Freelancing

Stage 7 of 8 · 8 lessons · ~2 weeks

Getting paid, records and safety

Move money from clients to your bank at a sensible cost, keep records for tax, and learn the scams and policy breaks that cost freelancers their earnings or accounts.

Start: Your payout route

Lessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order

  1. 1Your payout route
  2. 2Payment options differ by country
  3. 3Currency conversion costs
  4. 4Keeping income records
  5. 5Tax basics: check your local rules
  6. 6Fake clients and unpaid tests
  7. 7Fake cheques and overpayments
  8. 8Upwork withdrawals and staying within the rules

Do this

  • Map your payout route with the fee, minimum and delay at each step.
  • Confirm which payment services work in your country on their official pages.
  • Compare the real cost of converting a typical payment.
  • Start a monthly income record and save statements each month.
  • Check your country's tax rules and set aside a share of each payment.
  • Write your list of scam signals and the replies you will use.
  • Review your platform's account and off-platform rules once more.

Start with

Keep handy

  • Payoneer

    The usual payout route for marketplace earnings in many countries; check fees in your account

  • Wise

    Multi-currency transfers; check what an account can do in your country before relying on it

Also worth your time

Before moving on: A working payout route tested with a real or small test payment, a monthly income record with statements saved, a note on your country's tax rules and where you checked them, and a written list of the scam signals you will refuse.

Tauseef's advice
Set up payments before the first payment, not after. And learn the scams now, while you are calm: every one of them works by making you feel rushed or excited. A client who needs you to pay them anything is not a client.

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