The invoice is not the money
Between what a client pays and what reaches your bank, three things happen: the platform takes a fee, holds the money for a while, and converts it into your currency, often with a margin. Plan with the last number, the payout, and put it in the month it lands.
Upwork
| As of October 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Service fee | From 0% to 15% per contract, shown before you accept and fixed once the proposal or offer is sent |
| Hourly contracts | The week is billed on Monday, the client can review until Friday, then a 5 day security period: available about 10 days after the week ends |
| Fixed-price | The client has up to 14 days to review a delivery (then it is released automatically), then a 5 day security hold |
| To a euro account | Direct to Local Bank: US$0.99 per withdrawal, within 4 business days; some banks add an incoming fee |
| Other methods | Wire in US dollars US$50; Payoneer and PayPal have a small per-transfer fee shown in your withdrawal settings |
| Conversion | Your Upwork balance is in US dollars; when you withdraw in another currency the rate is set by payment partners and may include a markup |
Upwork lets you download your transaction history as a CSV file.
Fiverr
| As of October 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Service fee | You earn 80% of each order, extras and tips included |
| Clearance | 14 days after the order is completed; 7 days for Seller Plus, Top Rated and Pro. An order completes on its own 3 days after delivery if the buyer doesn’t act |
| Early Payout | For eligible freelancers, skip the clearance for a 1% fee |
| PayPal | No Fiverr fee, minimum US$1, within 24 hours; PayPal’s own conversion fees may apply |
| Bank transfer via Payoneer | Fiverr’s help pages give US$1 or US$3 for a local-currency transfer: check the figure shown in your account |
From the Earnings page you can email yourself a CSV report of your activity.
Stripe
| As of October 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Standard EEA cards | 1.5% + €0.25 |
| Premium EEA cards | 2.8% + €0.25 |
| UK cards | 2.5% + €0.25 |
| International cards | 3.15% + €0.25 |
| Currency conversion | +2% when a conversion is needed |
| Payout timing | First payout usually 7 days, up to 14; then 3 business days (Italy, Germany, Ireland and others) |
| Payout cost | Standard payouts free; Instant Payouts 1%, minimum €0.50 |
Prices from stripe.com for Ireland, Italy and Germany, identical in the three countries.
Three payments, followed to the bank
An example with round numbers. The Upwork fee is 10% here, but yours can be anything from 0% to 15%; the dollar rate is an example, before the payment partner’s margin.
| Upwork | Fiverr | Stripe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The client pays | US$1,000 fixed-price | US$500 order | €49 subscription, EEA card |
| Platform fee | −US$100 (10%) | −US$100 (20%) | −€0.99 (1.5% + €0.25) |
| Waiting | Review, then 5 days | 14 days clearance | About 3 business days |
| Withdrawal | −US$0.99 | PayPal: no Fiverr fee | Free |
| Conversion | × 0.86 = about €773, minus the markup | At PayPal’s rate, with its fees | None |
| What you plan with | About €770 | Under €344 | €48.01 |
Between 10% and 20% of these two invoices never reaches the account, before conversion, and the money arrives one to three weeks after the work is done. A budget built on invoices is a budget that runs short.
How to track it without losing a month
Log the payout, not the invoice
One line per payout, in the currency it landed in, on the day it landed.
Convert at one reference rate
For planning, the European Central Bank rate updated monthly is enough.
Forecast from the last three months
Platform income is irregular: the average of the last three months is a fair, cautious guide. Mark it half-certain unless the work is booked.
Keep platform work apart from passive income
Billed work stops when you stop; subscriptions don’t. Knowing how much of your spending passive income covers changes how much risk you can take.
How Freeboard does it
Questions
How much does Upwork take from freelancers?
Upwork’s Freelancer Service Fee ranges from 0% to 15% per contract. You see the rate before you accept, and it doesn’t change once the proposal or offer is sent. Withdrawing to a euro bank account with Direct to Local Bank costs US$0.99 per withdrawal.
When can I withdraw Fiverr earnings?
After the clearance period: 14 days from when the order is completed, or 7 days for Seller Plus, Top Rated and Pro freelancers.
How long do Stripe payouts take in Europe?
In Italy, Germany and Ireland the first payout usually arrives after 7 days (up to 14, depending on industry, country and risk); after that, payouts follow a 3 business day schedule. Standard payouts to a bank account are free.
Which number should I put in my budget?
The payout that lands in your account, in your currency. The invoice is what the client paid; the payout is what you can spend.
Sources
Read on 16 October 2026. Fees and timing change: check the official pages before you rely on a figure.
- Upwork: Freelancer Service Fee
- Upwork: hourly payments
- Upwork: fixed-price payments
- Upwork: Direct to Local Bank
- Upwork: wire transfers
- Upwork: currency conversion
- Fiverr: your earnings page
- Fiverr: clearance period
- Fiverr: Early Payout
- Fiverr: withdrawing your earnings
- Fiverr: Payoneer
- Stripe: pricing (Ireland; Italy and Germany identical)
- Stripe: payouts
- Stripe: Instant Payouts
- Multi-currency budget templateDollars, pounds and euros in one plan.
- Safe to spend calculatorMark platform income half-certain and see what you can spend.