Hourly contracts may be covered by Upwork Hourly Protection. Your client is automatically invoiced and billed for the hours you log according to the weekly billing cycle.
However, if you log time over the weekly limit you and your client originally agreed to it won't be invoiced to your client, but they can see it in your Work Diary. You can negotiate a bonus payment for that time, if your client agrees.
All time logged in your Work Diary, whether tracked or added as manual time, is automatically invoiced to your client using the schedule below.
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Week 1 – You log time using the Upwork Desktop App (Time Tracker)
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Week 2 – Your time is invoiced to your client on Monday and they have until Friday to review your work
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Week 3 – Earnings become available on the following Wednesday
Weekly Payment
A weekly payment is an automatic, recurring payment for a specific amount. The client is invoiced this amount each week in addition to the billable hours in your Work Diary. Unlike the hours you bill in your Work Diary, weekly payments do not undergo a review period and they become available after the standard five-day security period.
When can I withdraw my earnings?
The weekly billing period begins Monday at 00:00 midnight UTC and ends Sunday at 23:59 UTC, at which point your earnings are
In review. Once this review period ends, there is a five-day security period after which your earnings, less Upwork fees, will become
Available for withdrawal. You can read more about the weekly billing cycle
here.
When will I receive funds in my withdrawal method?
When your payment arrives depends on your withdrawal method, but can take more than eight business days. If you haven't received your payment after eight business days, let us know.
Where can I check my available earnings?
To check your available earnings
- Go to the Reports dashboard
- Click the Available earnings tab
Payments under client review will be seen as
In review and payments that are under security review will be seen under
Pending.
How do I withdraw my earnings?
To withdraw your earnings or setup a payment method
- Go to your account Settings
- Open the Get Paid tab
- Click Get Paid Now
To withdraw payment, you must first add a payment method.
How do I get paid as an agency freelancer?
All of your contracts are paid to your agency. You’ll need to arrange payment from your agency directly.
When will a bonus payment become available?
Clients can issue a bonus payment to you manually at any time while the contract is active. As long as there are no problems with the client's billing method, these manual earnings, less Upwork fees, will become available after the five-day security period. Bonus payments do not qualify for
Upwork Hourly Protection.
What happens to my Weekly Payment when a contract is paused?
If a contract is paused for any period of time in the week, including because of a dispute, the corresponding weekly payment won't be issued.
Will I be paid the full Weekly Payment when contract is started?
The percentage of the weekly rate paid to you on the first week of a contract depends on the day the contract began:
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Monday – 100%
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Tuesday – 80%
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Wednesday – 60%
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Thursday - 40%
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Friday – 20%
If your contract begins on Saturday or Sunday, you will not receive the first weekly payment until the following week.
Will I be paid the full Weekly Payment when a contract is ended?
The percentage of the weekly rate paid to you on the final week of a contract depends on the day the contract ends:
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Monday – 20%
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Tuesday – 40%
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Wednesday – 60%
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Thursday - 80%
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Friday, Saturday, Sunday – 100%
How do I request the Weekly Payment be changed?
The weekly payment terms are set in the advanced options when the client makes you a contract offer. To add, remove, or change the amount of your weekly payment, your client must end your contract and rehire you with different terms.