Internal only (July 2022 update):
Beginning September 5th, Payoneer will be charging $3 for their Payoneer account holder to load their funds to the prepaid card. The charge was formerly $2.50. There will no longer be an option of a Payoneer “faster load” as it will be the company’s default option. Refer users to Payoneer’s customer service for questions. We do not have any control on what Payoneer charges for Payoneer account holders and we may not be notified of changes.
For Instant Payout, users should receive funds almost instantly (within a few minutes). If the trx is in PENDING, UNKNOWN, or INPROCESS status, this can be escalated to PayOps for investigating. If the trx is in SUCCESS status, we can initiate a trace after 24 hours.
Process Map
Process Map
- We cannot process any reversals or recalls for Instant Pay disbursement.
- If requesting for reversal/cancellation of Payoneer withdrawals, account must not be removed/disassociated.
- If requesting for reversal/cancellation, before escalating to Pay Ops, please 1.) ask for the reason for reversal and, 2.) inform user that the withdrawal fees will not be reversed.
Process Map
Why do I need to update my bank details? I did not have any problems with my withdrawals before the update.
Thanks for your question. Our payment processor needed additional information in order to continue to be able to process your withdrawals. We appreciate your understanding.
Who is Upwork's payment processor?
Thanks for your question. Since our goal is to provide the best experience for our customers, we use a variety of payment processors. For example, we've found cases where certain payment processors are able to transfer funds quickly to freelancers in certain countries but not others. By using different payment partners we can better ensure all freelancers get the best service available in their area, for their payment method.
Can we contact Upwork's payment processor directly to follow up on our payments?
Thanks for your question. Your best bet is to contact our support team directly. We can review your account and work with our payment partner to find a solution. In many cases, we can resolve the issue quickly without even needing to reach out to the payment processor.
Why is my bank account under review? I was withdrawing successfully before now.
Thanks for your question. As part of keeping Upwork safe for users like you, at times we or our payment partners might need to take a closer look at your banking information. While the vast majority of Upwork users are honest, we also are committed to making sure Upwork remains secure by having review measures in place.
Why is the sender in my bank statement no longer shows Upwork? I need it to show my funds come from Upwork for tax purposes.
Thanks for reaching out. We partner with various payment processors to transfer your payments to you. While we ask our payment processors to use "Upwork" so our name appears on your bank statement, at times this is not possible. We apologize for any confusion and will be happy to reach out to our payment partner if you need, for tax purposes, documentation that certain payments were for earnings you made from working with clients on Upwork.
Why have I not received an email confirmation of my DLB withdrawal?
Thanks for reaching out. If you do not receive an email confirmation after a withdrawal it means the transaction is still in process. Delays may be due to bank holidays or our payment partner may be reviewing the transaction. If your withdrawal remains in process for 3 business days or more, please contact us and we can research the matter.
How long will it take for my withdrawal to reach my bank account?
Thanks for your question. Once you receive an email confirming your withdrawal, you should receive the funds within 1 to 5 business days.
Why am I unable to initiate a withdrawal to my local bank account and Upwork keeps disabling my payment method?
If your withdrawal attempt fails and your bank account is disabled, it may mean your banking information was entered incorrectly. Please contact us for assistance, we are happy to help!
(If CS is unable to see the rejection reason on the transaction page, the ticket should be escalated to PayOps so the query can be escalated to our payment processor.)
Why was my withdrawal returned to my Upwork account?
Thanks for your question. A withdrawal may be returned for different reasons. For example, it may be due to invalid or missing bank details. Please contact our support team so we can research and help you resolve the issue.
(If CS is unable to see the rejection reason on the transaction page, the ticket should be escalated to PayOps so the query can be escalated to our payment processor.)
Bank Not Found error: Banks merge, thus there will be banks that are not in our database or whose information has changed. If the user confirms and insists their banking details are correct, the user will have the option to manually enter their code and override our system.
Bank fees, processing time, and system limits
|
Type |
Avg. Processing Time |
Bank Withdrawal System Fees |
Min/Max Amounts |
Regions |
|
Bank- USD ACH |
2-3 Biz days |
$0 |
$0.01- No max |
USD to US Bank |
|
Direct to Local Bank (DLB)
WF: Wells Fargo |
2-8 Biz days |
$0.99
|
See ‘Direct to Local Bank Fees and Timing’ KB |
See ‘Direct to Local Bank Fees and Timing’ KB |
|
Bank- USD Wire |
2-8 Biz days |
$30 |
$0.01-$200K |
Domestic or Intl banks on Swift Network |
|
M-Pesa |
24 hours |
$0.99 |
50 - 150,000 KES per transaction |
Kenya |
|
Instant Pay |
24 hours |
2.00 |
$3-2999.00 |
US |
General FAQ
Why am I paying more to withdraw my money than other people who use Upwork?
Withdrawal fees can vary depending on where you live and the payment methods available to you. We do try to offer users as many payment method options as possible, and work with our payment partners to try to keep fees low. You can see what payment methods are available to you by clicking here (you may be prompted to log into your account if you aren’t already). Then scroll down the page to “Payment Methods” and click “Add Method” to see your options.
What countries are now able to use DLB for $0.99 per withdrawal (and will see a PayPal and Payoneer increase from $1 to $2 per transaction)?
Thanks for your question. The countries are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Isle of Man, Israel, Jersey, South Korea, South Africa, Tunisia and Turkey
What is Direct to Local Bank? How does it work?
Direct to Local Bank is a simple way for you to withdraw your earnings from your clients on Upwork and transfer them directly to your bank account, in your local currency. For many, this is the quickest and least expensive ($0.99 per transaction) way to get paid. To learn more, please click here.
What are my payment method options?
Payment method options can vary depending on your home country, but Upwork currently offers ACH Direct Deposits, Direct to Local Bank, Payoneer, PayPal and wire transfers. To see which payment methods are available to you, please log into your account, click on “Settings,” then “Get Paid,” and choose “Add Method.” All of your options will be listed there.
Why is PayPal and Payoneer going up in price (in my country)?
We think it is fair to charge the same to all freelancers who use e-wallet style payment methods (such as PayPal and Payoneer) and our current Upwork transaction fees reflect that idea. If you’d like to explore other ways to receive your payments, you can check the payment method options available to you by clicking on “Add Method” in the “Get Paid” section of your Upwork account (under “Settings”).
IF USER REPLIES TO ABOVE RESPONSE USE THIS: We understand your concern around this change. Upwork is offering a full suite of options for your withdrawals, including those at lower costs. To see which payment methods are available to you, please log into your account, click on “Settings,” then “Get Paid,” and choose “Add Method.” All of your options will be listed there.
Why is PayPal remaining at a cost of $1 for some freelancers when it’s increasing to $2 for me?
In some countries, we’re not able yet to expand the full suite of payment options to all freelancers. This means Direct to Local Bank transfers aren't available in all locations. As a result, we think it is fair to charge the same to all freelancers who use e-wallet style payment methods (such as PayPal and Payoneer) and our current Upwork transaction fees reflect that. If you’d like to explore other ways to receive your payments, you can check the payment method options available to you by clicking on “Add Method” in the “Get Paid” section of your Upwork account (under “Settings”).
Can I withdraw funds via Direct to Local Bank in someone else's name?
To set up payment to your bank account, you must be listed as an account holder or authorized signer on that account or demonstrate you are authorized by the business to do so. To learn more about how to show proof of this, please click here.
For any Connect with PayPal interactions (whether ticket/call/chat), please use this tag only macro: Tag Only > Connect with PayPal.
Please make sure all interactions that have to do with Connect with PayPal are tagged with this so we can track all of the happenings and share with the proper teams.
Problem: We currently lack visibility into data that PayPal has for our freelancers. This data is important because it can help us manage regulatory and fraud risks on our site.
Experience today: Today freelancers can add a PayPal account for disbursements that has never been validated in any way.
What’s new/different/better: “Connect with PayPal” introduces a process whereby PayPal validates that the PayPal account being added is real, and “compliant” for key AML (anti-money laundering) concerns.
Details: (Internal Only)
-
When freelancers attempt to “add PayPal” for disbursements they will be redirected into a new flow which sends them to the PayPal login page.
-
Once logged in freelancers will be asked to “Connect your PayPal account to Upwork”. By agreeing to do so, freelancers authorize PayPal to share certain information with Upwork.
-
Upon authorization, the user completes the flow and PayPal sends the information the user authorized back to Upwork.
-
When Upwork receives this information we check for the following and tailor the UX according to what we find:
-
Account is auto-suspended.
-
Account is sent for manual review.
-
User can start using PayPal after our standard 3-day security hold is passed.
-
-
Is the user located in a location that U.S. businesses are prevented by legislation from dealing with?
-
Is the name on the PayPal account different from the name on the Upwork account?
-
Are neither of the above true?
Who does this impact?
-
User: All freelancers globally who are adding PayPal for disbursements
Goals of the feature:
-
Ensure Payment Compliance for freelancers using PayPal for disbursements
Launch type: This is a feature rollout, starting as a 1-week test under QT to ensure the feature works as expected and impacts we anticipate are impacts we see.
Launch Date: 2020-05-25
-
Phase 1 - freelancers adding PayPal
-
Is freelancer
-
Is adding PayPal for disbursements
-
Has not completed CWPP
-
-
Roll out to 50% of eligible users behind QT for 1 week. If anticipated results are “as expected” we’ll move all test users to treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions:
REACTIVE ONLY
I tried to add PayPal to my Upwork account and got redirected to PayPal. Is this legitimate?
Thanks for reaching out. Yes, when you add PayPal to your Upwork account you will be directed to PayPal.com. There, you’ll be prompted to log into your PayPal account and confirm that you want to “Connect your PayPal account to Upwork.”
To add PayPal to my Upwork account I see I have to agree to terms as part of choosing “Connect your PayPal account to Upwork.” What am I agreeing to?
Thanks for your question. When you agree to connect your PayPal account to Upwork you allow PayPal to share your full name, email, address, account verification status, PayPal ID with us. This information helps us confirm that you own the PayPal account.
Actions:
-
Notify in advance that to keep using PayPal for disbursements they must “Connect with PayPal” and enable freelancers to do so via a “self-serve” link in the notification.
-
Deactivate PayPal for any freelancers who fail to either “Connect with PayPal” or remove PayPal.
Advanced notification of deactivation will occur through two channels:
-
- Inactive* freelancers --
- In-page alert at the top of the “Get Paid” page that includes a “self-serve” link which they can click to be redirected into the CWPP flow
- Active** freelancers --
- In-page alert at the top of the “Get Paid” page that includes a “self-serve” link which they can click to be redirected into the CWPP flow
- Two emails with the same guidance and link; one on “Day 1” and one on the day prior to deactivations beginning
- PayPal deactivations will be staggered over 5 weeks. In the first week 1% of freelancers in this group will be touched. If no concerns are raised over the course of the following week, we’ll deactivate the remainder over the following 4 weeks.
- As UPMs are deactivated, in-page alert messaging will change to indicate why the UPM has been deactivated, and will include the same “self-serve” link redirecting them into the CWPP flow.
Goals of the feature:
- Ensure Payment Compliance for freelancers using PayPal for disbursements
Launch type: This is a feature rollout under QT. A small internal group will test functionality first, followed by a small ramp to 1% of eligible freelancers to ensure that deactivations, messaging and contacts are aligned with what is anticipated. Following confirmation, the remaining PayPal UPMs will be deactivated over the subsequent 4 weeks.
Phase 2 Process Flow Overview
FAQs:
Upwork already required my PayPal account to be verified, why do I now have to take additional steps?
Thanks for your question. When you originally added PayPal, you were not required to link your account with Upwork. However, to help ensure the safe transfer of your funds, we now ask all freelancers who use PayPal to take this step.
I got an email that you are deactivating PayPal from my Upwork account. Why?
Thanks for reaching out. When you originally added PayPal, you were not required to link your account with Upwork. To help ensure the safe transfer of your funds, we now need you to connect your PayPal account with Upwork. As long as you do so by the date listed in the account alert or in the email you received, will we not deactivate your PayPal account from your Upwork account. If you miss that deadline and we do remove PayPal, you can easily re-add it at any time. To do so, follow the self-serve link in the alert on your “Get Paid” page.
How do I connect my PayPal account to my Upwork account?
Thanks for your question. You can link your PayPal account with your Upwork account by clicking a self-serve link that will appear at the top of the “Get Paid” page as an alert. Note: If you’ve logged into Upwork or been paid within the past six months you will also receive the link via email.
You removed my PayPal account and I didn’t get paid! What happened?!?!
Thanks for reaching out. We are requiring users with a PayPal account to now take a few steps to connect it with their Upwork account and have started notifying freelancers by placing an alert on their “Get Paid” page and sending emails. We are sorry you missed those, however please know you can reactivate your PayPal account at any time. To do so, follow the self-serve link in the alert on your “Get Paid” page.
I tried to re-add PayPal to my Upwork account and got redirected to PayPal. Is this legitimate?
Thanks for reaching out. Yes, when you re-add PayPal to your Upwork account you will be directed to PayPal.com. There, you’ll be prompted to log into your PayPal account and confirm that you want to “Connect your PayPal account to Upwork.”
To add PayPal to my Upwork account I see I have to agree to terms as part of choosing “Connect your PayPal account to Upwork.” What am I agreeing to?
Thanks for your question. When you agree to connect your PayPal account to Upwork you allow PayPal to share your full name, email, address, account verification status, PayPal ID with us. This information helps us confirm that you own the PayPal account.
Do I have to do this?
Thanks for reaching out. If you don’t want to link your PayPal account to Upwork you do not have to do so. You can use any payment method available to freelancers in your country. To see your options, click here.
I reconnected my PayPal account but it’s saying I have to wait 3 days. Why?
Thanks for reaching out. We have a standard hold period any time a payment method is added to an account. This hold stays in place for three calendar days to ensure your account security.
I tried to re-add PayPal to my Upwork account as directed, but I’m getting stuck in a loop between the PayPal site and Upwork. Now it looks like my PayPal account was deleted. Help!
Thanks for reaching out. We’re sorry for the trouble you are having when you try to re-add your PayPal account. As a troubleshooting step, we suggest trying to add your PayPal account again using another web browser (please avoid Safari). If this doesn’t help, let us know. Please include as many details as possible, as that will help us assist you. For example, please share:
- What web browser(s) you’ve tried
- Whether you were on a desktop or mobile device
- When you tried (include timestamps)
- Screenshots and/or videos of the experience
Thank you!
Problem: We currently lack visibility into data that PayPal has for our agency owners. This data is important because it can help us manage regulatory and fraud risks on our site.
Experience today: Today agency owners/agency financial managers can add a PayPal account for disbursements for the agency that has never been validated in any way.
What’s new/different/better: “Connect with PayPal” introduces a process whereby PayPal validates that the PayPal account being added is real, and “compliant” for key AML (anti-money laundering) concerns.
Details:
- When agency owners/agency financial managers attempt to “add PayPal” for disbursements they will be redirected into a new flow which sends them to the PayPal login page.
- Once logged in agency owners/agency financial managers will be asked to “Connect your PayPal account to Upwork”. By agreeing to do so, they authorize PayPal to share certain information with Upwork.
- Upon authorization, the user completes the flow and PayPal sends the information the user authorized back to Upwork.
- When Upwork receives this information we check for the following and tailor the UX according to what we find:
- Is the user located in a location that U.S. businesses are prevented by legislation from dealing with?
- YES = Account is auto-suspended. For additional details review starting HERE.
- Is the name on the PayPal account different from the name on the Upwork account?
- YES = Account is sent for manual review. For additional details review starting HERE.
- Are neither of the above true?
- YES = Users can start using PayPal after our standard 3-day security hold is passed (which is a standard security practice any time a new UPM is added).
Goals of the feature:
- Ensure Payment Compliance for agency owners/agency financial managers using PayPal for agency disbursements.
Launch type: This is a feature rollout, starting as a 1-week test under QT to ensure the feature works as expected and impacts we anticipate are impacts we see.
FAQs:REACTIVE ONLY
I tried to add PayPal to my Upwork account and got redirected to PayPal. Is this legitimate?
Thanks for reaching out. Yes, when you add PayPal to your Upwork account you will be directed to PayPal.com. There, you’ll be prompted to log into your PayPal account and confirm that you want to “Connect your PayPal account to Upwork.”
To add PayPal to my Upwork account I see I have to agree to terms as part of choosing “Connect your PayPal account to Upwork.” What am I agreeing to?
Thanks for your question. When you agree to connect your PayPal account to Upwork you allow PayPal to share your full name, email, address, account verification status, PayPal ID with us. This information helps us confirm that you own the PayPal account.
When I connected my PayPal account to Upwork it added a different PayPal address than the one I logged into PayPal with; why?
Thanks for your question. When you connect your PayPal account to Upwork, PayPal will automatically use the email you have set as your “primary” email on PayPal. Upwork will in turn show this email address when referencing your PayPal UPM.
Problem: We currently lack visibility into data that PayPal has for our agency owners. This data is important because it can help us manage regulatory and fraud risks on our site.
Experience today: Today agency owners/agency financial managers can add a PayPal account for disbursements for the agency that has never been validated in any way.
What’s new/different/better: “Connect with PayPal” introduces a process whereby PayPal validates that the PayPal account being added is real, and “compliant” for key AML (anti-money laundering) concerns.
Details: This phase is almost identical Phase 2, with the main difference being that Phase 2 introduces the new PayPal usage policy for freelancers and Phase 4 introduces it for agency owners/agency financial managers.
Same as Phase 2:
- Focus is on users (agency owners/financial managers) who already had PayPal in place for payments prior to Connect with PayPal (CWPP) launching in May.
- These users will be notified in advance that they must connect their PayPal account to Upwork if they wish to continue to use PayPal for payments. For any freelancers who choose not to act, their PayPal UPM will be deactivated on or after the “do by date” we include in messaging.
- Advanced notification of deactivation will occur through two channels:
- Inactive* freelancers --
- In-page alert at the top of the “Get Paid” page that includes a “self-serve” link which they can click to be redirected into the CWPP flow
- Active** freelancers --
- In-page alert at the top of the “Get Paid” page that includes a “self-serve” link which they can click to be redirected into the CWPP flow
- Two emails with the same guidance and link; one on “Day 1” and one on the day prior to deactivations beginning
- Post-deactivation notification:
- As UPMs are deactivated, in-page alert messaging will change to indicate why the UPM has been deactivated, and will include the same “self-serve” link redirecting them into the CWPP flow.
New In Phase 4
- An SMF will also be added to the jobs search/find work home page, notifying AOs/AOFMs to check their Get Paid page for changes to our PayPal usage policy.
- Message: “If you are using PayPal for payments, please check the "Get Paid" page for any financial account where PayPal is added. We have a new policy regarding PayPal usage."
*Inactive Definition - FL has not “been paid” or “logged in” for >6 months
**Active Definition - FL was “paid” or “logged in” <=6 months prior.
Phase4 UX/Process Flow Overview
FAQs:
Upwork already required my PayPal account to be verified, why do I now have to take additional steps?
Thanks for your question. When you originally added PayPal, you were not required to link your account with Upwork. However, to help ensure the safe transfer of your funds, we now ask all freelancers and agencies who use PayPal to take this step.
I got an email that you are deactivating PayPal from my Upwork account. Why?
Thanks for reaching out. When you originally added PayPal, you were not required to link your account with Upwork. To help ensure the safe transfer of your funds, we now need you to connect your PayPal account with Upwork. As long as you do so by the date listed in the account alert or in the email you received, will we not deactivate your PayPal account from your Upwork agency account. If you miss that deadline and we do remove PayPal, you can easily re-add it at any time. To do so, follow the self-serve link in the alert on your “Get Paid” page.
How do I connect my PayPal account to my Upwork account?
Thanks for your question. You can link your PayPal account with your Upwork account by clicking a self-serve link that will appear at the top of the “Get Paid” page as an alert. Note: If you’ve logged into Upwork or been paid within the past six months you will also receive the link via email.
I tried to re-add PayPal to my Upwork account and got redirected to PayPal. Is this legitimate?
Thanks for reaching out. Yes, when you re-add PayPal to your Upwork account you will be directed to PayPal.com. There, you’ll be prompted to log into your PayPal account and confirm that you want to “Connect your PayPal account to Upwork.”
To add PayPal to my Upwork account I see I have to agree to terms as part of choosing “Connect your PayPal account to Upwork.” What am I agreeing to?
Thanks for your question. When you agree to connect your PayPal account to Upwork you allow PayPal to share your full name, email, address, account verification status, PayPal ID with us. This information helps us confirm that you own the PayPal account.
Do I have to do this?
Thanks for reaching out. If you don’t want to link your PayPal account to Upwork you do not have to do so. You can use any payment method available to agencies in your country. To see your options, click here.
I reconnected my PayPal account but it’s saying I have to wait 3 days. Why?
Thanks for reaching out. We have a standard hold period any time a payment method is added to an account. This hold stays in place for three calendar days to ensure your account security.
I tried to re-add PayPal to my Upwork account as directed, but I’m getting stuck in a loop between the PayPal site and Upwork. Now it looks like my PayPal account was deleted. Help!
Thanks for reaching out. We’re sorry for the trouble you are having when you try to re-add your PayPal account. As a troubleshooting step, we suggest trying to add your PayPal account again using another web browser (please avoid Safari). If this doesn’t help, let us know. Please include as many details as possible, as that will help us assist you. For example, please share:
- What web browser(s) you’ve tried
- Whether you were on a desktop or mobile device
- When you tried (include timestamps)
- Screenshots and/or videos of the experience
Thank you!
I received an email to connect my PayPal account to my agency account, but this agency is closed. Why did I get this email? Is there anything I need to do?
CS - If agency is closed:
Thanks for reaching out. We apologize for sending that email to you. As this agency is closed, no action is needed on your end and you can disregard the email.
Thank you!
CS - If agency is not closed:
Verify user’s financial accounts under Settings > Get Paid shown here (under each context e.g. agency vs. FL context) to see if any action is needed for any of their individual financial accounts.]
Thanks for reaching out. We can see you’ve connected your PayPal account for the following:
[LIST ACCOUNTS]
Since each financial account is treated as its own entity, you’ll need to connect your PayPal account to each one.
These are the accounts that still need PayPal connected:
[LIST ACCOUNTS]
To connect an account with Paypal, go to Settings > Get Paid and select it from the dropdown. You’ll see a message at the top of your screen with the steps you’ll need to follow.
I hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions.