Paid Consultations are a new feature Upwork is adding to its Project Catalog. Freelancers will be able to set up Consultations in their field of expertise. And clients will be able to instantly book the Consultations with the integrated meeting scheduler (read one of our earlier posts if you missed this update).
Starting December 13th, some freelancers within Development, Digital Marketing, Legal, and Accounting categories could create Consultation Projects. Starting January, these projects are available to some clients. Over the next couple of months, they plan to expand this to everyone.
You will be able to “Set up a consultation” project by going to your Project Catalog dashboard.
Upwork extends its Payment Protection only if the freelancer timely sends the client the documents they agreed to provide when creating your consultation. These documents might include a project plan, time and cost estimate, or a meeting summary.
If freelancers cancel more than 24 hours before the consultation, the client will get their money back, and they won’t be able to leave feedback. If freelancers cancel within 24 hours, the client can leave feedback.
If clients cancel more than 24 hours before the consultation, they’ll get a full refund. If they cancel within 24 hours, the money goes to the freelancer.
Both parties are allowed to be not more than 5 minutes late.
If the freelancer is over 5 minutes late, the client can file a dispute for a refund.
If the client is over 5 minutes late, the money goes to the freelancer. In emergencies, you can contact customer support.

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