Working with existing Upwork clients: how to set up work directly?

Question

Freelance

In light of recent events, there is an idea to transfer existing contracts off the exchange. Of course, a relocation would be best, but for now I'll try to get by with little bloodshed. In the last 2 years I am not looking for new contracts, 3-4 old clients are providing work. Who has already done this, please share the information:

1. How do you issue invoices and accept payments?
2. If the contract is hourly, how do you track time?
3. How do you transfer files - for example, only after payment? With verified clients, everything is often on trust, but this is a very unreliable thing.
4. Possible sanctions from Upwork? Of course, now this is the least of all worries, but suddenly everything will "become as before", but I don't want to spoil the profile. For example, we have been working with one client for more than three years. Previously, as far as I remember, after three years it was possible to start working directly. Now, it seems like, you need to pay 15% of the average annual income. Something has changed?

Answer 1

1. Invoice in the form and payment directly through swift to non-sanctioned banks
2. There are different softwares, in taste and color - toggl, teamlogger, tahometer, etc.
3. On trust, if the old trusted client - there are no problems. Or otherwise negotiate.
4. They have an official program - "pay interest and take the client away", I don't remember the exact name, google it. If Upwork finds out (or someone "knocks", for example, the client himself, this happened to others) that you are communicating outside the platform .. sanctions can be up to a ban. This is before the conclusion of the contract. And if after - you are generally free to communicate outside the platform. Only now, taking into account the impossibility of entering into new contracts and being in the search results, IMHO there is little sense from the platform.

Answer 2

It is better to temporarily move, so as not to strain the client with your problems and not risk a ban on the upwork for withdrawing clients outside the exchange.
I even think you will also be able to receive payments to a Russian account not under sanctions, just work from another country until the issue is resolved.
Those. you will not violate the laws of the Russian Federation, and comply with the requirements of Upwork.

Answer 3

For point 4, read the current license agreement, but it seems that after two years you can go to work directly. Otherwise, you have to pay compensation, which is rather big, in fact, as if full-time worked all the time.