How Contra Works

The acceptance window decides when you get paid

Contra’s Terms give a client 120 hours after delivery to accept the work or ask for revisions, and then the held funds move to your wallet. Contra’s paid-projects article (5 October 2026) gives no window, so ask support in writing which rule applies to your project before you rely on the 120-hour clock. ^{[2] [1]}

For freelancers: from first job to cash in the bank

Add the steps and a standard payout takes about two weeks from request to bank, before any hold: a four-day clearance, then one to three business days of processing and three to five more. A faster payout skips the clearance for a 2% fee on the free plan. ^{[3] [4] [11]}

Payouts can also be held. Contra may hold a payout for fraud review, missing tax or identity information, or a dispute. It aims to finish within 24 hours, but Trustpilot reviews describe holds of weeks. ^{[4] [2] [10]}

For clients: pay once, and the clock starts at delivery

Clients pay by card, ACH or SEPA. ACH and SEPA need a Contra access request, and access is not guaranteed. Once funded, a fixed or milestone payment sits in escrow until you accept the work or the acceptance window passes, so check the work promptly after delivery. ^{[5] [1] [2]}

Where people get stuck

The most common stall is verification. A blurry photo, the wrong issuing country or an expired document blocks payouts until it is fixed, and no review time is published. The second stall is a dispute: once it starts, the 14-day assistance period runs before any escrow decision, and Contra does not make the final call. ^{[9] [7] [8]}