appreciate. To those I've offeneded, whether or not you or I are projecting, protecting, attacking, defending, whatever, lets just... let's let it go yeah?

xoxo

Much love, for real. We're all just trying to do what we need to do to get by.