FAQ for experts

How much does it cost to become an expert?

Nothing. Applying is free, listing services is free, and sending proposals is free. The platform fee (10% by default) is taken once, out of released money — so you are never out of pocket to work here.

I am approved. Why can I not send a proposal?

Almost certainly identity verification: it is a separate step from approval, and it expires after 365 days by default. The interface names whichever requirement is missing. A payout account is also needed before money can reach you.

When do I actually get the money?

Three stages. The client approves a milestone (or the review window lapses) and escrow releases immediately, minus the fee. It then settles with the payments processor, typically about a day, before becoming withdrawable. Then your bank takes its usual couple of business days.

A client has gone quiet. Am I stuck?

No. Submit the milestone properly in the workspace — that starts the review window, and silence releases the funds to you. If they are withholding requirements instead, ask in the workspace and open a dispute if it persists; the written request is your evidence.

The client wants more than we agreed. What do I do?

Name it as a change, once, politely. Wrong work is a revision and is yours to fix. New work is a new milestone, a custom offer, or a paid extra revision round. Absorbing scope silently is how a profitable project becomes a resented one.

Why do I need identity verification?

Because you handle other people’s money. It is what makes it reasonable for a stranger to fund escrow against your name, and it is what lets us defend a chargeback on your behalf. We hold the verdict and the expiry date, never your document.

Can I change my profile any time?

Availability, rate, skills, and your services — yes, any time. Name, email, photo, and your payout destination are restricted while you have active work, and identity changes pause expert status pending re-verification.

How do I get more inbound work?

Publish services and templates. Proposals only earn while you are writing them; a published service can be ordered while you sleep, and a public template brings requests that are already scoped.