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Direct Contracts now live for all freelancers

lenaellis
Community Member

To help grow and support your freelance business on and off Upwork, we are releasing Direct Contracts to all Upwork freelancers today. With this new release, we have also expanded the functionality to now include multiple milestones. 

 

Direct Contracts allows you to enter into fixed-price contracts with non-Upwork clients, offering access to Upwork's safety and security features with greater flexibility for your business. Freelancers can access their Direct Contracts by clicking on the new paper airplane icon next to notifications or directly here.

 

Direct Contract Icon.png

 

Here’s how it works: 

 

On the Direct Contracts page, freelancers will see the option to start a new Direct Contract and a list of all existing Direct Contracts along with the status of that contract.

 

The steps to start a new Direct Contract are very simple:

 

1. Enter your client’s details

1. Create.png

 

2. Add either a single amount or create milestones with each amount

MM - Collapsed.png

 

3. Review and send the contract

3. Review.png

 

4. An email is sent to your client to begin

4. Confirmation.png

 

 

Your client will receive an email notifying them of your detailed proposal, along with some guidance on how the product works. 

 

Just like your other fixed-price contracts on Upwork, your client deposits project funds in escrow before the contract starts. You will see the status of the milestone listed below each one, so you will know when to begin working. When you’ve completed the contract or each milestone, you’ll request payment from your client. And with Direct Contracts, once they’ve accepted your request, the funds are released to you immediately, with no security period.

 

5. - Active - m1.png

 

As a freelancer, you’ll pay a processing fee of 3.4% of the total contract amount, but you won’t pay any freelancer service fees to Upwork. It’s easy for your clients because they won’t have to create an Upwork account.  And with payment protection and dispute assistance, you can work confidently with your clients who are not on Upwork. 

 

Let us know if you have any questions.

 

405 Comments
AleksandarD
Community Manager

Hi Charles,

 

Direct Contracts are only available to freelancers and their clients in certain countries. If you attempt to sign up and you or your client are not eligible due to the country you live in, you'll see this message: "We're sorry to inform you that Direct Contracts are currently not available in your country.".

 

Thank you.

imedch
Community Member

Hello everyone,

 

It is the first time that i am using Direct Contract, I created one with a fixed amount (obviously I am in contact with my client, outside of Upwork) and sent it to my client.

 

While following the steps in order to pay, my client gets this message:

"

Elance Limited checked if the card is valid and can be used for future payments. No money was charged

"

No further follow up after that.

Is it a verification card ? If so, how much should we wait until it gets verified !?

 

Thanks

 

 

BojanS
Community Manager

Hi Imed,

 

We’ll have one of our agents reach out to you via a support ticket to look into your concern and address it accordingly. 

 

Thank you for reaching out to us. 

nova1211
Community Member

Hello there,

I have sent the contract to my client to accept it and he accepted the contract last friday. Today it's 5th day and yet my contract hasn't funded in 5 days.  I have contacted some agents in customer supp but they only refer to direct contract dept and nothing else. 

AleksandarD
Community Manager

Hi Taimoor,

 

Please allow more time for the team to review your case and follow up on your support ticket. Once they do that, you'll be notified about it!

 

Thank you.

nova1211
Community Member

I'm contacting customer support because the process time 3/5 business days are already over. that's why i'm contacting CS.

AleksandarD
Community Manager

Hi Taimoor,

 

The processing time is 3-5 business days, but only 3 have passed so far as weekends are excluded so only the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of August count.

 

Thank you.

nova1211
Community Member

Okay, I got it now. 

Thank you 

 

🙂

110a36c5
Community Member

Maybe I'm nuts, but I seem to recall Upwork offering escrow services for non-Upwork jobs. I can't find anything about that after searching the site for a while. Is there such a thing? TIA.

JoanneP
Moderator

Hi Jimmy,

 

Upwork allows freelancers to work with clients that do not have an Upwork account through the Direct Contract feature. You get to enjoy the benefits of escrow services, simple contract management, faster payments, and dispute assistance should a problem arise. To learn more about this, please check this help article