Upwork Complaints

Money and accounts cause the serious complaints, not the work itself

The Better Business Bureau logged 487 complaints about Upwork in three years. Its main categories are account suspensions, withheld funds and billing. Among 12 featured Trustpilot reviews from late September to early November 2026, seven named fees or Connects. The complaints are about getting paid and keeping an account open. ^{[1] [3]}

Freelancers: closed accounts are the most serious risk

Accounts closed after identity checks are the most serious freelancer complaint. SmartCustomer lists nine closed accounts among about 2,100 reviews from 2024 to 2026. A Hacker News thread describes a ban after fewer than ten contracts and two ID checks. Appeals are described as final, and Upwork's side is missing from most of these threads. ^{[2] [4]}

What to do: keep your ID documents and phone number current before you start bidding, and answer any verification request straight away. ^[4]

Freelancers: Connects and fees eat into bids

Connects are spent on every bid. One reviewer says support told them Connects are not refunded when a client does not respond. Fees add a second cost. The freelancer fee is set when a contract starts, and Self Employed reports it varies with category and competition, reaching 15% in common categories. ^{[2] [5] [6]}

What to do: bid on fewer jobs you can win, and check the freelancer fee on each contract before you accept it, because it is locked in at the start. ^[6]

Freelancers: money held and withdrawal fees

A review site describes a five-day security hold, then about a week to clear. Two Trustpilot reviewers in September and November 2026 praise payouts. Another reports a $2.99 withdrawal fee on top of the 15% fee, and a 2022 Hacker News post describes $30 to a non-US bank. ^{[7] [3] [8]}

What to do: find out whether the withdrawal fee is charged per transfer before you choose how often to withdraw, and check the fee for your bank's country. ^{[3] [8]}

Clients: disputes can cost more than the contract

One client paid a $337.50 arbitration fee to dispute a $255 contract, according to a SmartCustomer review from October 2025. Another says funds released after 30 days ended mediation. In a June 2025 case, €250 was escrowed and a verbal change to €125 was never confirmed in writing, so the dispute released the full €250 to the freelancer. ^[2]

What to do: confirm every price change in writing before work continues, and set a reminder for the 30-day release date on fixed-price contracts. ^[2]

Clients: work that never arrives, and fake jobs

One client paid $2,000 for a site that was still unfinished three months later, even though the freelancer's rating was near five stars. Seven sources list fake jobs, from requests to move the chat to Telegram or WhatsApp to crypto or wire payments and malware in attachments. Most of those sources sell anti-fraud tools, so treat the pattern as a warning sign, not a measured rate. The tips page lists what to do before you pay. ^[7]

What to do: check the delivered work before you release the final payment, and treat any request to move the conversation off Upwork as a warning sign. ^[7]

Support is hard to reach, by reviewers' accounts

Reviews describe support as hard to reach, with template replies and decisions called final. These are individual accounts, not a measured response time, so treat the pattern as a warning rather than a rate. ^{[3] [4]}

What to do: put every problem in writing, and keep copies of messages, contracts and payment records.