Direct contract

[#1]

I tried to login into my account today to send someone who wanted to give me a job outside upwork a direct contract proposal, but to my disappointment I notice Direct contract is not functioning on my account again? What could be the cause?

Could it be that the upgrade/maintenance that upwork team want to carry out is the reason it's not functional, or the feature has been axed from my account.


Please I need a quick response.


Thanks
Regards

[#2]

Nope. There is no such option for direct contracts. 

[#3]

I guess they have introduced it recently. 

[#4]

Hi Mehrab,

Yes, you and your client can share feedback on Direct Contracts. You can refer to this help page for more information. 

- Pradeep

[#5]

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Ruhul Amin, and I am a cybersecurity expert with nearly 20 years of experience. Recently, I created a verified Upwork ID to address the security and payment issues I have faced when working with clients outside the platform. I have learned about Upwork's direct contracts and believe they provide a secure and efficient solution for both parties.

I have successfully engaged in a direct contract with you and received the payment through Upwork's escrow service, which has been beneficial for both of us. However, I have a few questions regarding our future collaborations:

1. Regular Contracts Without Direct Contracts: Can we transition to regular contracts on Upwork without using the direct contract process each time? I understand that creating multiple accounts for this purpose might not be feasible for you.

2. Limit on Direct Contracts: Is there any limit on the number of direct contracts we can engage in through Upwork?

3. Working with Direct Contracts: Are there any potential issues or limitations associated with using direct contracts for our ongoing projects?

4. Procedure for Future Work: If we wish to continue working together, what are the procedures to follow for maintaining our collaboration, whether through direct contracts or regular contracts on Upwork?

I appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter. Ensuring a secure and seamless working relationship is my top priority, and I believe Upwork's platform can help us achieve this.

Thank you for your attention to these questions. I look forward to your response.

Best regards,

[#6]

Hello KM Ruhul,

We will look into this further and will get back to you once we have more information.

[#7]

When can I expect a suitable solution?

[#8]

Thank you for following up, KM Ruhul,

I checked with our team and can confirm the following:

Regular Contracts Without Direct Contracts: The main difference between them is the sourcing channel and the fees that apply. With Upwork Fixed-Price Protection, we use escrow to ensure that you are paid for your work and your clients receive the work as agreed. It's important to remember that only the funds held in escrow are secure. For Hourly contracts, your clients are invoiced and billed automatically based on the hours you log following the weekly billing cycle. You can find more details about this billing cycle here.

Limit on Direct Contracts: There’s no limit to your total amount of Direct Contracts.

Working with Direct Contracts: I checked your contract and it appears to be active. If your client cancels a fixed-price contract with you, any money deposited into escrow will be returned to them. If you need to dispute that return of escrow, learn how to file a dispute on a fixed-price contract here.

Procedure for Future Work: You can enjoy all the benefits of Direct Contracts without any limitations. They are essentially the same as Marketplace contracts, and the only thing that could be different is the service fee, which is just 5%.

Feel free to visit this helpful article for more information.

[#9]

Hello everyone,

I've been exploring different ways to grow my freelance career on Upwork, and I recently came across the option of working on Direct Contracts. I’m curious if anyone here has experience with this and can shed some light on a few questions:

1. Impact on Success Score: Does completing projects through Direct Contracts influence your Upwork success score? How is it factored in compared to regular contracts on the platform?

2. Client Feedback: Is client feedback from Direct Contracts considered in the same way as feedback from regular Upwork contracts? Does it appear on your profile?

3. Visibility and Opportunities: Do Direct Contracts affect your visibility on the platform or improve your chances of getting hired for future projects?

4. Best Practices: What are some best practices for managing Direct Contracts, especially when it comes to ensuring they positively impact your profile?

I’d love to hear from anyone who has experience with Direct Contracts on Upwork. Your insights and tips would be greatly appreciated!

Looking forward to your responses!

Best, 

Samir

[#10]

Hi Samir,

Thanks for reaching out and for your questions. I'll be happy to help clarify any doubts about how Direct Contracts work.

A Direct Contract will have the same impact on your metrics as other contracts. You and your client can leave each other feedback, which can impact your JSS score and Rising Talent or Top Rated status, and the number of contracts and dollar earnings will be counted in your totals. A Direct Contract works the same as any other contract on Upwork, only differing in how it's initiated and the fees you'll pay (a 5% freelancer service fee on the earnings you make). You can learn more about how Direct Contracts work in this help article. 

[#11]

After recent change in policies does upwork allow clients to leave feedback on direct contracts?

[#12]

Hello Mehrab,

Yes, you and your client can leave each other feedback, which can impact your JSS score and Rising Talent or Top-Rated status. The number of contracts and dollar earnings will be counted in your totals. Direct Contracts contract will have the same impact on your metrics as other contracts. You can learn more here. 

[#13]

A client that I have done some work for has contacted me about a new project.

He has 2 email addresses on Upworks

When I try to send a direct contract I get this message

"This email address is already associated with an Upwork account."

How do I find the clients profile?

[#14]

Hello Blair,

If you have worked with the client before under a Direct Contract, and you and your client want to work together again, you’ll need to initiate the new contract through the Direct Contracts page to continue to receive reduced freelancer service fees. If you have not worked under a Direct Contract before and your client has an Upwork account already, you can continue working with the client under the standard marketplace. Know that you will be able to create Direct Contracts and send contract proposals to clients who aren't on Upwork yet. You can learn more here. 

[#15]

Thank you for taking the time out to answer my question. I had sent a direct contract notice to the client and they said their " reply to you came back as undeliverable:

[#16]

Hi Ilya,

You might want to check out Direct Contracts! With these, you can easily create and send contract proposals to clients who haven't joined Upwork yet. Just like your other contracts on Upwork, you can choose between a fixed-price or hourly contract. You'll send the invitation via email to your client. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to explore this helpful article!

[#17]

Good afternoon!
Can the customer leave a feedback after the direct contract has been fulfilled?

[#18]

Hi IIya,

Yes, you and your client will be able to share feedback on Direct Contracts.

- Pradeep

[#19]

Hi Team,

I initiated a Direct Contract a few weeks ago and the client told me that he did not receive any email from Upwork and suggested creating another Direct Contract. I then checked the previous contract but when selected, it does not open completely but just keeps on loading. So, I created another Direct Contract for that client hoping that I can open the new contract, but still, I cannot open the new contract completely like the old one. 

I can see both on my profile and still awaiting the acceptance of my client. 

Any advise why this happens or is this normal? Any actions from my end to fix this?

Thank you.

[#20]

Hi Pedro,

Could you please try in incognito mode and/or another browser? Additionally, you could try clearing your cache and cookies. If the issue persists, let us know, and we will be happy to assist you further.

[#21]

Hi Ronna,

Thank you for your response.

Unfortunately, I tried it in incognito for Chrome and also tried it in Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge and still the same issue.

Please let me know if any action is need on my end to fix the issue.

Thanks,

Pedro

[#22]

Hi Pedro,

Thank you for getting back to us. I’ve escalated your community post to a support ticket so we can look into this further and assist you accordingly. One of our agents will be in touch with you to assist.

[#23]

Thank you, Ronna!

[#24]

Hi there,

I recently received a direct contract on Upwork, and after a Zoom meeting with the client, I agreed to take the job. However, I discovered that I need to pay an initial contract fee. This is my first time dealing with this type of contract, and I have a few questions:

1. Since the direct contract requires me to pay a fee, can I request the client to modify the contract so that they cover the initial contract fee instead? The contract offered to me is an hourly contract, which I have accepted but have not started working on yet.

2. I know that Upwork has hourly rate and fixed-price contracts. Since this is my first time encountering a direct contract, is there a link where I can find out about the different types of contracts on Upwork and how they charge service fees?

3. From the client's perspective, do they need to pay for Direct Messages and Direct Contracts, similar to how freelancers need to pay for Connects? Which option is better for the client and which is better for the freelancer
4. I find out some of the invitation to interview do not need to pay connet but some do require. Does it set by client or by Upwork?

Please share your comment below.

Thanks,

Culisia

[#25]

Congratulations on winning the job, it is still a rare scenario here for many! Here are the brief answers to your questions.

1) As per my knowledge and experience a direct contract requires a one-time fixed $5 fee levied by upwork. If you are going to earn sufficient from the contract then you can bear it on your own otherwise yes, you can request the client to revise the contract price to cover the fee, however, it is subject to the client's agreement only whether he wants to cover this cost or not, you can't do much if they disagree.

2) There are only 2 types of contracts, fixed price and hourly, in both types of contracts, the service fee is fixed at 10% of your earnings except for additional charges like direct contract fees and applicable taxes (depending on your country's taxation system) etc.

3)Up to last known to me, clients needed to pay 1-time hiring fee of around $3 earlier, it needs to be checked now if it has changed or it is the same.

4) All kinds of charges are set only by Upwork only, clients have no role to play in that.

I hope it will help, and Good wishes!