In the past, to request a refund clients would initiate a dispute through customer support. Now, clients can request a refund directly from their freelancers by simply clicking a button in the Contract Room.
- To request the refund, a client can follow the process outlined here: Request a refund from your freelancer
- The freelancer will receive the refund request via Messages along with the link to view details and approve it. The freelancer will also be able to adjust the amount to give a partial refund if needed.
If a freelancer doesn’t approve the refund and both parties are unable to reach an agreement - clients can either file a dispute for hourly contracts (if within the dispute period) or go through the escrow refund process for fixed-price contracts (if funds still in escrow):
For hourly contracts: clients will need to complete the dispute form after clicking “Request a Refund” again. Please note that disputes must be filed during the week’s review period
For fixed-price contracts: clients will need to follow the escrow refund process after clicking “Request a Refund” again
- Refunds cannot be requested for invoices older than 6 months
- There is no automatic “decline” button for the freelancer as of right now, and agreements should be made via Messages, or by filing a dispute
- Agencies will not be included in this feature. If a client wants a refund from an Agency freelancer, they will need to go through the Agency owner
Why would I request a refund?
Thanks for your question. There can be multiple reasons for requesting a refund. For example, maybe the scope of your fixed-price project has changed or you believe a freelancer billed you for hours they did not work on your project. Often, it is most efficient to reach out to the freelancer first to discuss. To request a refund:
- Log into your Upwork account, click “Jobs,” then “My Jobs”
- Click on the contract you want to request a refund on
- From the Contract Room, select the paid milestone or hourly timesheet that you want refunded
- Click “Request a Refund”
How do I request a refund?
Clients can request a refund from two places:
- Go to “Jobs,” then “My Jobs” and click on the contract you want to request a refund on
- From the Contract Room, select the paid milestone or hourly timesheet that you want refunded
- Click on “Request a Refund”
- Go to “Jobs” and “My Jobs” and click on the contract you want to request a refund on
- From the Contract Room, click on the extended menu under the freelancer’s name
- Click on “Request a Refund”
What happens if a freelancer does not respond to a client’s refund request?
You will have the opportunity to discuss the refund with your freelancer through Messages. If you and your freelancer aren’t able to reach an agreement, you may be eligible to file a dispute. To file a dispute:
- Click on “Jobs” then “My Jobs” and choose the contract you want to request a refund from
- From the Contract Room, select the paid milestone or hourly timesheet that you want refunded
- Click on “Request a Refund”
- From the “Request a Refund” page, click on the “Complete the dispute form”* link.
Important: If there is no dispute link and you see a “You are not authorized” message, it is because it is either too early or too late to dispute. Disputes must be filed during the week's review period and can only be filed for hourly contracts. This means you only have until Fridays at midnight UTC to dispute the hours for the previous work week. Disputes must be based on hours billed, not the quality of the work. If you’ve missed the dispute window but it’s been 30 days or less since you made the payment for the disputed time, please contact customer support to learn about our mediation assistance
How do I file a dispute?
If you’re not able to reach an agreement with your freelancer, you can file a dispute if you are within the timeframe. To do so:
- Click on “Jobs” then “My Jobs” and choose the hourly contract you want to request a refund on
- From the Contract Room, select the hourly timesheet that you want refunded
- Click on “Request a Refund”
- From the “Request a Refund” page, click on the “Complete the dispute form”* link.
Important: If there is no dispute link and you see a “You are not authorized” message, it is because it is either too early or too late to dispute. Disputes must be filed during the week's review period and can only be filed for hourly contracts. This means you only have until Fridays at midnight UTC to dispute the hours for the previous work week. Disputes must be based on hours billed, not the quality of the work. If you’ve missed the dispute window but it’s been 30 days or less since you made the payment for the disputed time, please contact customer support to learn about our mediation assistance.
Are you encouraging clients to request refunds from freelancers?
Thanks for your question. Clients have always been able to request a refund from a freelancer, and the freelancer is free to agree or refuse. Our goal with this change is to simplify the process and make it less time consuming.
Why are you adding a refund button? Do you want clients to ask us for refunds?
Thanks for reaching out. We don’t anticipate that giving clients the ability to ask freelancers directly for a refund (as opposed to the old way - disputing a payment through our customer support team) will increase the number the refunds requested. However, there are situations in which a client and a freelancer have agreed to a refund, and our hope is that this new option will make the process smoother for both parties.
If a client requests a refund, do I have to refund it?
Thanks for your question. In short, no. You should take whatever action you think is appropriate. For example, you can simply ignore the request and take no action. You also can adjust the amount of the refund, if needed. Ideally, your client will discuss the matter with you before they send a refund request so that you can both reach an agreement. If they don’t, you can still reach out to them to discuss their concerns and try to reach an agreement.
Note: If you don’t reach an agreement, your client may be able to file a dispute.