Question 1

How do I hire a freelancer?

Accepted Answer

Post a job, review proposals, send an offer with milestones, then fund the first milestone into escrow to begin.

Question 2

When am I charged?

Accepted Answer

You fund milestones into escrow when you're ready. Money is only released to the freelancer when you approve the work.

Question 3

How do I get paid?

Accepted Answer

Each milestone is funded into escrow before you start. On client approval (or auto-approval after the review window), funds release to your wallet.

Question 4

How do I build my reputation?

Accepted Answer

Complete contracts and earn verified reviews. Ratings are tied to real, completed work.

Question 5

What fees does OpenLance charge?

Accepted Answer

A single, transparent platform fee is applied to released milestone payments. The exact rate is shown before you transact.

Question 6

When can I withdraw earnings?

Accepted Answer

Released funds become withdrawable after a short clearance period; you can withdraw to your connected payout method any time after that.

Question 7

What is escrow?

Accepted Answer

Escrow holds a milestone's funds securely after the client funds it and before it's released — protecting both sides until the work is approved.

Question 8

Is my money safe during a dispute?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Disputed milestones are frozen — funds cannot be auto-released while a dispute is open and being mediated.

Question 9

What happens if there's a disagreement?

Accepted Answer

Either party can open a dispute on a funded milestone. A neutral mediator reviews evidence and issues a fair outcome — full award, full refund, or a partial split.

Question 10

Can a dispute split the funds?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Resolutions can award part to the freelancer and refund part to the client, with every amount fully accounted for.

Question 11

How is my account protected?

Accepted Answer

Sessions use short-lived access tokens with secure refresh, and sensitive actions are permission-gated and audited.

Question 12

Can I use OpenLance as both a client and a freelancer?

Accepted Answer

Yes — you choose your primary role at sign-up and can operate in the relevant workspace.

Frequently asked questions

Clients

Freelancers

Payments

Escrow

Disputes

Account & Security

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