Contra for Clients

What it gives you, and what it costs you

You get contracts, invoices and payment terms in one place, with e-signature on any contract option. Fixed and milestone payments sit in escrow until you accept the work, which protects you when you pay someone you have not worked with before. ^{[6] [5] [7]}

You pay the platform fee on every payment, so how you split a job changes the total. Five $500 milestones cost $145 in platform fees before processing; the same $2,500 paid once costs $29. ^{[1] [2]}

Your first project

Agree the contract and its fee before the freelancer starts. Request ACH or SEPA access early, because the request is reviewed and not guaranteed, and plan a card payment as the fallback. Card payments fail immediately, while ACH and SEPA can fail days later. ^{[2] [8] [9]}

Check the work promptly after delivery. On a fixed or milestone project, the freelancer’s held funds move to their wallet if you neither accept the work nor ask for revisions within 120 hours, according to the Terms. ^{[7] [6]}

Growing your use of Contra

A boost costs $199 for 30 days at the top of the job feed. No source shows how many applicants it brings, so compare applications on a free post first. Clients do not buy Pro. The fee is removed when the freelancer is on Pro, so check the freelancer’s plan before you budget the $15 or $29. ^{[1] [3]}

Protecting yourself

Client charges are non-refundable unless the Terms or the law say otherwise. Hourly flat-fee projects refund any unused balance, while subscriptions, invoices and payment links are non-refundable. Chargebacks count as a material breach. ^[7]

Deposit and escrow disputes come up for clients too. Two reviews from May and November 2025 describe a freelancer who took a deposit and went silent, and escrow funds disputed after a contractor did not finish. Start the dispute steps as soon as the work stops, and keep the messages. ^{[11] [10]}

Should you pay freelancers through Contra?

Yes, for fixed-price or milestone work where you want the contract and escrow. The $15 or $29 per-payment fee is the price of that protection, and it applies whatever the project length. ^{[1] [6]}

Not for ongoing hourly work without a plan. Hourly invoice billing holds no upfront funds in escrow, so the freelancer carries the risk of non-payment, and you carry the risk of a surprise bill. ^{[7] [6]}