Elance delivers an immediate, cost-effective and flexible way to hire, manage and pay independent professionals and contractors online. Companies tap into a skilled talent pool and distribute their work to on-demand experts, while professionals develop client relationships, deliver services and get paid for what they do best.

Elance makes money when the work is delivered and payments are made through Elance. When clients (employers) make payments to their service provider(s), Elance deducts between 6.75% and 8.75% from each payment to cover its Service Fee and Payment Processing costs, transferring the remaining amount directly to the service provider’s Elance account.  In addition, there is a one-time $10 account activation fee to setup an Employer account. 

Service Fee:
The service fee is Elance’s earned commission and ranges between 4% and 6% of payments made to providers for work delivered. The service fees vary as follows:

• 6% if the provider’s earnings in the past 6 months are less than $10,000 USD (or the service provider has a free membership)
• 5% if the provider’s earnings in the past 6 months exceed $10,000 USD
• 4% if the Provider’s earnings in the past 6 months exceed $40,000 USD

The service fee applies to all payments that a client makes to a service provider identified on Elance in the first year, whether the payments are made through Elance or not. After 12 months the service fee applies only for payments made through Elance. For additional information, please refer to our Terms of Service.

Payment Processing:
An additional 2.75% payment processing charge is collected by Elance to cover expenses incurred with third-party payment processors such as credit card companies and banks.

Provider Membership Plans

Providers who join Elance select one of four membership plans that best fits their needs ranging from free (ideal for getting started) to plans suited for providers who are active in seeking clients and submitting proposals.

Withdrawing Funds from Your Elance Account

When providers receive payments, there are several options for withdrawing funds. Below is a table which shows the fees associated with each withdrawal method: