Upwork has launched a new connects pricing policy, which will be valid from the 1st of May 2019.
A connect would now cost $ 0.15; also there would be no free connects.
Upwork has also revised its membership plans to reflect the new connects policy,the Freelancer Plus membership now costs $14.99 and offers 70 connects, while the price for Agency Plus membership remains unchanged and also there would be no connects as an additional benefit. A similar revision was made to Upwork’s pricing policy in April 2016;the charges per project were raised from 10% to 22%, which had raised many eyebrows.
Upwork has claimed in their blog post that this revision to its pre-existing connects policy would bring reforms in work circulation on the platform; freelancers would bid on a project only if they are fit for it, thus giving an advantage to the one who deserves it better.
I think this move is aimed to improve work quality and establish opportunities for all. This move could also be directed towards balancing 12M freelancers and 5M clients active at Upwork. There would be fewer proposals from more relevant freelancers; also the clients would have the best to select from.
Earnings of all Upwork freelancers would be impacted largely while aspiring freelancers would have to go through a lot of struggle to establish them on the platform after this revision. Freelancers’ prices would soon soar, making this step worrisome for clients too.
I went through Upwork users’ reaction to this news and found out that many of them are unhappy by it.
Upwork user Mr. Scott Knudson tweeted about leaving Upwork to find other alternatives as he is worried about minor gains at Upwork.
It was a great decade, @Upwork, but this is where I’ll be signing off and moving to another platform. It’s a client’s job to sift and weed out the irrelevant and unsuitable applications. It’s not the contractor’s job to pay for everyone else’s stupidity, bots, and spam. pic.twitter.com/IlNf5EOpeq
— Scott Knudson (@ScottKnudson) April 2, 2019
Miss Arline Groenewald said that she was already upset with the previous 22% charge and this revision worries her more.
So @Upwork has been my only source of income for the past 3 years. I’ve had to gnash my teeth at their exorbitant fees but I stayed. Now they want us to pay to apply for jobs too and have the gall to tell us “it’s good for you”?? Guess I’ve learned my lesson. #freelancers
— Arline Groenewald (@ArlineGroen) April 2, 2019
Another user Mr. Craig Rich has predicted that freelancers would soon migrate from Upwork to other freelancing platforms.
I guess @Upwork have never heard the phrase “don’t bite the hand that feeds you”. Outrageous changes on their way. Watch Freelance talent flee to competitive platforms in their droves. #upwork
— Craig Rich (@craigrich) April 2, 2019
Miss Maria Paula expressed her concerns over the increased charges and also about applications which never get opened in her tweet,
What is wrong with you, @Upwork ? You already take 20% of the payment a freelancer gets for each gig (even those underpayed) and 2$ for each withdrawal, now you’re asking for more money to submit applications that never get answered by the employer in the first place? Nonsense! pic.twitter.com/yq6nsofOad
— María Paula (@Porulet) April 2, 2019
I think this revision might have a decisive impact on Upwork; either it will make Upwork more quality centred or might cause its downfall too.
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