Marketplace Updates: Changes to Upwork Application Prices

[#1]

Our goal is to make the number of Connects per proposal better reflect the demand for work in the Marketplace. This change will help us facilitate better matches, increase flexibility to price projects accurately, and attract more top tier clients to the platform.

Check out the product release for Marketplace Updates: Changes to Upwork Application Prices, and let us know your thoughts and question in the comments below.

[#2]

Official justification of this change is such a lie.

Upwork's only goal here is to earn more money by selling more connects to freelancers - and nothing else.

A $5 fixed price job requires 8 connects (or $1.2) to send proposal. This is ridiculous and insane.

Last month I spent 140 connects to apply for 26 jobs and got just one (!) offer out of them all. And My Stats shows that this is just a bit above average in my category. If it wasn't for my former clients that kept reaching out with some new tasks - I would be completely devastated by now. And just today I discovered that all this is going to get like at least 2x worse.

I don't get it how Upwork managed to fail with it's quite fair and reasonable original business model: I search for jobs and apply to them with rather "soft" connects limitations to prevent me from spamming to every single job post that I see. After work is done I get paid and Upwork gets it's 20% cut. I suspected that those cuts would result with tons and tons of money for Upwork. But then you came up with this connects gambling system and now it gets only worse and worse..

I have nowhere else to go and therefore I'll comply with pretty much any other great ideas that you might come up with in the future. But I really, really hate this.

[#3]

I think it's even much better they take 20% of earnings than adding more connect for job applications.... after spending a high amount of connect for one job, and the client won't even check the job post again.

[#4]

Maybe you do have somewhere else to go... create a profile on social media sites and use social media to network with people. I'm starting to do this more and more. I'm working on building my network through social media and connecting and engaging with more and more people. I've loved Upwork for years and found many great clients, but these days, I'm not so focused on UW anymore because I'm working on using social media to find clients. I'm not saying it's easy, but it can work with long-term effort.

[#5]

You say you want thoughts and questions, but is anyone, other than us, actually reading our concerns?

[#6]

Hi Stan, could you please expand on what you really mean with:

1. "Facilitate better matches"

2. "Increase flexibility to price projects accurately"
3. "Attract more top clients to the platform".

These are catchy phrases from a marketing point of view, of course, but can you explain exactly what you mean? Maybe add an example?

[#7]

Upwork has increased the number of connects needed to apply for jobs, but they still provide only 10 connects per month. Do you think this is fair?

[#8]

I'm noticing that this morning too. I would normally apply for 2 maybe 3 jobs per month on my provided connects. Today all the types of jobs I'd normally apply to for 6 connects now require 16 connects. Doesn't seem fair at all, especially when taking into consideration the amount of jobs I've used connects for that never seem to progress, stats don't show interview or hire data. Surely they should be refunded too.

[#9]

So what do you have to say about the client that will post a job and will not hire? now that applying for a job is approximately $2 can't you guys look into client wasting freelancers connect with no hiring with such amount of connect spent? At least you guys should do something if a client does not hire for the job posted you should remove the job within 3 weeks and refund freelancers their connect... but no you guys won't because connects are another source of income. it really gets me mad.

Do something about all this!

[#10]

Hey, I am aware that this topic was discussed already - however with the ongoing debate and connects going up across all jobs and projects I feel like we need to share more feedback as freelancers. 

Here the answer to the question, why connects did go up:

"We’ve increased the amount of Connects needed to apply to certain jobs to better match the value of a job with the cost to submit a proposal.

Freelancing is your business, and like any business owner, you have to make investments to sell your products or services. We understand that spending Connects for a chance at being hired is an investment, but you have the opportunity to grow with every new engagement.

We appreciate your feedback and will share it with our team.

~Andrea"

While I do understand the reasoning and generally agree if this is common practice now and connects are going job across all jobs, not only high potential onces. Then high potential freelancers that are verified through badges, work samples or something else should generally also receive more tokens per month for their higher skill level and the value they represent for UpWork. Also, it would be reasonable to establish something like a "connect back" guarantee of 50% of the conncets if your proposal was good but you simply were not the right fit.

[#11]

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Nino K wrote:

While I do understand the reasoning and generally agree if this is common practice now and connects are going job across all jobs, not only high potential onces. Then high potential freelancers that are verified through badges, work samples or something else should generally also receive more tokens per month for their higher skill level and the value they represent for UpWork. Also, it would be reasonable to establish something like a "connect back" guarantee of 50% of the conncets if your proposal was good but you simply were not the right fit.

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There are already over 43 pages of feedback (aka complaints). The increased connects system has been in place for over two months in some categories; apparently this was a "test" and Upwork must have been happy with the results (i.e. they're making a lot more money, and haven't lost a significant number of freelancers over this), so why would they change their minds?

How would Upwork even determine whether your proposal was good or not in order to decide whether you should get your connects back? We should be deciding for ourselves whether we're a good fit or not, before we even send a proposal.

[#12]

Well, itäs about sharing feedback constantly. If people go in with the mindset that nothing will change than nothing will happen. 

For example, if a proposal doesn't get viewed or the freelancer doesn't get any response by a company in a certain amount of time even though the clearly are looking for an expert for this you get your connects back. Loads of companies view proposals and you never hear back even though they have a high rating. And in terms of how to determine if a proposal was "good" you can simply ask the company that has issued a project afterwards, similar to how we get asked why we don't take inyerviews or project if someone approaches us. 

If you are also unhappy about this, why not share suggestions?

[#13]

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Nino K wrote:
If you are also unhappy about this, why not share suggestions?

---

I'm not unhappy about it. Anyway, suggestions like, "I don't like paying more for connects, Upwork should lower the price or refund them when clients don't hire," are obviously not going to be acted on; people have suggested this several times a day ever since Upwork started charging for connects. Upwork knows that freelancers don't like paying for connects - they don't care. They want to make start making a profit, which they haven't done so far.

As a freelancer, I'm sometimes told by clients that my rates are too high, but plenty of other clients are happy to pay my prices, so why should I worry about the ones who can't afford me? They're not my target market.

[#14]

Yes!!! I came here to make a post about this! What is going on? Smh this is crazy 

[#15]

This is so dumb how are people who do not have the money supposed to apply for work Upwork has become greedy and this is not hurting freelancers.  Instead of taking steps to stop scammers they want to harm the people who keep their site aflot.  Do they care about our feedback? Nope.

[#16]

Sheesh! I used to have enough connects to bid on all the jobs that interested me--maybe 6 connects per job at the most. Now, they're in the range of 12-16. Anyone else feeling a little frustrated?

[#17]

Yes!!!

Upwork has become too expensive now. At times, I can see bids of 50 Connects! How can people afford so many connects!

[#18]

I'm curious to know how many % of clients actually hire contractors in relation to job postings. My guess is it is lower than 25%. If so, why is Upwork punishing freelancers by essentially doubling the price to apply to job postings that have a small chance of being filled? Most of the time, it isn't even the freelancer's fault that no hire was made. Shouldn't Upwork also crackdown on spam job postings as well as clients that probably only hire 10% of the time in relation to all their job postings? 

[#19]

I just got strung along by a client who made it seem like they were going to hire me and then dropped the bomb on me today they were going with somoene else.         I am about done with Upwork I would ask for other Freelancing platforms that treat their freelancers better but I seen people who have asked that before get their post deleted.  Anyone has any helpful suggustions on where I should go PLEASE private message me. I need work bad and this site is not helping matters.

[#20]

First of all I do want to say that I appreciate you opening this thread to get feedback from the community. However, I hope you actually LISTEN to our feedback.

This is a disappointing change. The amount of connects per job seems kind of random -- I don't understand how it's calculated. Also, 16 is ridiculous!!! I remember, the maximum used to be 6! Now it's 16?! Come on.

I've been on UW for years. I remember, you used to give out more connects for free. Now there are fewer free connects, and now there are more connects required to apply for each job. Plus, the "available now" badge was another silly idea. Why should it cost us connects to say that we're available now when availability settings are already on our profile??? I've never used the Available Now button.

Also, there are the connects auctions, which are kind of weird too in my opinion.

Here's the thing. I'm fortunate enough to already have a lot of connects, because again, I've been here for years and I'm used to finding clients on here. But I feel like all these changes are demotivating to beginners who are just starting out on UW.

How about instead of trying to find more and more ways to squeeze connects out of us, do something about the scam jobs??? I know how to tell which jobs are scams and which aren't. But I've talked to a lot of beginner freelancers in FB groups, and so many of them have said they've gotten caught in scams on UW and in other places. UW has a reputation for being full of scam jobs. I usually try to give tips to beginners about how to succeed on UW, but I feel like maybe I should start telling beginners that UW is a waste of time. Actually, I myself have been trying other ways to find clients lately. For years, UW was my freelance home. But these days, I'm trying other things. I'm still here for now, but UW isn't as great as it used to be.

[#21]

**Upwork, please refund freelancers' connects when they apply for jobs for which the client does not hire anyone.**

I know I already commented but I wanted to make this a separate comment. I'm glad other people have brought up this point too. Hopefully more people will speak up about this.

I am tired of wasting connects on jobs for which the client disappears without hiring anyone. It's one thing if they hire someone else... okay. That's fine. I'm glad they found someone who's a great fit for them. But there are so many clients who don't hire anyone at all! They may have found another freelancer on another site. But in that case, our connects should be refunded, maybe after a month. Idk. I think that's a fair amount of time.

Right now, connects are refunded when a client cancels the job without hiring. But if the client just goes away and forgets about the job, all of us who applied just keep waiting and waiting... we're ignored by the client AND we don't get our connects back. So this is frustrating and I hope UW changes this policy.

[#22]

This was my point too, I 100% agree Jasmine. So many connects wasted on jobs that never interview or hire anyone. Very frustrating.

[#23]

100% this I spend over 180 connects and got messaged once or twice about things and nothing. We should get connects back if we do not get hired. This borderlines on the scammy catagory

[#24]

If I want to apply for a perfectly matched job, it generally asks for 16 connects. Ok, that is fine if I got the job the payment will cover it. But if I do not then it is wasted.

Not a few might say try Bid with extra connect for a better chance. Ok, let's try this also. Add at least 16 more to it. And again if I failed to get the job then I lost the chance for an extra job to apply.

Now imagine, in the near future Upwork think they need more income from Freelancer they increase Connects intake for a well-paid job, suppose 1000 Connect. And history says this is true, because it starts from 1 connect and it needs unlimited (if you Bid 1000 connect Upwork will silence).

So, as New Freelancers who failed to get a job in local areas, and thinking to try their luck in this friendly platform, they will not get a single chance here too for this behavior (In Sign up Upwork gives 10 connects per month and you need 16 connects for the best job).

So, I demand to Upwork lower the rate (Max 1 Connects) for every job applied or remove the Connects System.

"Money can buy many things but Humanity brings happiness"

[#25]

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Sharmin A wrote:

If I want to apply for a perfectly matched job, it generally asks for 16 connects. Ok, that is fine if I got the job the payment will cover it. But if I do not then it is wasted.

Not a few might say try Bid with extra connect for a better chance. Ok, let's try this also. Add at least 16 more to it. And again if I failed to get the job then I lost the chance for an extra job to apply.

Now imagine, in the near future Upwork think they need more income from Freelancer they increase Connects intake for a well-paid job, suppose 1000 Connect. And history says this is true, because it starts from 1 connect and it needs unlimited (if you Bid 1000 connect Upwork will silence).

So, as New Freelancers who failed to get a job in local areas, and thinking to try their luck in this friendly platform, they will not get a single chance here too for this behavior (In Sign up Upwork gives 10 connects per month and you need 16 connects for the best job).

So, I demand to Upwork lower the rate (Max 1 Connects) for every job applied or remove the Connects System.

" Upwork gives 10 connects per month and you need 16 connects for the best job."

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Perfect analogy!

[#26]

Upwork only thinks themself now they forget their main goal. If all freelancer strike for a week then Upwork may realize how important we are. Freelancer is the lifestream of this platform. Upwork can't earn a single dime without freelancer's hard work. But in return, they get nothing but false promises.