Why is my Upwork Payment Pending? How long does it take to approve?

Have you ever completed any projects on Upwork and faced Upwork Payment Pending issues? If yes, then now you don’t need to worry. I will explain in this article the causes of payment pending on Upwork and how you can resolve payment pending issues and avoid payment pending issues in the future. So, you should keep reading this article till the end without skipping any part. After reading this article, you will know how to deal with payment-pending issues, and you will be able to take preventive actions for payment-pending issues. 

Why is my Upwork Account showing Payment Pending?

There could be many reasons for payment pending on Upwork. Firstly, log in to your Upwork account and open the reports to view the pending payment. After this, click on Overview from the Reports drop-down. The Overview will show you all your balances and the pending balance in your account.

The payment can be pending for many reasons, mostly because of the 5-7 day payment schedule. Payment can also be pending because of a dispute.

Reasons for Upwork Payment Pending

Following are the reasons for payment pending on Upwork.

1. Verification Issue 

The most common reason for payment pending is a verification issue. It’s compulsory from Upwork that freelancers and clients verify their identities and payment methods before starting work on Upwork. If you do not verify these credentials, Upwork can hold your money, which will be shown as pending.

The Unverified Payment Method is one of the main reasons for payment pending on Upwork. If you have yet to add any payment method or your payment method is not verified, then Upwork can hold your money, and you can only withdraw this money once you add your verified payment method to your account.

The Identity Verification is also a reason for payment pending on Upwork. It happens if you have not completed your verification process and Upwork finds that the information provided by you is wrong. To resolve this issue, you should complete your verification and provide all the accurate information.

2. Client’s Payment Processing

Client Payment Processing is also a reason for payment pending on Upwork. Upwork allows clients to choose payment methods such as Credit Cards, PayPal Bank transfers, etc.

So, if there is any issue with the Client’s payment processing, Upwork stops the process. 

If the Client’s Payment Method is not verified and has insufficient funds, then Upwork can hold the process, and your payment can be pending. It happens if there is any issue with the Client’s payment method, such as the Client’s credit card expired or an issue in the Client’s bank account.   

Suppose the Client’s Account Security compromise means there is any issue with the account’s security, or Upwork suspects any security-related issues from the Client’s account. In that case, Upwork can hold your payment until Upwork satisfies the Client’s account security. 

3. Freelancers Payment Processing 

Upwork can also hold payment if the freelancer has issues with his account. 

If the Payment Method of a freelancer has some issues, like your payment method is not valid, then Upwork can put your payment on hold. To resolve this issue, you should make sure that there is a valid payment method, and you can also contact the payment processor if you find some issues in your payment process. 

If the Account Security of a freelancer’s account is compromised and there are some issues in your account, then Upwork can also hold the payment process, and your payment can be pending on Upwork. It happens if Upwork suspects any security breaches, so Upwork holds the payment method to prevent unauthorized access. To resolve this issue, you should select a strong password only you should know and enable two-factor authentication to prevent pending payments from Upwork.

4. Disputes and Upwork Payment Pending 

The payment can also be pending if there is any dispute between the freelancer and the Client. But fixed-rate contracts and hours logged with the Upwork time tracker are now covered by Upwork Payment Protection. With this Upwork Payment Protection, you will get access to an Upwork mediation specialist who will work with both the freelancer and the Client to reach an agreement. If the dispute is not resolved after the involvement of an Upwork mediation specialist, then this contract enters arbitration. For these serious issues, Upwork hires the American Arbitration Association, a third party, to handle these arbitrations for free. 

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How to Resolve Payment Pending Issues from Upwork? 

Following are the several steps through which you can resolve your payment pending issue on Upwork.

1. Contact Support Team 

If you have any issue with payment pending on Upwork, you should contact the Upwork support team. Upwork has a support team that helps all the clients in case of any issue related to working on Upwork. If you have some issues related to payment, you can contact the Support team, and then the Support team will provide you with all the details regarding your payment pending on Upwork.

The Upwork Support Team is a dedicated team provided by Upwork to resolve all the issues of customers of Upwork. To contact the Upwork Support Team, log in to your account and click the Help and Support link at the top. You can submit your issue in detail from here, and Upwork will respond within 24 hours. 

The Payment Processor Support is also a support system for issues related to your payment method or payment processor. So, you can contact the support team directly by email or customer support hotline.  

2. Provide Additional Information 

Sometimes you have to provide additional information if you have some issues related to payment pending on Upwork.

The Verified Information means that information provided by you on Upwork should be verified. If your payment is pending due to not verifying information, you need to provide additional information to verify your account. The additional information can be your National Identity Card Number or any utility bill that should have your correct name and address.

For Payment Information, sometimes your payment becomes pending due to issues with your payment method or the payment processor. To resolve these issues, you must provide additional payment information or update your payment method. 

3. Wait for the Payment to be Processed 

Sometimes, there is no real issue with payment pending on Upwork. Only the reason for the payment being pending is that the payment is being processed. Upwork has a payment schedule, and according to that schedule, payment is always processed and transferred to your account after payment processing.

Upwork has a payment schedule in which payment is processed a day of the week, like Wednesday. If your payment is pending, it may be because of processing, and it can be transferred to your account next week.

Upwork also has a payment processor schedule, but if there is any issue with your payment processor, it may take much more time than usual for payment to be processed. So, it depends on the time the payment processor takes and the time the funds take to be transferred to your account.

Tips for Avoiding Payment Pending Issues on Upwork

The payment Pending issue on Upwork is frustrating, especially for beginners who need more knowledge of the platform. So, with the following tips, you can avoid payment pending issues on Upwork.

  • You should set clear payment terms with your clients before starting any work. It includes your hourly rate, project milestones, the frequency of payments, etc.
  • Ensure that you already have a signed contract outlining this work’s payment terms and scope.
  • Use Upwork’s time tracking and invoicing system to track all work and timely payments.
  • It would help if you communicated regularly with your Client to ensure that they are satisfied with the work and to address any concerns or issues that may arise.
  • You should respond to any requests from Upwork’s support team or your Client regarding payment issues.
  • Be aware of Upwork’s policies and procedures regarding payment disputes, and be prepared to provide evidence to support your position if any dispute arises.
  • Consider requesting a milestone payment before starting work on a new project to ensure you are paid for at least some of the work upfront.

Do You want to learn more details about Upwork? Then you must go through the below link to better understand Upwork.

How you can make money on Upwork?

Conclusion

In Conclusion, Upwork can hold money for several reasons, but you don’t need to panic. Firstly, you should know about the reason for payment pending on Upwork, and there are many reasons for payment pending that I explained in this article. After this, you can resolve your payment pending issue by following the payment pending resolution methods mentioned in this article. I also explained different tips for taking preventive action regarding payment pending on Upwork.

FAQs(Frequently Asked Questions)

The payment is received after the approval of milestones if there is no dispute. It can take five days after the release of payment.

A minimum of five days of Upwork is required because five days are the standard security period. All payment is shown on the transaction history page after being released by the Client. You can withdraw your bonuses after five days.

Your money can’t expire on Upwork as long as you want to keep it. It is fully secured on Upwork and doesn’t have any expiry date.