What is Freelancer?

Freelancer.com is an online job marketplace that provides a means for employers and freelancers around the globe to collaborate for mutual benefit. Individuals or businesses in need of skilled help for short or long-term projects can post those projects and allow freelancers to submit bids for the completion of the work. For the employer or service buyer, Freelancer.com provides immediate access to thousands of independent contractors with specific skills, without the need to place job ads or provide work space, insurance, etc. For the freelancer, Freelancer.com offers a constant source of part-time to full-time work opportunities, without the trouble and expense of advertising and self-promotion. 

Signing Up

Although anyone can browse the projects, posting projects and bidding are restricted to registered members. Follow these simple steps to activate your Freelancer.com membership: 

1) Fill out a short registration form. You’ll be asked to create a unique username that will identify you on our system. You’ll also need to provide a valid email address and confirm reading our Terms and Conditions. No personal information is requested. 

2) Confirm your email address. When you submit the registration form, a message containing a link and confirmation code will be sent to the email address you provided. You must follow the instructions in the email to provide the confirmation code in order to activate your account. 

3) Create your profile. Take a few minutes to provide some information about yourself and/or your business. This information will be stored in your profile to provide other members with an overview of your skills and/or needs. No personal or contact information is shared. 

Projects

Projects are posted by registered employers with descriptions, skill requirements and a budget range. Freelancers browse or search the project board for those that match their skills and interests. After reading the full descriptions of applicable projects, freelancers place bids and provide additional information and/or work samples through a private messaging system. Employers examine the bids and examples to determine the most qualified bidders and award the project to one or more professionals. 

Freelancer.com encourages employers to provide accurate and complete descriptions when posting projects. A public Project Clarification Board is provided for each project and freelancers are encouraged to use it to ask any detail-related questions, for the benefit of all bidders and the employer. Our posting and bidding systems are designed to maximize the potential for satisfactory results for both the service buyer and service provider. 

Optional features can be added to a project post. 

Accounts 

Each registered Freelancer.com member is provided with a free online account for fund transfers. Funds can be added as direct payments from other members, or from various sources, including the member’s credit card, online accounts (PayPal, MoneyBookers) or by bank wire transfer. A member may withdraw funds from his or her account via wire transfer or direct deposit to an online account (PayPal, MoneyBookers). An optional debit card is also available that provides members with immediate access to the funds in their accounts. 

Withdrawal transfers are handled on a weekly basis. Minimal fees to offset processing costs may apply to certain transfers and are deducted when the transfer is initiated. Fees payable to Freelancer.com for memberhips, commissions, etc. are also deducted from members’ accounts as applied. 

Payments 

Employers can pay service providers via transfer from their accounts to the accounts of the providers. Other methods of payment are also allowed at the mutual discretion of the service buyer and service provider. Though not required, payment via Freelancer.com offers advantages for both the employer and freelancer: 

• Funds can be deposited to our Milestone Payment system and released when prearranged milestones within the project are reached. For instance, an employer can offer a service provider an up-front payment if desired, followed by a series of payments to be released when specific goals are met, and a final payment released when the project is completed and approved.
• Shorter term projects can also be paid via the Milestone Payment system, to assure the freelancer that the funds are available, while allowing the employer to release the funds only after the project is completed to his or her satisfaction.
• The Freelancer.com rating and feedback system (described below) is only available for payments processed through Freelancer.com.

Feedback and Rating

When a project is completed, if payment is made within the Freelancer.com system, the rating and feedback system for that project is activated. This provides the opportunity for the service buyer and service provider to rate each other’s performance on a simple, 10-point scale as well as leave comments. To ensure fairness, members may also post a response to the other party’s comments. A member’s cumulative rating as well as individual project ratings and feedback are made available as part of the member’s profile to help other members assess the value of working with that member. 

The feedback and rating system allows both buyers and providers the opportunity to build their reputations through performance. It also provides the entire Freelancer.com community with added protection against potential scams and unsatisfactory business transactions. 

Summary 

Freelancer.com strives to provide a safe, simple and affordable environment for cooperation between freelancers and employers around the world. Join our ever-increasing membership to maximize the earning potential of your business through outsourcing, freelancing, or both!