Billing Security for hourly jobs

How billing security works for hourly job contracts:

• You can review your expert’s Work Journal to view updates on the job’s progress, confirm billable hours, and review work with activity screenshots.
• In case the expert logs hours unrelated to your job, you can submit a dispute for the work time recorded in the previous week. You will be reimbursed for the work hours that do not meet the criteria for Hourly Billing Security.
• The Hourly Billing Security offered by Cad Crowd does not cover bonus payments, manual time entries, or fixed-rate jobs. Please refer to Cad Crowd’s terms of service and Hourly Escrow Details to learn more about payment terms.

Billing Security for fixed-rate jobs

Billing Security for fixed-rate contracts and escrow milestones:

• You and the expert will decide on job deliverables in the form of milestones and place funds (with a minimum of $25 USD per milestone) in Cad Crowd escrow.
• Funds will be released from escrow after the expert submits work for your review and acceptance.
• You can request work revisions or an escrow account refund if necessary.
• You can submit a fixed-rate job dispute if you disagree about work deliverables or completed tasks.

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Payment hold period for payouts

A standard payment hold period applies to hourly job contracts, fixed-rate work, and bonus payments. Your available balance shows funds available for withdrawal after the payment hold period ends.

• Hourly job contracts: 10-day payment hold period starts after the weekly billing period ends on Sunday at 11:59 p.m. (UTC timezone).
• Fixed-rate job contracts: 5-day standard hold period starts after the client releases payment for fixed-rate job contracts. The holding period begins when your client approves and releases your payment from the contract’s escrow account balance.
• Other payments: 5-day hold period applies to client payments on bonuses, expense reimbursements, contests, and other payment types.

Add a payout method to your account

Steps to add a payout method to your account:

1. Go to your Dashboard
2. Click Settings in the sub nav
3. Click Payments & payouts
4. Add your email to connect your PayPal account

Remember: Please ensure your payout details match your full legal name and address on the Cad Crowd platform.

You can add a different payout method that matches the full legal name on your account if your withdrawal is flagged with a name discrepancy. Alternatively, you can contact our support team and initiate steps to confirm that you authorized a payout.

Request a payout to get paid

Once your funds are available, you can withdraw your earnings to your preferred payout method. You may view the status of your payout on the Transactions page.

Steps to make a withdrawal request:

1. Go to your user dashboard
2. Click Transactions in the sub nav
3. Click the Request Payout tab

Note: Ensure you add your PayPal email to your account before you request a payout.

Edit and manage your payout method

Steps to edit your payment information:

1. Go to Dashboard > click Settings in the sub nav
2. Select Payments & payouts
3. Click ✐ edit icon > update email > click Save button

Note: A 3-day security hold applies to payouts if you change the information on your account.

Steps to remove a payout method from your account:

1. Go to Dashboard > click Settings in the sub nav
2. Select Payments & payouts
3. Click ••• dropdown > click Remove

Delays due to weekends or holidays

Banking systems do not process transactions on weekends or holidays, so your funds will be processed on the subsequent business day. If you have any queries, please reach out to your bank directly.

Other payout options

Most experts expert payments are sent with PayPal.

A list of payout alternatives:

• PayPal: Expert payments are sent via PayPal in USD currency.
• Payoneer: If you live in a country where PayPal is unavailable, you may manually send us an invoice via Payoneer. Payoneer is only an option if you live outside a region served by PayPal.
• Wire transfers: We accommodate wire transfers for payments that exceed $2,500 USD ($50.00 fee may apply).
• Interac eTransfer (Canada): eTransfer is available to Canadian experts that work with clients under managed service agreements ($10.00 CAD fee). We cover the eTransfer fees for Canadian experts working on private projects.

Questions and answers

Why is the no available balance for a payout?

Your income shows as Pending on your Transactions page during the payout hold period. You can see the Date field on your transaction page, which indicates when the funds are ready for a payout request.

Why can’t I request a payout after adding or editing my preferred payment method?

A 3-day security hold period applies to your balance when you change or add a new payout option. The security hold protects your account from fraud.

How can I request a payout if my account was suspended?

Please follow the steps in the email notification to regain access to your account. You can contact our support team if you have issues with account recovery.

Why haven’t I received a payment for the work completed on Cad Crowd?

Please remember to add your payment method and request a payout to withdraw your account’s balance.

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Weekly billing period for hourly job contracts

Clients are automatically billed for all hours logged on hourly job contracts. The timetable for the billing period is shown below:

• Day 1-7 (Mon-Sun): You track work hours with the Cad Crowd timer app and Work Journal
• Day 8-14 (Mon-Sun): The client is invoiced on Monday and has until Friday night to check the timesheets
• Day 15-17 (Mon-Wed): The payment security period starts (Monday), and your funds can be withdrawn on Wednesday

Weekly billing cycle for clients

The Cad Crowd platform uses the UTC timezone since we support experts and clients globally. The weekly billing cycle for hourly jobs starts on Monday at 12:00 a.m. (UTC timezone) and finishes on Sunday at 11:59 p.m. (UTC timezone).

The platform automatically bills clients for your weekly timesheets on Monday at 12:00 a.m. (UTC timezone). The client is billed via their primary payment method and can review your Work Journal until Friday at 11:59 p.m.

Expert review period for hourly job contracts

Your expert review period begins on Monday at 12:00 a.m. (UTC timezone). You are given a 12-hour period (called “expert review period”) to review and edit your work journal. You can add/modify/delete hours until Monday 12:00 PM (UTC timezone).

Please read our articles to learn more about adding manual time or deleting time entries in your Work Journal.

Client review period for hourly job contracts

The client can review your work timesheets starting Monday at 12:00 p.m. (UTC timezone) until the subsequent Friday at 11:59 p.m. (UTC timezone). The client checks the Work Journal hours during the review period and dispute billable hours if there is a disagreement.

Security hold period for manual payments & fixed-rate job contracts

Cad Crowd implements a security duration for every transaction to safeguard all platform users, including payments, client reimbursements, and fraud detection. This client review and security period allows us to manage payment clearance and settle any disputes before making your funds available.

Manual payments have a 5-day security hold period after our payment processor verifies a client’s successful payment. Here’s a quick reference table:

Payment processed successfully	Date funds available
Monday	Saturday
Tuesday	Sunday
Wednesday	Monday
Thursday	Tuesday
Friday	Wednesday
Saturday	Thursday
Sunday	Friday

Remember: Payments for hourly job contracts transition into the security phase once the review period ends on Friday (11:59 p.m. UTC timezone). As a result, funds generally become accessible on the subsequent Wednesday (12:00 a.m. UTC timezone).

Automatic invoicing for hourly job contracts vs. manual payments

Hourly job contracts exclusively follow a weekly payment cycle, and the hourly timesheets are the sole charges we auto-invoice to a client on your behalf. Only your client can initiate additional payments, such as milestone payments, expense reimbursements, and bonuses. When a client starts a one-time payment, the billing system instantly bills the client’s primary payment method. The payment amount is invoiced immediately when a client approves a fixed-rate job’s milestones, adds a bonus, or miscellaneous expenses. Within 24 hours, we charge the funds to the client’s escrow account (fixed-rate tasks and milestones) or primary payment method (i.e., bonuses, expense reimbursements, etc.) and release the funds to you when the 5-day security hold period is finished.

Payment delays & the security hold period

Your payment amount is displayed as “Pending” on your Transactions page during the security hold period. Every invoice shows the anticipated clearing date for your funds. If your payment is not accessible on the posted date, a payment issue (i.e., declined payment method) has occurred. The invoice balance shows as pending until your client addresses the billing issue. Your client’s account is automatically re-charged daily until all invoices are paid. If a client fails to pay the billable hours after several attempts, our support team initiates an invoice review to check work for eligibility for the Hourly Billing Security policy.

The client account is temporarily suspended, and your job contract is placed on hold until the outstanding payment is settled. Your job contract is automatically reactivated immediately when the client invoice is paid. We recommend messaging the client about your pending invoice and their payment timeline. Your outreach to the client can fast-track the payment timeline and reactivation of the contract.

Cad Crowd Billing Protection policy for your contracts

Cad Crowd’s Billing Security policy protects invoiced hours, flat-rate milestones, and tasks for your job contracts. The only categories not covered by the policy are manual time entries, bonuses, expense reimbursements, miscellaneous payments, or recurring weekly retainer payments.

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Propose milestone updates

You can manage your fixed-rate job contract by suggesting modifications to your client for current and upcoming milestones.

You and your client can collaborate to organize tasks and establish mutual expectations for your contract milestones. While you cannot remove a milestone in progress, you can request the client to remove future ones. You can also propose new milestones and changes to payment amounts or deadlines for the milestones in progress.

Your client is notified when you suggest milestone updates and can approve or decline your suggestions.

Advice: We recommend sending a message to your client before new tasks and milestone updates.

Propose new milestones, or request changes

How to propose a new milestone:

1. Visit Your contracts > click your contract
2. Click Manage milestones button
3. Click Propose a milestone button > add name and amount > click Save button

Steps to edit a proposed milestone:

1. Visit Your contracts > click your contract
2. Click Manage milestones button
3. Select ✎ icon to edit your proposed milestone > click Save button

Steps to delete your proposed milestones:

1. Visit Your contracts > click your contract
2. Click Manage milestones button
3. Select icon to delete your proposed milestone > click Save button

Questions and answers

How can I change or cancel my proposed milestones updates?

You can only change your proposed milestones if the client hasn’t accepted your proposal yet.

You can make edits with the following steps:

1. Visit Your contracts > click your contract
2. Click Manage milestones button
3. Select ✎ icon to edit your proposed milestone > click Save button

If the client has already accepted your initial proposed milestone changes, you can suggest updates to the active milestones with the ✎ icon. The client has the option to accept or reject your proposed changes.

Can I ask my client to modify an active contract milestone?

Absolutely! As a professional, you can suggest updates to the title, due date, and description of an active milestone. You can also request an increase in the payment amount for the milestone. Your recommended updates are automatically forwarded to the client for approval or rejection. If your client agrees to the changes, the updated milestone payment is transferred into the task’s escrow balance.

How long will my client have to approve my proposed new milestones and changes?

Your milestone proposal does not come with an expiry date. Before clients can add or modify future milestones, your client must approve or reject your suggested milestone changes. Only start work after the client has approved and funded the updated milestones.

Note: Use Cad Crowd chat to contact your client if the proposed contract changes have yet to be approved.

What happens if my client adds new milestones or changes upcoming milestones and I disagree with the changes?

If you disagree with your client’s milestone updates, you may ask the client to make changes or modifications. You can message the client with Cad Crowd chat if milestone updates aren’t aligned with your expectations. This discussion can help establish if a milestone requires updates or should be removed from the contract.

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Why do I need to work and get paid through the platform?

Communicating and paying through the platform allows us to protect your privacy, intellectual property, payments, and confidentiality of your work. In addition, service fees with payments help us offer 24/7 support, increase work opportunities with marketing and pay our programming team to build new platform features.

Transferring relationships outside Cad Crowd (i.e., circumvention of services), detracts from the user experience, curtails user safeguards, limits our budget to find quality clients and experts for work opportunities, and weakens the overall marketplace. We have a zero-tolerance policy on circumventing services, which is a breach of our Terms of Service. The only exception is when a client pays for the Hire Direct Program service, which converts the expert’s job contract into direct employment.

We strictly enforce a no-tolerance Circumvention of Services Policy to maintain Cad Crowd as a secure platform where freelancers and clients can see success and protect you and the community.

Remember: The only exception that allows a client to pay an expert directly is when the client pays the Hire Direct Program fee to hire an expert.

Users that move off the platform risk payment fraud, harassment, and protections provided by Cad Crowd. In addition, users lose the trust instilled by the transparency of on-platform relationships. When job contracts migrate off Cad Crowd, users cannot post reviews, which is crucial for building confidence in hiring for new job contracts. A lack of user reviews also affects the expert recommendation AI, which is necessary for streamlining the hiring experience.

Tip: You can ask your client to use the Hire Direct Program to transfer your contract outside Cad Crowd without breaching our Terms of Service.

Note: Any job contracts started outside Cad Crowd violate our Terms of Service. If we identify that a job contract was paid outside the platform, we may cancel the job contract and deactivate the accounts of the client who made the hire and the expert. The only exception is when a client uses the Hire Direct Program.

What is a circumvention of services on the platform?

Circumvention of services refers to a client and expert connecting on Cad Crowd and moving work outside the platform. Platform circumvention involves work payments outside Cad Crowd to avoid platform fees and the Hire Direct Program cost. This act constitutes a grave breach of the Terms of Service and will lead to an irreversible suspension of the accounts involved.

We encourage you to introduce your client to Cad Crowd, and for those contracts, you’re permitted to transition the client off the platform without suspension. Also, there may be instances where an ongoing business partnership forms between you and your client, which makes direct collaboration mutually beneficial. Consequently, two criteria aren’t considered platform circumvention of services when you transfer a relationship off the platform.

The exceptions are as follows:

• Hire Direct Program: You can transfer a relationship off the platform when payment is made for the Hire Direct Program service.
• Bring-a-Client Program (BAC): Your client partnership was formed outside Cad Crowd, your work moved onto the platform, and you later transitioned your work off the platform. This includes contracts that are part of the Bring-A-Client (BAC) Program.

Breaching the non-circumvention provisions in the Terms of Service will terminate your privileges and result in account suspension. Additionally, we may invoice users for the Hire Direct Program fee if the non-circumvention clause is violated by payment outside the platform.

How to report a user for circumvention

Please get in touch with us immediately if you encounter an unexpected request for payment outside the platform.

To report a message:

1. Go to your inbox
2. Click the down arrow on the right of a message (image below)
3. Select the reason that you’re reporting the message

To report an email:

If you get an email that asks for payment outside of the platform, please get in touch with us right away. This applies even if the message is sent from the @cadcrowd.com email address.

Questions and answers

What happens if I move my client’s job contract outside the platform?

If your contract moves off the Cad Crowd platform, we cannot provide any support, including customer service, payment security, and conflict settlement services. Managing any issues related to payments, work quality, deadlines, etc., will fall solely on you without our intervention and help.

How do I know if I can move my contract outside the platform and accept direct payments from clients?

Two job contract exceptions don’t violate the Terms of Services of platform circumvention.

• Hire Direct Program: You can transfer a relationship off the platform when payment is made for the Hire Direct Program service.
• Bring-a-Client Program (BAC): Your client partnership was formed outside Cad Crowd, your work moved onto the platform, and you later transitioned your work off the platform. This includes contracts that are part of the Bring-A-Client (BAC) Program.

If your client wants to hire you directly using the Hire Direct Program, we will notify you when the service fee is paid.

What is the Hire Direct Program?

The Hire Direct Program allows clients to hire you directly, move your contract off the platform and pay you directly. The service fee is based on 13.5% of the expert’s annual earnings (i.e., $40,000 salary x 13.5% = $5,400 service fee). Please read our article to learn more about the Hire Direct Program.

How can I move a contract off Cad Crowd and pay the Hire Direct Program fee?

The Hire Direct Program is usually initiated and paid for by your client. Please ask your client to contact our support team to start the process.

1. Go to Dashboard
2. Click Transactions in the sub nav
3. Click Request Payout tab

Please read our article to learn about adding your preferred payment method and managing payouts.

Note: Ensure you add your PayPal email to your account before you request a payout.

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Request a client recommendation

Use the following steps to ask a past client or employer for a profile recommendation:

1. Visit Account settings > select Your profile
2. Scroll down the page to Request a recommendation
3. Click + Send invite request button
4. Add a client’s email > click Send button (or copy + share your Recommendation link)

After you send the invite request, we’ll email your client with a link to leave a recommendation on your public profile.

Rules for profile recommendations

See the following rules for client recommendations:

• Types for reviews: You may contact your past clients for recommendations, including Cad Crowd members, clients, and employers.
• Recommendation rules: Each client may share one recommendation on your profile. Multiple recommendations by the same client are not permitted, regardless of how many projects you’ve completed for the client.
• Email invites: You can only send one email to each client through our platform. If a client did not see the recommendation email invite, you could manually copy and share your recommendation link manually with a client.
• LinkedIn: We may ask you to share your client’s LinkedIn URL if your profile isn’t established on the Cad Crowd platform.
• Review period: Our support team needs time to review and manually authenticate most client recommendations. Sometimes, a review may take 1-2 business days to approve and share on your public profile.
• Recommendation limits: You may share up to 50 client recommendations on your expert profile.

Questions and answers

Why did the Cad Crowd support team reject my client’s recommendation?

We maintain trust and high standards on the Cad Crowd platform and only allow client recommendations that we can authenticate. In this instance, you may have shared incomplete client information, and the testimonial was rejected. Consider seeking a testimonial from a different client instead.

Can I still request a recommendation from a client without a LinkedIn profile?

You may request a recommendation if a client has a business email address. If the client uses an email address, we may ask the client for a phone call before the recommendation is posted to your public profile.

Do recommendations help me get a Top expert badge?

The recommendations are not counted as successful job contracts and do not count towards the Top expert badge on the platform. Recommendations will help boost your profile completion score and visibility in the freelancer search algorithm.

How do you authenticate my client profile recommendations?

We reach out to your past clients to verify the authenticity of your profile recommendations.

Is there a limit to the number of recommendations past clients can post on my profile?

Each client can only share one recommendation on your public user profile. Your profile allows a maximum of 50 recommendations from different clients.

Can I remove a client’s recommendation from my public profile?

Please contact our support team to delete a recommendation on your profile.

Note: You can only delete recommendations and not reviews from work completed on the platform.

Can I edit a client recommendation if the information is inaccurate or the text is misspelled?

You can’t manually change a client recommendation. Please get in touch with us if you’d like to make an update to the recommendation.

Can I ask my client for a recommendation if the work was completed on Cad Crowd?

Yes, you can ask one of your past Cad Crowd clients to share a recommendation on your public profile. Recommendations differ from reviews and do not impact your star ranking or Top expert status. Reviews related to job contracts on Cad Crowd can be seen in the Review section of your public user profile.

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How reviews work

The work reviews you receive are crucial to your success as an expert on the platform. Also, sharing reviews with your clients helps them recognize their positive management attributes and areas that could improve. Additionally, you contribute to the collective success of other experts on Cad Crowd by assisting them with recommendations about which clients are good to work with.

When your job contract ends, clients are prompted to share a review of their work experience. You can also share a public review about your experience with the client.

How to leave a review for a contract

Take the following steps to share a review for a client job contract:

1. Visit My contracts
2. Scroll down to find your closed contract’s name
3. Click the Give review button beside the contract name

See your client review for a job contract

Your client testimonials and positive reviews help increase the number of work offers you receive on Cad Crowd. Positive feedback builds credibility, validates your expertise, and gives future clients insight into your working style.

Your past reviews are showcased on your profile and your job applications on Cad Crowd. Also, our hiring AI analyzes your reviews to recommend your profile and expertise to potential clients.

You can share your profile link on social media (i.e., LinkedIn, portfolio websites, etc.) to promote your services, cultivate your brand, and build a work track record for more opportunities on Cad Crowd.

Your client reviews also enable you to identify your best skillsets and areas of experience that need improvement for future success. Analyzing your reviews assist in sharpening your abilities, expanding your job offers, and fine-tuning your area of specialization.

You can see all your reviews by visiting your dashboard and clicking the View my public profile button.

Steps to view your review from a specific contract:

1. Visit My contracts > scroll down to see Ended contracts
2. Click the contract name to view the job’s Workspace
3. Click the Terms & settings tab to see the review

Tip: You can only see a client review after you and the client post a review. The platform uses a double-blind review system with a 14-day deadline, and if only one party shares a review, the post won’t be visible until the 14-day window ends.

Share your profile for more opportunities

Client endorsements and favorable reviews boost the opportunities for work assignments on Cad Crowd. Positive feedback enhances your trustworthiness, confirms your professional skills, and provides potential clients with an understanding of your work approach.

You can disseminate your profile link across social media platforms (such as LinkedIn, portfolio websites, and so on) to showcase your services, develop your brand, and establish a professional history for expanded opportunities on Cad Crowd.

Ways to share your profile:

• Share profile link: You can share your profile link on social media websites, blogs, and your website to get hired on Cad Crowd.
• Embed 3D models: You can embed your 3D models on your website and blogs. The 3D viewer allows you to share your 3D models with clients anywhere online.

Remember: Use the public visibility if you want to share your profile link on other websites or with clients that need to join Cad Crowd. Private profiles are not visible to clients without an account on Cad Crowd.

Double-blind review system

When your job has contract closed, you have 14 days to share a review about your experience working with a client. The platform uses a double-blind review system, and your feedback is only publicly available after you and your client post about your work experience. The system promotes an authentic and accurate summary of the collaboration experience.

Note: The double-blind review system has a 14-day deadline. If only one party shares a review, it will be published after the 14-day window.

If the 14-day window closes, you can ask your client to extend the deadline for posting a review. You’ll receive an email notification if the client approves your review extension request.

In most cases, a client will initiate the end of a contract and be shown a prompt to post a review. If you decide to end the contract, we will prompt you to post a review when you close the contract.

Be cautious when allowing an update to your review since the client can increase or decrease your employer score. You are given a 14-day window to consider the client’s request to edit a review posted on your expert profile. Keep in mind that a modification is permitted once for your job contract.

Steps to allow a client to make edits to their review

See the following steps:

1. Visit your Job contracts
2. Click on job contract
3. Select Terms & settings > click Allow client to edit review

The platform uses double-blind reviews, so the feature that allows clients to edit expert reviews is only visible after both parties share a review (or after the 14-day review deadline ends).

Remember: You can only allow an edit to your client review once for a job contract.

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Responding to a job review

If you disagree with the feedback you received, you take the following actions:

• Reply: You have a 28-day deadline to reply to a review after a job contract ends.
• Dispute review: If you received a review that violates the terms of service, you can dispute the review. Most reviews do not violate our terms of service and cannot be removed.

You can reply to the review, which is visible to the client and your public profile. You are limited to one reply and cannot change your response after it is posted.

Reply to a job contract review

Use the steps below to reply to a review:

• Visit Job contacts
• Click the Job contract with the review
• Select the Terms & settings tab > click Respond button

Remember: You can’t change your reply to a review after you post it.

Dispute a review of a job contract

As reviews reflect the user’s personal perspective, we cannot alter or confirm the validity of subjective information. Please communicate your concerns regarding reviews directly with the client. If the client is willing to adjust your review or star ratings, they may update your review in their contract workspace settings.

If you cannot resolve the disagreement with the client and the review violates the terms of service, don’t hesitate to contact our support team.