How contracts work on Belancer (fixed-price milestones and hourly).

A contract is how project work runs on Belancer. The client turns your proposal into an offer and funds the first milestone (or first week for hourly work). You accept, or propose changes. Once accepted, the contract page shows one Your next step card, the milestones or weeks, the activity and the terms. Money for each step is held as Payment Secured and released when the client approves.

Before you start

• Freelancers: you've sent a proposal and the client chose Hire. See send a proposal.
• Clients: see hire a freelancer for the client side of the offer.

Steps

1Receive the offer

The freelancer gets a notification and an email. In My proposals › Offers choose View offer. The contract page shows that the client offered you a contract, with the terms: type (fixed price or hourly), milestones and amounts, or the hourly rate and weekly limit, and the expiry.

2Accept, propose changes or decline

• Accept the contract to start. If the project has an IP assignment, you sign it now.
• Propose changes to the total, due dates, milestones or rate, with a reason. The client sees exactly what changed and can Accept & fund, edit and send back, or decline. Every round is saved.
• Decline offer if it isn't right. The client's funded money goes back to them.

3Follow Your next step

The top card always says who acts next and by when. For example: "Fund milestone 2 so the freelancer can start", "Submit milestone 1", or "Review milestone 1". Only the person who must act sees the main button.

4Work milestone by milestone (fixed price)

Each milestone is funded, worked on, submitted and approved, one at a time. See submit a milestone and fund a milestone.

5Work week by week (hourly)

Each week is funded up to the weekly limit, hours are logged with notes and proof, and the timesheet is approved. See hourly contracts and timesheets.

6Change the contract if needed

Choose Propose a change to the contract (milestones, amounts, dates or end date) or Propose a new rate or limit (hourly). Changes affect future work only and expire after 7 days if not answered.

7End the contract

When the work is done, either side chooses End contract. Then both leave a review. See end a contract.

What happens next

Each approved milestone or week is released to the freelancer's Pending balance, minus Belancer's fee, and becomes Available after 14 days. Contracts appear in Orders with the contract number starting C-.

Troubleshooting

• "Offer expired." The client needs to send a new offer; nothing was charged.
• The first milestone isn't funded. If it isn't funded within 7 days, the offer closes and the project reopens.
• I can't submit. The milestone must be funded first.
• We disagree about the work. Use Report a problem on that milestone. Only that milestone's money is frozen. See report a problem.

Good to know

• Agency contracts show "Agency · delivered by" the assigned member.
• Contact details stay hidden during contracts too; use messages, files and Belancer calls.
• Monthly contracts (Remote monthly projects) follow the same idea: each month is funded in advance and released at month end, where available.
• Quiet contracts: if a funded contract has no activity for a long time, both sides get a notice, and support may step in.

Tip: Agree milestone details in writing before accepting. Clear "What you'll deliver" lines make approval quick and disputes rare.

Important: Never start unfunded work or accept payment outside Belancer. Only funded milestones and weeks are protected.