how does payment work on ProZ
Thread poster: JIAN LIU
JIAN LIU
JIAN LIU
China
Local time: 21:49
English to Chinese
Aug 3, 2020

I am new on ProZ. Recently one client reached out to me through email. and talked about the potential projects. I am not quite sure how should I deal with the payment with this client. Here are some questions:
1, Should I talk with client directly about the payment and then figure out a suitable way to do it?
2, Should this payment somehow go through ProZ? e.g. should I send invoice from ProZ to this client?
3, What is the normal process regarding to payment? I finish the proje
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I am new on ProZ. Recently one client reached out to me through email. and talked about the potential projects. I am not quite sure how should I deal with the payment with this client. Here are some questions:
1, Should I talk with client directly about the payment and then figure out a suitable way to do it?
2, Should this payment somehow go through ProZ? e.g. should I send invoice from ProZ to this client?
3, What is the normal process regarding to payment? I finish the project->then the client pay me...?
4, If the client did not pay me after I finish the project, how should I do?
Thanks!
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Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 14:49
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Tom Aug 3, 2020

JIAN LIU wrote:
1. Should I talk with client directly about the payment and then figure out a suitable way to do it?


Yes. ProZ.com does not specify, require or recommend any payment method. ProZ.com warns users to watch out for scams, but other than that, you are free to agree any payment method with the client.

2. Should this payment somehow go through ProZ? e.g. should I send invoice from ProZ to this client?


There is a system at ProZ.com whereby you can send invoices, but the payments are not processed through ProZ.com. The invoicing system is simply a system to help organize invoices.
https://www.proz.com/invoice/about

3. What is the normal process regarding to payment? I finish the project->then the client pay me...?


You can agree whatever you want with the client: pay before, pay in chunks, pay afterwards. The most usual process is payment afterwards. So, you complete the job, wait a week for the client to complain about anything, then send the client an invoice, and then check after 2 week, 3 weeks and 4 weeks days if the client had paid (if not, follow up with the client). Some clients pay only after 45, 60 or even 90 days, so make sure about this during the initial discussions with the client.

4. If the client did not pay me after I finish the project, how should I do?


That is the risk of being a freelancer. You should work only for clients that you are certain will pay you. Try to make sure the client is known and can be contacted independently. Try to see if the client has positive ratings on the Blue Board. If a client does not pay, keep reminding them to pay. In the end, if they still do not pay, leave a bad rating on the Blue Board.


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Paula Graf
JIAN LIU
Woodstock (X)
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Aline Amorim
Fatine Echenique
 
JIAN LIU
JIAN LIU
China
Local time: 21:49
English to Chinese
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks for the info Aug 3, 2020

Samuel Murray wrote:

JIAN LIU wrote:
1. Should I talk with client directly about the payment and then figure out a suitable way to do it?


Yes. ProZ.com does not specify, require or recommend any payment method. ProZ.com warns users to watch out for scams, but other than that, you are free to agree any payment method with the client.

2. Should this payment somehow go through ProZ? e.g. should I send invoice from ProZ to this client?


There is a system at ProZ.com whereby you can send invoices, but the payments are not processed through ProZ.com. The invoicing system is simply a system to help organize invoices.
https://www.proz.com/invoice/about

3. What is the normal process regarding to payment? I finish the project->then the client pay me...?


You can agree whatever you want with the client: pay before, pay in chunks, pay afterwards. The most usual process is payment afterwards. So, you complete the job, wait a week for the client to complain about anything, then send the client an invoice, and then check after 2 week, 3 weeks and 4 weeks days if the client had paid (if not, follow up with the client). Some clients pay only after 45, 60 or even 90 days, so make sure about this during the initial discussions with the client.

4. If the client did not pay me after I finish the project, how should I do?


That is the risk of being a freelancer. You should work only for clients that you are certain will pay you. Try to make sure the client is known and can be contacted independently. Try to see if the client has positive ratings on the Blue Board. If a client does not pay, keep reminding them to pay. In the end, if they still do not pay, leave a bad rating on the Blue Board.


Thanks for the info. Especially the invoice system: https://www.proz.com/invoice/about

[Edited at 2020-08-03 13:17 GMT]


Woodstock (X)
Mohamed El-Abd
 
IrinaN
IrinaN
United States
Local time: 08:49
English to Russian
+ ...
Job offer via email immediately after registration Aug 3, 2020

Jian,

My sincere recommendation would be to read Scam Alert forum and many other Scam posts before proceeding with this potential client.

Good luck!


Josephine Cassar
Woodstock (X)
Christel Zipfel
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Aline Amorim
 
Woodstock (X)
Woodstock (X)  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 14:49
German to English
+ ...
YES!! Possible scammer Aug 3, 2020

IrinaN wrote:

Jian,

My sincere recommendation would be to read Scam Alert forum and many other Scam posts before proceeding with this potential client.

Good luck!


Absolutely essential!! Check the Blue Board (https://www.proz.com/blueboard) to see the potential client's credibility and history. Here's the link to the Scam Alert Center --> https://www.proz.com/about/translator-scam-alerts. There's also a forum section on Scams.

Scammers do tend to target new members here, I've noticed, because they assume you are inexperienced and don't know better. If there is no company logo, domain or anything official-looking on the offer, be very careful, especially if the person uses a gmail address or some other free email service. Make sure you become familiar with the various scams, the most common one being the advance payment scheme. If a potential "client" approaches you out of the blue and offers advance payment for a job without having any idea about your rates or the quality of your work, chances are high that the offer is fraudulent.


Christel Zipfel
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
IrinaN
JIAN LIU
 


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how does payment work on ProZ







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