What is Upwork’s Client Marketplace Fee on the Basic plan?

As of Nov 9, 2026, Upwork's client pricing page shows a 5% service fee for Basic-plan clients (3% for eligible U.S. clients paying with a checking account), while Upwork's Help article on the Client Marketplace Fee still says up to 7.99%. We treat 5% as the published headline and flag 7.99% as a conflicting ceiling; the fee shown at checkout is authoritative. The fee is not refundable even if a payment is reversed.

What is the Upwork Freelancer Service Fee?

As of Nov 9, 2026, Upwork help states the Freelancer Service Fee ranges from 0% to 15% per contract. The percentage is shown before you accept an offer and is locked once the contract begins.

Fees · Upwork

Upwork fees explained for clients and freelancers

Last checked: Nov 9, 2026 (America/Denver) · Official Upwork Help · Not a quote or invoice

Upwork fee conflict (flagged). Upwork’s client pricing page (checked Nov 5, 2026) leads with Basic 5% (or 3% for eligible U.S. checking-account payers) and Business Plus 10% (or 8% with the bank discount), plus Contract Initiation Fees. Some FAQ/schema blocks on the same page still mention 7.99%. We treat the hero/examples 5% / 10% as the current public headline and mark 7.99% as conflicting; your checkout is authoritative. Re-checked Nov 9, 2026: the conflict is still live — the pricing page still shows 5%/10% in its plan cards and examples, while Upwork Help’s Client Marketplace Fee article still says Basic clients pay “up to 7.99%” (3% with the eligible U.S. bank discount). Treat 5% as the published headline and 7.99% as a possible ceiling until Upwork reconciles the two.

Read this first. Upwork fees depend on client plan, billing method, geography, contract type, and the freelancer’s locked service-fee % for that contract. Connects, memberships, Contract Initiation Fees, withdrawal fees, FX, and taxes sit outside the headline %. Always re-check the offer / billing screen before you hire.

Client Marketplace Fee (Basic plan)

On the free Basic plan, Upwork’s client pricing page shows a 5% service fee (a $100 contract costs $105 plus a Contract Initiation Fee of $0.99–$14.99). Upwork’s Client Marketplace Fee Help article instead says “up to 7.99%” (flagged above). Per that Help article, the fee applies to payments to freelancers including fixed-price and hourly contracts, Project Catalog, bonuses, Direct Contracts, consultations, payroll, expenses, and miscellaneous charges.

Eligible U.S. clients using a bank account as billing method may pay a reduced fee of 3%.
The fee is not refundable, even if a payment is reversed or refunded.

Business Plus client fees

Upwork’s Business Plus fees article states:

10% on all freelancer payments (hourly, fixed-price, Project Catalog, bonuses).
Eligible U.S. clients paying with a checking account may see a reduced 8% fee.
A one-time Contract Initiation Fee of up to $4.99 on new contracts under $100 USD. Active Business Plus clients are not charged that initiation fee on hourly contracts.
Changing Business Plus membership updates billing immediately for open and new contracts.
Net 30 monthly invoicing (application required) has no extra fee per that article.
Direct Contracts for freelancers you sourced off-platform are billed at $49/month per active contract on Business Plus (client pricing page FAQ, checked Nov 9, 2026).

The monthly subscription price of Business Plus itself is not restated here — confirm on Upwork’s current membership / pricing UI before budgeting membership cost.

Freelancer Service Fee

Upwork’s Freelancer Service Fee article states the fee ranges from 0% to 15% per contract. Key mechanics:

You see the % when a client sends an offer or when you submit a proposal.
Once the contract begins, the fee is fixed for that contract.
If money is refunded to the client, Upwork returns the Freelancer Service Fee paid on that amount.
Exceptions / special cases called out officially include Upwork Payroll, Any Hire (no Freelancer Service Fee), Direct Contracts (reduced fee — see Upwork’s Direct Contracts article), and Enterprise (often ~10%, but customized).

There is no single “everyone pays 10%” rule anymore — read the % on the offer screen.

Worked examples (illustrative)

Assume a $1,000 fixed-price payment, no FX, no tax, no Connects cost.

Basic client at 5%: client pays ~$50 marketplace fee on top of $1,000 to the freelancer.
Basic U.S. bank payer at 3%: client pays ~$30 fee on $1,000.
Business Plus at 10%: client pays ~$100 fee on $1,000 (or ~$80 at the 8% checking-account rate if eligible).
Freelancer at 10% locked fee: keeps $900 of $1,000 billed (before withdrawal / FX).
Freelancer at 5% locked fee: keeps $950 of $1,000 billed.

Client fee and freelancer fee both apply on the same engagement. They are not substitutes for each other.

Costs people forget

Connects — freelancers spend Connects to propose; membership tiers change Connect pricing. Deep dive: Upwork Connects cost explained ($0.15 each on Help; Plus $19.99 / 100 Connects on pricing).
Contract Initiation Fee — small contracts under $100 can add up to $4.99 for some plans.
Withdrawal and FX — can exceed the headline % on cross-border payouts.
Hourly vs fixed-price protection — different payment-protection rules; see escrow and milestones.

Related guides

Upwork Connects cost explained
Upwork vs Fiverr fees for clients
Multi-platform fee comparison
Toptal vs Upwork (screened network vs open marketplace)
Hire-by-task discovery: Best Freelance Websites

Sources

Upwork Help — What is the Client Marketplace Fee?: support.upwork.com/.../What-is-the-Client-Marketplace-Fee (checked Nov 5, 2026; re-checked Nov 9, 2026)
Upwork Help — How Business Plus plan fees work: support.upwork.com/.../How-Business-Plus-plan-fees-work-on-Upwork (checked Nov 5, 2026; re-checked Nov 9, 2026)
Upwork Help — Learn about the Freelancer Service Fee: support.upwork.com/.../Learn-about-the-Freelancer-Service-Fee (checked Nov 5, 2026; re-checked Nov 9, 2026)
Upwork — Client pricing: upwork.com/pricing/client (checked Nov 5, 2026; re-checked Nov 9, 2026)

Business Plus monthly membership price and some Direct Contracts fee edge cases still belong on the live offer screen. Connect unit price and Freelancer Plus web pricing are covered on the Connects guide (checked Nov 6, 2026).