**All about Connects

For all freelancers & agencies:

• Freelancers and agencies need between 1 and 8 Connects, depending on the job, to submit a proposal.
• Proposals submitted to invitations received from clients are free.
• Connects will be sold in bundles of 10, 20, 40, 60 and 80.
• Most freelancers spend about $5 per month or less on Connects.
• No rollover limits and no purchase limits.
• Connects expire 1 year from the date of purchase.
• New freelancers are eligible to receive 80 free Connects; 40 free Connects once their profile is approved & another 40 free Connects when they pass the Upwork Readiness test for the first time
• All users (not only new users) are eligible for 40 free Connects once they pass the Upwork Readiness test for the 1st time
• Awarded 10 Connects, up to 50 within 7 days, when they send a proposal AND CL initiates an interview AND FL/agency member responds back (These are processed daily and they’ll receive an email notification + a bell notification - an interview first must happen to trigger                b this. This offer doesn’t work if a CL goes straight to an offer without talking to the FL in an interview first, but, CS does have the ability to offer 10 courtesy Connects if a FL reaches out for this specifically".) 

• • Update on business logic of awarded connects:

When an FL wins an interview, the updated business logic will split the Interview_Won transaction into two discrete events: a refund and an award.

Example: An FL applies to a job called “Global Operations Supervisor” for 4 Connects, and then accepts an interview.
Upon winning the interview, two transactions will appear:
“Global Operations Supervisor” +4
“Awarded Connects for responding to the job interview” +6

• In addition to the above, there are also random Connects rewards which may also be earned; every FL on Upwork who wins an interview is eligible for these randomized rewards but, due to the nature of the randomization and targeting, relatively few will actually receive the reward in a given week. To read more on these, see the “Randomized Connects Rewards” dropdown.
  

For Freelancer Basic members:

• Plan is free
• The plan includes 10 Connects a month, but if they wish to purchase more, they’ll be available at a cost of $0.15 each

For Freelancer Plus members:

• Plan price is $14.99 per month
• The plan includes 80 Connects a month, but if they wish to purchase more, they’ll be available at a cost of $0.15 each (this breaks down to 70 Connects being PAID as part of the FL Plus subscription + 10 Connects being FREE like with the Basic FL plan )

For Agency Plus members:

• Plan price is $20 per month
• Connects are not included for free on the Agency membership plan, but will be available for purchase at a cost of $0.15 each

For Agency Basic members:

• Plan is free
• The plan includes one time 10 Connects, but if they with to purchase more, they’ll be available at a cost of $0.15 each
• In order to purchase Connects, they need to sign up for the Agency Plus membership for $20 per month, which will enable them to purchase Connects for $0.15 each
• Agency Basic is not a readily available plan to sign up for on Upwork, but agencies on Agency Plus can downgrade to Agency Basic. This is typically done when Agency owners are looking to take a break from the platform.

For Rising Talent freelancers & agencies:

• FLs will receive a one-time allotment of 30 free Connects
• Agencies will receive a one-time allotment of 60 free Connects

On March 8th, 2023, the number of Connects needed for jobs has been increased. This will be a quiet change on the site with no notifications to freelancers. The most noticeable change will be the move from 6 Connects to 8 Connects and we may receive some questions on this.

For all interactions (chat, tickets, phone calls) related to this topic, please use the categories: Recent Launches > Connects Pricing Increase

Internal information only, the Connects will change as follows:

• 1 Connect job -> 2 Connects
• 2 Connects job -> 4 Connects
• 4 Connects job -> 6 Connects
• 6 Connects job -> 8 Connects

If customers have questions about these changes, please see the below FAQs:

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to avoid referring to this as an “increase in Connects pricing.” We should refer to it as an increase in the number of Connects needed for some jobs. The cost of Connects is not changing.

I noticed the amount of Connects required to submit a proposal for jobs increased. Why? (USE FIRST SENTENCE FOR BASIC ANSWER. ADD SECOND PARAGRAPH IF YOU FEEL IT’S APPROPRIATE, WON’T UPSET)

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.

What is the top amount of Connects we will be charged? 

The amount of Connects needed to apply to a job will be anywhere from 2 to 8, depending on the value of the job. 

This is a money grab by Upwork.

Thanks for your feedback, we appreciate it and will share it with our team. We’re making this change to match the potential value of a job with the cost to submit a proposal. We last changed the number of Connects needed to submit a proposal in 2019, and we need to make this update now to keep the value of job opportunities and the value of submitting a proposal similar.

The quality of jobs available on the platform has recently decreased and our feeds are filled with scam/spam. Why are you increasing the price we pay to apply? 

Raising the number of Connects needed for certain jobs has several benefits, including giving us more resources to put toward reducing spam job posts and proposals, and keeping unwanted, fraudulent users off Upwork. We’re making this change to better match the value of a job with the cost to submit a proposal. Many jobs have a large number of applicants, and we frequently receive feedback about reducing the number of proposals per job. 

Did you increase the price of Connects? 

No, Connects are still $0.15 USD, and you can purchase and roll over unlimited Connects each month.

For longer sections, use Ctrl+F to more easily locate the information you are looking for.

Why did you increase the price of FL Plus from $10.00 to $14.99? 

Thanks for your question. We have raised the price of the Freelancer Plus plan to reflect the fact that Connects now have a monetary value of $0.15 each. With the Freelancer Plus plan, you will continue to receive 80 Connects (a $10.50 value) plus all the other valuable perks, such as seeing competitor bids when you submit a proposal and rollover Connects. Learn more here.

You mention reducing the number of proposals that are submitted. I didn’t realize that was a problem. How many are actually submitted?

Thanks for your question. While there is a wide range in the number of proposals submitted, the most sought after jobs on Upwork can receive upwards of 100 proposals. This is overwhelming to many clients, and we can see that too often many of the proposals are submitted by freelancers whose skills may not be a good match. With paid Connects, we expect freelancers will be more selective about projects and submit fewer proposals. This, in turn, will make it easier for clients to identify high-quality talent and increase the likelihood of these freelancers winning projects.

What is a Connect?

Connects are what you are charged when you submit a proposal for jobs posted in our marketplace. Depending on the job post, you will be charged between one and eight Connects to submit a proposal.

Purchasing Connects

How much do Connects cost?

Connects are sold in the following bundles:

• 10 for $1.50
• 20 for $3
• 40 for $6
• 60 for $9
• 80 for $12

Can I buy Connects individually?

Connects are not sold individually, but bundles begin at $1.50 for 10 Connects. Regardless of which bundle you choose, all Connects are priced at $0.15 apiece. Here are your bundle options:

• 10 for $1.50
• 20 for $3
• 40 for $6
• 60 for $9
• 80 for $12

Do my Connects ever expire?

Thanks for your question. Connects expire one year from the date of issue.

Why do Connects expire if I’m paying for them?

Thanks for reaching out. For accounting reasons, Connects need to have an expiration date. However, we did want to give freelancers as much time as possible to use them, so a Connect will remain valid for one year from purchase.

INTERNAL NOTE IF MORE INFO NEEDED:

• Connects will be applied to job proposals on a first-in, first-out basis
• Although the above, paid Connects are always used before free Connects
• Once expired, Connects can't be reactivated

If I move to Freelancer Plus during my billing cycle how are Connects prorated?

Thanks for your question. If you choose to upgrade your account from Basic to Plus, your free Connects will be prorated. This means that we'll allocate them based on time, or specifically, on how many days have already passed during your billing cycle.

By prorating free Connects, we can be sure that you always get a fair amount, no matter when you make changes to your plan.

How will I see my Connects balance and how I use them?

Thanks for your question. Just like before, you can view your current Connects balance by going to the “Find Work” page - your available Connects balance is shown in the Proposals box on the right. To view your Connects History report, go to the “Reports” tab and choose Connects History.

What forms of payment can I use to purchase Connects?

Thanks for your question. This can vary based on your location, but all Upwork users will be able to purchase Connects with a credit card or prepaid card.

I have automatic withdrawals set up. How do I handle paying for Connects from my earnings balance?

Thanks for your question. We know many freelancers have automatic withdrawals set up. Because of that, you will be able to set aside up to $15 of your Upwork earnings for Connects purchases, if you choose. This can be setup by following these steps: Get Paid > Edit Schedule > Maintain a Reserve Balance. You also can add a billing method at any time and purchase Connects that way.

Can I use my earnings balance to purchase Connects?

Thanks for your question. Yes, if you have a balance on Upwork you can use it to buy Connects.

I don’t have a credit card and I don’t have an Upwork balance. How do I purchase Connects?

Thanks for your question. If you aren’t able to use a credit card or prepaid card or you don’t have an Upwork balance, in many cases you’ll be able to use PayPal. To see the options available to you, click here.

I saw a really lousy job post that required six Connects. What’s going on?

Thanks for contacting us. We calculate the number of Connects needed based on the projected job value -- determined using estimated duration and budget amount -- as well as marketplace demand. However, at times clients do not provide all the details needed to accurately calculate how many Connects should be required and freelancers will have to decide whether submitting a proposal is worth the cost. We’ll continue to work at refining our algorithm while also encouraging clients to create more-detailed job posts.

[IF we give away free & reward Connects to FLs] Upwork is giving away Connects. They must realize paid Connects are a mistake.

Thanks for your feedback. In rare instances, we do give away promotional Connects and will continue to do so.

[Client] I’ve seen a dramatic drop in the # of proposals I receive! What’s going on?

Thanks for your question. Seeing fewer proposals is by design. Clients have told us they often receive so many proposals that they are overwhelmed by reviewing them all. By charging freelancers $0.15 for each Connect, we are seeing them be more selective when submitting proposals and stick to jobs that they really want and that are within their expertise. As a result, we expect you should see proposals from freelancers who are better suited, skill-wise, for your project and more engaged. That said, we do automatically review and at times lower the number of Connects needed when we see a job post isn’t receiving proposals to encourage more freelancers to submit a proposal.

Returns/Monetary Refunds

Does Upwork return Connects?

Thanks for your question. Yes, we return Connects when a client closes their job without hiring or we find a job post has violated our Terms of Service.

USE ONLY AS SECOND RESPONSE:

You mean if a client never closes a job I don’t get my Connects refunded? That’s wrong!!! I’m spending money for nothing!

Thanks for reaching out. Submitting a proposal has a financial cost, just like the other expenses you incur as a freelancer running your own business. If a client never hires but doesn’t close the job, your Connects are not returned. In this situation, we continue to encourage the client to hire or close the job, but ask that you consider the cost of Connects as part of your business expenses.

What happens to my Connects if a client doesn’t hire and never closes their job, will these be refunded?

Thanks for your question. If a client doesn’t hire anyone and closes their job post, any Connects used to submit a proposal will be returned to you. However, if they do not close the job or hire another freelancer/agency, no Connects are returned. To help make sure clients remember to close a job, we regularly reach out to those who have open jobs and encourage them to close the job if they don’t intend to hire. Because we know the move to paid Connects has made this issue more important, we have already ramped up our outreach to clients who post jobs and don’t hire, and are looking into other ways to better ensure these jobs get closed so your Connects are returned in these cases.

What happens if I decide to cancel my account after purchasing Connects? Will you refund my money?

Thanks for your question. We do not issue a refund for unused Connects when an account is closed.

What happens if I buy Connects and then my account is suspended by Upwork?

Thanks for your question. We do not issue a refund for unused Connects when an account is closed or permanently suspended. If we place a temporary suspension on your account and the matter is resolved, the Connects you had previously will still be available.

What if your internal teams (Talent Solutions) hide my proposal so the CL never sees it?

Thanks for reaching out. We no longer archive proposals that are submitted.

Connects Needed

How do you determine how many Connects are needed to submit a proposal for a job?

We calculate the number of Connects needed based on the projected job value -- determined using estimated duration and budget amount --  as well as marketplace demand. A longer-term job with a high budget will require more Connects than a small project. To learn more about Connects, feel free to check out this help article. 

You mention “marketplace demand.” What does that mean?

Thanks for your question. Marketplace demand is the freelance community’s interest in certain projects in our marketplace at any given time. When a job is first posted, we consider projected demand estimates based on budget and duration. For example, a longer-term project or a job with a higher budget will typically be more in demand in our marketplace and therefore require more Connects. But our goal is to monitor the response to jobs over time and tweak the Connects prices based on demand. For example, if a job isn’t getting sufficient interest we may allow proposals to be submitted for “free” (without any Connects). Or if a job required four Connects but it’s receiving little interest, the Connects required may be lowered. Similarly, if demand is too great, we may increase the number of Connects needed.

Why did this job cost X Connects for me and Y Connects for this person?

Thanks for reaching out. We calculate the number of Connects needed based on the projected job duration, budget amount and marketplace demand. Once a job is posted, however, we may lower the number of Connects needed to encourage more freelancers to submit proposals. In these cases, if you submitted a proposal shortly after the job was posted you might be required to use more Connects than someone who submits a proposal a few days later, for example. We do not refund Connects in these cases.

Why do I see some jobs that require zero Connects?

Thanks for your question. The number of Connects needed is based on demand. If a job post receives few proposals, we may allow freelancers to submit proposals without drawing on their Connects balance.

What if a client puts “I don’t know” for an hourly job’s duration and therefore the budget is unclear?

Thanks for reaching out. In these cases the Connects needed will most likely fall into the lower end of the range, 1 to 2 Connects. We are looking at ways to more accurately set the Connects needed to submit a proposal to job posts like these (where the client might not indicate a budget or project length).

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to how many Connects are required! I looked at one yesterday and it was 4 Connects but a similar job is 2 Connects. Is your algorithm broken? What's happening?

Thanks for reaching out. We calculate the number of Connects needed based on the projected job duration, budget amount and marketplace demand. Once a job is posted we also may lower the number of Connects needed to encourage more freelancers to submit proposals. This means a job with fewer proposals might require fewer Connects.

How do you calculate the Connects price for an hourly job?

Thanks for your question. When a client posts an hourly job they select an experience level, time requirement and job duration. We use these to estimate the projected budget. If any of these details are not specified in the job post, we use the other info provided to determine the Connects price.

If you’re invited to a job by a client do you have to use Connects?

Thanks for reaching out. No, if you are invited to submit a proposal for a job you will not need to use any Connects.

Clients often post $5 jobs because they aren’t sure about the budget. How does Connects pricing work for these types of jobs?

Thanks for reaching out. At times, jobs might require fewer Connects because the client listed a smaller budget by mistake or because they were unsure of the budget. We are looking at ways to more accurately set the Connects needed to submit a proposal to job posts like these (where the client might indicate an incorrect budget or project length). We also recommend carefully reading the entire project description to see if the client shared more information there, rather than determining the value of a job based on the Connects needed.

If an Upwork talent agent highlights a job, do I need to use Connects?

Thanks for your question. Yes, if an Upwork Talent Agent highlights a job to a freelancer, the freelancer still needs to use Connects to submit a proposal unless the job post requires no Connects.

Challenges (Connects / Job Invite Limits / Conversion Fees)

Why should I stay on Upwork as you’re charging me to submit proposals AND taking a freelancer fee?

Thanks for reaching out. We are not only committed to attracting and helping you connect with clients, we also provide a valuable place for you to showcase your professional brand and grow your business. We also offer helpful tools and services to efficiently run your freelance business.

These include:

Payment Protection - Upwork offers both Hourly Protection and Fixed-Price Protection for freelancers. These two programs help ensure that you are paid for hours worked and projects completed.

Auto-invoicing and auto-payments - Managing payments is simplified by our automatic invoicing and the ability to set up automatic payments. For freelancers with multiple Upwork projects, this can be especially valuable as a timesaver.

Reporting Tools - Upwork provides freelancers with data tools to help them manage and keep track of earnings and projects worked, among other details.

Dispute Resolution - Our dispute resolution specialists help clients and freelancers resolve conflicts regarding reported hours or the release of payments.

To learn more about how Upwork can help you succeed, see here.

Please know we welcome your feedback and want to make sure you have all the information you need. You can voice feedback about paid Connects by visiting our Community here.

How are you attracting good clients?

Thanks for your question. We are always taking steps to bring new clients and projects to our marketplace. In addition to ongoing advertising and outreach to attract new clients, we talk to existing clients to learn how we can help make Upwork a place where they can easily find freelancers to do great work for them. In the coming months, we are planning to announce new options for both clients who hire a lot and those who still need great freelancers, but not as often. To learn more about our plans, please check out this article from Elizabeth Tse, Upwork’s Senior Vice President of Operations.

What are you doing about bad clients?

Thanks for reaching out. We have read the feedback we’ve received directly and in our Community. And we understand some clients unfortunately will post jobs, never hire and never close their jobs. We know this is frustrating and we will continue to reach out to clients to encourage them to hire or remove their job. We do, of course, also recommend you closely review the client’s details, such as past hire rate, to help you decide whether to use Connects to submit a proposal for a project.

I heard you have invite limits. Now I have to apply to more jobs AND pay for Connects. Not fair and very calculated by Upwork.

Thanks for reaching out. While we know this is a big change, clients do have options to get more invites and if a job isn’t getting sufficient interest we may allow proposals to be submitted for “free” (without any Connects). That said, most freelancers will occasionally have to purchase Connects in order to submit proposals. We believe with the maximum cost to submit a proposal set at $0.90 (six Connects at $0.15 each) we have made this a reasonable fee for those who use Upwork to showcase their talents and find clients. 

You say invitations are free, but clients are limited in how many they can send. Not fair!

Thanks for reaching out. Clients do have options to get more invites and if a job isn’t getting sufficient interest we will allow proposals to be submitted for “free” (without any Connects). That said, most freelancers will occasionally have to purchase Connects in order to submit proposals. We believe with the maximum cost to submit a proposal set at $0.90 (six Connects at $0.15 each) we have made this a reasonable fee for those who use Upwork to showcase their talents and find work.

What about clients who inflate budget/mislead in their job posts?

Thanks for your question. We know clients at times do not provide accurate information, for a variety of reasons. As a freelancer, we recommend carefully reading the entire job post and using your own experience to determine whether you have enough information, you trust that information, and it’s worth using your Connects to submit a proposal. We also suggest you look at other important details, such as any client history. On our end, we provide clients with tips to create complete, accurate job posts and will continue to look at ways to make sure freelancers have the information they need to vet a client.

You have paid Connects to get rid of freelancers in less affluent countries or because you don’t want people from certain countries to use Upwork!! This is wrong!

Thanks for reaching out. We understand your concern. Please know paid Connects is not meant to push any freelancers out of our marketplace. In fact, we actively encourage freelancers from across the globe to use our site because we know talent is everywhere. When deciding what to charge for Connects we worked to keep the cost low ($.15 each) so freelancers who work smaller projects only have to pay, on average, 15 to 30 cents to submit a proposal for a job.

What about clients who don’t give you enough details in the job post? You have to submit a proposal (and use Connects) just to learn more!

Thanks for your question. We know clients at times do not provide all the details a freelancer needs to evaluate a project. While we offer many tools to help clients create complete, clear job posts, we encourage freelancers to carefully review a job post before submitting a proposal. Then, you can decide whether you have enough information and it’s worth using your Connects.

Alternate:

Thanks for your question. We know clients at times do not provide all the information a freelancer needs to evaluate a project. In cases where you feel not enough info is provided or you have concerns about the client, you may want to skip the post and not submit a proposal. On our end, we do try to help clients create great job posts by offering helpful tools and resources and we also reach out to offer assistance.  Going forward, we will continue to look for ways to help clients post more complete, clearer job descriptions.

You’re charging for Connects? I’m just going to circumvent the platform!

Thanks for sharing your concerns. We know paying $0.15 each for all Connects is a big change, but our goal is to help professional freelancers like you win more jobs. With this change, we expect freelancers will submit fewer proposals, increasing your likelihood of winning the projects you really want and making it easier for clients to identify high-quality talent.

Also, when you sign up to use Upwork, you agree to make and receive all payments on the platform for 24 months after you form a client-freelancer relationship. You can leave Upwork and be paid (or make payments) off platform, but you must first pay a conversion fee. To learn more about the Opt-Out Fee, please see Section 7 of the User Agreement. To request this option please see here and email conversionfee@upwork.com.

I'm not paying any conversion fee and there's nothing you can do about it.

Thanks for reaching out. We understand your frustration, but in addition to being against our Terms of Service, moving off platform means both you and your client lose the benefit of Upwork Payment Protection and dispute resolution, and you miss out on the opportunity to build your reputation on Upwork and secure future projects

Fiverr, Freelancer.com, etc. are cheaper, better! I’m leaving to go be a freelancer there!

Thanks for reaching out. We know paying $0.15 for each Connect is a big change for many freelancers. However, we believe it will help professional freelancers win more projects, and we are confident that this change will only continue to improve our marketplace. We also offer helpful tools and services that set us apart.

These include:

Payment Protection - Upwork offers both Hourly Protection and Fixed-Price Protection for freelancers. These two programs help ensure that you are paid for hours worked and projects completed.

Auto-invoicing and auto-payments - Managing payments is simplified by the ability to set up automatic payments. For freelancers with multiple Upwork projects, this can be especially valuable as a timesaver.

Reporting Tools - Upwork provides freelancers with data tools to help them manage and keep track of earnings and projects worked, among other details.

Dispute Resolution - Our dispute resolution specialists help clients and freelancers resolve conflicts regarding reported hours or the release of payments.

To learn more about how Upwork can help you succeed, see here.

Please know we welcome your feedback and want to make sure you have all the information you need. You can voice feedback about paid Connects by visiting our Community  here.

What are you going to do about the quality of job posts/spam job posts/clients who never hire?

Now that you’re charging for Connects, Upwork should do more to make sure freelancers are not wasting Connects on clients that aren’t serious about hiring!

Thanks for reaching out. We know this is an issue and we are actively looking at ways to solve it. We already look for and remove job posts that violate our Terms of Service. But we understand, for example, that when a client forgets to close a job post and doesn’t hire it is frustrating for freelancers. Once we find a solution, we’ll be sure to announce it. Note: If you see a job that is suspicious or inappropriate, please click "Flag as inappropriate" in the job post so we can review it. Thank you!

The high costs of Connects means fewer freelancers will be submitting fewer proposals, meaning clients are limited in who they can select instead of having a larger pool to choose from. What’s wrong with letting a client review as many proposals as they want? Won’t this discourage more clients from hiring?

Thanks for reaching out. We know paying $0.15 for each Connect is a big change for many freelancers. However, we believe this change will help professional freelancers win more jobs, and we are confident that this change will only continue to improve our marketplace. Why? Because clients have told us when they get too many proposals it is overwhelming, especially when some may be from freelancers who aren’t a good fit for the job. As a result, they don’t use Upwork. By moving to paid Connects, we anticipate clients will have a better experience finding talent on Upwork and bring even more jobs to our marketplace.

Clients

As a client do I get a say in how many Connects my job will cost?

Thanks for your question. In short, no. We determine how many Connects are needed to submit a proposal to your job post on a job-by-job basis. We consider the projected job duration, budget amount and marketplace demand. A longer-term job with a high budget will require more Connects than a smaller job.

For example, a freelancer needs fewer Connects to submit a proposal for a short-term job with a $40 budget than for a bigger project with a $1,000 budget.

What if I’m not getting enough proposals, can I change the amount?

Thanks for your question. No, clients cannot set the number of Connects needed to submit a proposal for their job post. However, we do automatically review and at times lower the number of Connects needed when we see a job post isn’t receiving proposals. You can also upgrade your job post to a Featured Job to highlight it and unlock the ability to invite an unlimited number of freelancers to submit a proposal for your job.

As a client, I think you are hurting clients having paid Connects. Rates for freelancers will go up to cover for the losses on Connects. With a lack of competition, prices will go up!

Thanks for reaching out. We do expect that some freelancers will adjust their rates and pass the cost of submitting a proposal (which can range from 15 to 90 cents) on to their client. This is just one of many expenses a freelancer incurs while running their business, and it is entirely up to them to determine how, if at all, they will adjust their rate to offset it.

The high costs of Connects means less freelancers will be submitting proposals for my jobs, which will limit my options. Doesn’t this hurt me as a client?

Thanks for your question. It is true you might see fewer proposals. However, this is by design. Clients have told us they often receive so many proposals that they are overwhelmed by reviewing them all. By charging $0.15 for each Connect, we anticipate freelancers will be more selective when submitting proposals and stick to jobs that they really want and that are within their expertise. As a result, you should see proposals from freelancers who are better suited, skill-wise, for your project and more engaged. Also, we do automatically review and at times lower the number of Connects needed when we see a job post isn’t receiving proposals.

Connects V3 Specific

For any calls/tickets/chats associated with Connects V3, use this tag only macro: Tag Only::Connects V3

The BEFORE:

Nowadays these are the free Connects users get for every membership plan:

• Freelancer Basic: 0 Connects
• Freelancer Plus: 70 Connects
• Agency Basic: 0 Connects
• Agency Plus: 0 Connects
• New freelancers get 20 new Connects after the registration.
• Users can purchase Connects for 15 cents/each.

What was NEW with Connects V3:

With Connects v3 following changes will be made:

• Freelancer Basic: 10 Connects
• Freelancer Plus: 80 Connects (40 Connects once profile approved & 40 Connects if they pass the Upwork Readiness test; note that ALL FLs can receive up free Connects when they pass the Upwork Readiness test for the first time)
• New freelancers will get 80 Connects instead of 20
• We are going to award a maximum of 10 Connects to every freelancer/agency when they submit a proposal, client responds to them (interview created) and FL/agency responds back in the interview room.
• There will be cap of max 50 awarded Connects/7 days

Freelancers

Why did you make this change? 

Thanks for reaching out. Upwork is all about creating great work relationships and we want to help you make more! We’ve seen a huge surge in client activity on Upwork, and our work marketplace is full of opportunities for great freelancers. In the past, clients told us they frequently had too many spam or unrelated proposals submitted to their job posts so we took steps to cut back on that by limiting “free” Connects. However, since we’ve seen freelancers as a whole are submitting more targeted proposals (thank you!) we are now excited to offer more complimentary Connects. Starting in December, you’ll get free Connects every month and bonuses for every interview you win. We are excited to watch you grow your business!

How do I earn free Connects for winning an interview?

Thanks for your question! Here’s how it works:

1. Submit a proposal to a job

2. Receive an invitation to interview from a client

3. Respond, connect, and earn a bonus of 10 Connects!

Note: Connects will be automatically added to your account -- please allow up to 24 hours. You can earn up to 50 Connects every seven days! 

Do I get free Connects for being invited to a job? 

Thanks for your question. We are not awarding Connects in cases where you are invited to interview for a job post without submitting a proposal first. 

How long does it take to get these Connects?

Thanks for reaching out. When you are awarded Connects they will be added to your account within 24 hours. We will send you an email and Upwork notification once they are applied to your account.

How will I know if I get these Connects? 

Thanks for your question. We will send you a notification in Upwork (notification bell) and an email when you earn free Connects. 

Do Connects ever expire?

Thanks for your question. Connects expire one year from the date of issue. We will notify you before your Connects are due to expire.

For freelancers, Connects are sold in bundles of 10, 20, 40, 60, or 80. Agencies have the option to buy those bundles, as well as bundles of 150 or 300 Connects. Neither freelancers nor agencies can buy a bundle if doing so will put their Connects balance over the maximum.

If I am part of an agency, do I get the interview reward Connects or does they agency? 

Thanks for your question. The Connects reward for winning an interview go to the entity that submitted the proposal. If it was submitted under the agency, the reward goes to the agency. If it was submitted under an individual freelancer account, then the free Connects are awarded to the freelancer.

Will I get 40 Connects if I take the Upwork Readiness test even if I’m not a new freelancer?

Thanks for your question. Yes! If you haven’t taken the Upwork Readiness Test before and pass it, you will receive 40 free Connects as a bonus. Note: Connects will be automatically added to your account -- please allow up to 24 hours. 

My billing cycle started on December 1/2/3, 2020 (before the Connects V3 release) when will I get my Connects?
Thanks for your question. You’ll see your monthly free Connects added on your next billing cycle date. Not sure when your billing cycle begins? You can find this date on your “Memberships and Connects” page under User Settings. You’ll also receive an email when your Connects are available for use.

Clients

Won’t this result in more proposal spam? 

Thanks for your question! We have taken many steps to decrease the number of spam proposals and continue to do so. For example, our Trust and Safety team continues their efforts to verify the identities of freelancers and has expanded the team that reviews freelancers who we suspect are not following our Terms of Service. We also will carefully monitor how giving away Connects affects the quality of the proposals you receive. Our goal, as always, is to make sure you receive great proposals from great talent, and we are committed to making sure that happens.

• Connects that are purchased but not used are a liability from an accounting perspective. Connects that don’t expire makes it harder to control the liability. All Connects to expire 1 year from the date of issue. 
• Users will be notified if they have Connects expiring within 30 days of the current date.

On the Membership & Connects page, users will see the number of Connects that will be expiring within 30 days of the current date.

Users will get an email notifying them of the expiring Connects

When buying Connects, the Add Connects page has messaging on the Connects expiration date

Connects rewards for winning an interview is available to freelancers in all categories. There are several layers of randomization with these Connects rewards. The objective is to deliver rewards to freelancers who would otherwise be likely to fall off of the platform. 

• 1. The amount of Connects rewarded vary from 0 to 80
  2. There’s a randomized “cool down” period between reward eligibility ranging from 2 weeks to 8 weeks and this randomized “cool down” removes any need for a limit on the number of rewards that can be earned by a freelancer
  3. Rather than being credited directly to a freelancer's account, these rewards require freelancers provide feedback on their interview experience FIRST in order to claim the reward

Every freelancer on Upwork who wins an interview is eligible for these rewards, but due to the nature of the randomization and targeting, relatively few will actually receive the reward in a given week.