Glossary
Withdrawal methods
Withdrawal methods are the payout options a freelancer or agency sets up on Upwork to move available earnings to a bank account, payout service or wallet, each with its own Upwork fee and timing.
Updated
Also written: Withdrawal method, Payout methods, Get paid on Upwork.
Before the first withdrawal you need your tax information and a withdrawal method. You add one under Account settings, then Withdrawals, then Add a method; once set up, "your method will become active in three calendar days". Upwork recommends adding a backup method in case the primary one is unavailable, and you can choose an automatic withdrawal schedule.
The options Upwork lists, which may vary and change over time:
- Direct to U.S. Bank (ACH): free for freelancers with a U.S. tax address; 2.99 for freelancers with an international tax address, effective September 1st, 2026.
- Direct to Local Bank, outside the U.S.: $0.99 USD per transfer.
- U.S. Dollar Wire Transfer: $50.00 USD per transfer.
- Instant Pay for U.S. Freelancers: $2.00 USD per transfer.
- PayPal, Payoneer (outside the U.S.) and Direct to Wallet (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Kenya).
Banks and payout providers may charge their own fees on top, and processing time varies by method. The choices you actually see appear when you add a method, so it is worth comparing the local options there.
Withdrawals draw only on the available balance, never on pending earnings. These transfer fees are separate from what Upwork takes out of earnings on each contract: see Freelancer Service Fee.
A flat per-transfer fee weighs most on small, frequent withdrawals, where it is a larger share of each payout. An automatic schedule with a minimum amount keeps that share down without anyone having to remember to withdraw.
Source
Upwork's definition: How to get paid on Upwork, read on .