Freelancing Glossary

Working with clients

Brief: the client's description of what they need, including goals, details and examples.

Scope: exactly what work is included in a project. Anything outside the scope is extra work.

Scope creep: when a project slowly grows beyond what was agreed, usually through "small" extra requests. See how to handle difficult clients.

Deliverable: something you hand over to the client, such as a logo file, an article or a finished website.

Milestone: a stage of a project, often with its own deadline and payment.

Revision: a round of changes to your work, based on the client's feedback.

Turnaround time: how long you take to deliver work after starting.

Retainer: an ongoing arrangement where a client pays a fixed amount each month for a set amount of work or availability.

Deposit (upfront payment): part of the fee paid before work starts, often 30–50%.

Rush fee: an extra charge for delivering much faster than usual.

Kill fee: a payment the client owes if they cancel a project after work has started.

Statement of work (SOW): a document that describes the scope, deliverables, timeline and price of a project.

Contract: a written agreement between you and the client. Make one with the free contract generator.

NDA (non-disclosure agreement): a contract in which you promise to keep the client's information secret.

Testimonial: a short statement from a happy client about working with you.

Referral: a new client sent to you by someone you've worked with.

Lead: a person or business that might become a client.

Upsell: offering an existing client an additional, related service.

Spec work: work done for free in the hope of being paid or hired later. Be careful with it.

Platforms and profiles

Gig: a fixed-price service you sell on Fiverr, such as "I will design a logo".

Package: a gig level with a set price and set deliverables, usually Basic, Standard and Premium.

Gig extras: optional add-ons that buyers can purchase with a gig, such as faster delivery.

Proposal: your application for a client's job post, explaining how you'll help.

Bid: the price and proposal you submit for a project, especially on Freelancer.com.

Connects: Upwork's tokens for sending proposals. You buy them. See Upwork Connects explained.

Boosted proposal: an Upwork proposal where you spend extra Connects to appear higher on the client's list.

Invitation: a client's request for you to apply to their job. On Upwork, replying to one doesn't cost Connects.

Project Catalog: Upwork's section where freelancers sell fixed-price projects that clients can buy directly.

Job Success Score (JSS): Upwork's score for how satisfied your clients have been with your work.

Top Rated: a badge given to high-performing freelancers on platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr.

Seller level: Fiverr's ranking of sellers based on their performance, from new sellers up to Top Rated.

Response rate and response time: how often and how quickly you reply to messages. Clients and platforms notice both.

Portfolio: a collection of your best work samples. See how to build a portfolio with no clients.

Niche: a specific type of client or service you focus on, such as "websites for restaurants".

Headline or title: the short line at the top of your profile that says what you do.

Clearance period: the time a platform holds your earnings before you can withdraw them, such as 14 days on Fiverr.

Dispute: a formal disagreement between you and a client, handled through the platform's resolution or support center.

Money and payments

Hourly rate: what you charge for one hour of work. Find yours with the hourly rate calculator.

Fixed price: one agreed price for the whole project, however long it takes.

Quote: your price and terms for a project, sent before work starts. See how to quote a project.

Invoice: a bill you send to a client. Create one with the free invoice generator.

Net 7 / Net 30: payment terms meaning the invoice must be paid within 7 or 30 days.

Platform fee (commission): the share of your earnings a marketplace keeps, such as Fiverr's 20%.

Service fee: a fee charged by a platform, to the client, the freelancer or both.

Withdrawal fee: a charge for moving money out of a platform or payment service.

Exchange rate markup: the hidden cost when money is converted between currencies at a worse rate than the official one.

Escrow: money held by a third party, such as a platform, until the work is approved.

Chargeback: when a payer asks their bank or card company to reverse a payment.

Payoneer: a payment service many freelancers use to receive money from platforms and clients abroad. See Payoneer in Nepal.

Receiving account: account details in a foreign currency that let clients abroad pay you like a local bank transfer.

SWIFT/BIC code: an international code that identifies your bank for transfers from abroad.

IBAN: an international bank account number, used mainly in Europe and the Middle East.

KYC (know your customer): identity checks that banks and payment services must carry out, such as checking your ID.

PAN (Permanent Account Number): your tax identification number in Nepal. See freelancer tax in Nepal.

TDS (tax deducted at source): tax that is taken from a payment before you receive it.

Safety and accounts

Two-factor authentication (2FA): a second step when you log in, such as a code from an app, which protects your account even if your password leaks.

Password manager: an app that creates and stores a strong, unique password for every account.

Phishing: fake messages or websites that try to steal your login details or money. See how to protect your freelance accounts.

Overpayment scam: a fake client sends too much money and asks for a refund of the difference. The original payment later fails.

Task scam: you're paid small amounts for simple tasks, then asked to deposit money to "unlock" more. You never get it back.

Account suspension: when a platform blocks your account, often for breaking its rules.

Off-platform payment: being paid outside the marketplace where you met the client. Most platforms forbid it.

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