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Gbolahan's avatar
Gbolahan B Community Member

Direct contract

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
ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Goran's avatar
Goran V Retired Team Member

Hi Constantin,

 

I would like to clarify that the process you're referring to is working as designed. 

With Direct Contracts, you can create and send contract proposals to your clients that don't have Upwork accounts. Your client will be asked to create an Upwork account. Just like your other contracts on Upwork, your client deposits project funds in escrow before the contract starts. When you've completed the work, you'll request payment from your client.

 

To learn more about how Direct contracts work and how to manage them, check out this Help Article. Thank you.

~ Goran
Upwork

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250 REPLIES 250
Bojan's avatar
Bojan S Community Manager

Hi Gbolahan,

 

I checked this for you and I can't replicate the issue you're describing. Could you please share more information about the issue you're experiencing along with the screenshot of the error message if you're seeing one?

 

Thank you!

~ Bojan
Upwork
Gbolahan's avatar
Gbolahan B Community Member

What I am trying to say is that I used to use the direct contract feature before, but just today that I try to use it, the feature loading up again.

Kindly check the screenshots I attached.
Bojan's avatar
Bojan S Community Manager

Thank you for following up, 

 

Looks like you're experiencing this on your mobile. Could you please try using this feature on your computer or laptop to check if you’re still experiencing the same issue? Let us know if the issue persists. Thank you.

~ Bojan
Upwork
Gbolahan's avatar
Gbolahan B Community Member

Thanks so much for your help, i just logged in on my pc and it worked
Muhammad Umer's avatar
Muhammad Umer H Community Member

Hi,
I had a direct contract with a client. I did work for him and delivered him the files. He rejected the payment request and told me to do revision. I revised the file and send him again via email. He keeps saying i never received the revised files but i sent him via email 4 times. He doesn't reply to email now and keep rejecting the payment request and lying. Moreover when i send him file and submit a payment request he calls me un professional. Strange. I requested help from "Get Help" tab at direct contract and submitted my question with detail there but no response till now it's been almost 18 hours. I also contacted support so they can take the matter to relevant department they said someone will contact you as soon as possible but it's been almost 12 hours since then and no one contacted.

Please guide me or open a support ticket so i can explain my matter to support and they can help me get my payment.

Thanks
Bojan's avatar
Bojan S Community Manager

Hi Umer,

 

I’m sorry to hear about your experience. It looks like your ticket has been escalated to the correct team for review. Please allow time for our team to respond and update the ticket. If you have any additional questions please post them on that ticket for further assistance.

 

Thank you for your patience!

~ Bojan
Upwork
Gbolahan's avatar
Gbolahan B Community Member

Please check the screenshot I attached so you could understand what I'm trying to say.

I'm trying to attach a video though but the site doesn't support video format
Muhammad's avatar
Muhammad A Community Member

I want to ask if I have worked with a client before and he have upwork account already, then can I invite him for direct contract on upwork (out of upwork) or my accound will be suspended?

Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


Muhammad A wrote:

I want to ask if I have worked with a client before 


On or off Upwork?

 


Muhammad A wrote:

can I invite him for direct contract on upwork (out of upwork) 


You can't do a direct contract on Upwork with a client who has an Upwork account, and you can't work with a client you have met on Upwork outside the platform for 2 years.

Constantin Eugen's avatar
Constantin Eugen C Community Member

Hello

I was excited about the Direct Contracts feature when it was launched but when i had an opportunity to use it, i failed miserably. I had a potential client  outside of Upwork and everything was good untill the moment i proposed him to use Upwork Direct Contracts platform.

Because this feature requires the client NOT to register to the website  and when i told him this, it really confused him and it even became suspicious to the point that everthing went down and he probably find other ways. He probably thought it is a scam or something....

Do you guys have any tips about how it should be done not to confuse the client?

Thanks !

Goran's avatar
Goran V Retired Team Member

Hi Constantin,

 

I would like to clarify that the process you're referring to is working as designed. 

With Direct Contracts, you can create and send contract proposals to your clients that don't have Upwork accounts. Your client will be asked to create an Upwork account. Just like your other contracts on Upwork, your client deposits project funds in escrow before the contract starts. When you've completed the work, you'll request payment from your client.

 

To learn more about how Direct contracts work and how to manage them, check out this Help Article. Thank you.

~ Goran
Upwork
Constantin Eugen's avatar
Constantin Eugen C Community Member

Hello Goran

Yes i think i understand the technical aspects but i think my  issue was on the communication strategy. with the client. The fact that i told him Not to register but just use the Direct Contract system, it made him suspicious. 

Actually i want to ask, is there any advantage on the client side to use this system instead of normal registration method?

Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


Constantin Eugen C wrote:

Hello Goran

i think my  issue was on the communication strategy. with the client. The fact that i told him Not to register but just use the Direct Contract system, it made him suspicious. 


Why would you want to use direct contracts with a non-Upwork client and pay  3.4% rather than use the "Bring my own client" scheme (under which the client gets to sign up) and pay 0% fees? You are top rated, so you're entitled to the special link which allows you to invite clients and pay no service fee when working with those clients.

 


Constantin Eugen C wrote:

 is there any advantage on the client side to use this system instead of normal registration method?


The client does not have to create an Upwork account and the 3% payment processing fee is also not charged.

 

 

Constantin Eugen's avatar
Constantin Eugen C Community Member

Hi Petra

I did`nt know about the Bring my own client feature 

You mean if i bring it to sign up with the website,  then i will get 0% fees if i have a contract with him as long as i am  top rated?


Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


Constantin Eugen C wrote:

I did`nt know about the Bring my own client feature 

You mean if i bring it to sign up with the website,  then i will get 0% fees if i have a contract with him as long as i am  top rated?



If you use the special link you can get from Upwork, you will have 0% fees with that (!) client and any client you bring using that link forever.

Constantin Eugen's avatar
Constantin Eugen C Community Member

Thanks Petra, i hope i`l have a chance to use the feature like that!

Goran's avatar
Goran V Retired Team Member

Hi Constantin,


If you would like to receive your unique link, let me know here and I will escalate your request to our team. Thank you.

~ Goran
Upwork
Constantin Eugen's avatar
Constantin Eugen C Community Member

Hi Goran

Yes please, if is possible so i can use it when there is a new similar opportunity in the future !

Goran's avatar
Goran V Retired Team Member

Hi Constantin,

 

Our team will share your link via ticket over the next couple of days with detailed instructions on how you can use it. Thank you.

~ Goran
Upwork
Constantin Eugen's avatar
Constantin Eugen C Community Member

Thank you too !

Devpratap's avatar
Devpratap P Community Member

Hi, 
There is not much about the payment cycles of hourly direct contracts? 
Like after how many the amount shows in my account?

Goran's avatar
Goran V Retired Team Member

Hi Devpratap,


To learn more about how you're getting paid and how Direct hourly contracts work, check out our announcement Here. Thank you.

~ Goran
Upwork
Noman's avatar
Noman U Community Member

hi there,

just recently i tried Direct contracts but it isn't working,

I have tried to used both its services, Create a contract and invite clients 

create a contract: when i enter project related details and hit confirm it gives me an error,

invite client link : same is the case happened when my client click on the invite link and entered the desired info,
the error sated as:
"sorry we are having technical error try later" attached is the relevant screenshot, kindly look into this issue

Bojan's avatar
Bojan S Community Manager

Hi Noman,

 

Could you please clear your cache and cookies or log in with another browser to check if you’re still experiencing the same issue?

 

Let us know if the issue persists.

 

Thank you.

~ Bojan
Upwork
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