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oDesk Guarantee

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What is oDesk's payment guarantee?
oDesk is the first and only service to guarantee that an hour billed is an hour worked and that an hour worked is an hour paid.
Please read our Manifesto for more about your rights as a buyer or provider.
How do I qualify for the oDesk payment guarantee?
To qualify for the oDesk payment guarantee you need:
  • an hourly assignment
  • a buyer with a verified payment method verified payment method screenshot
  • to log your time online with the oDesk Team application
  • adequate activity (generally at least 5 out of 10 on the activity meter)
  • to be visibly working on an assignment-related activity
  • adequate memos describing your work
  • to stay within the assignment's weekly limit (time over the weekly limit does not qualify)
  • an account in good standing with regards to oDesk policies and guidelines
Read the complete guarantee policy for full details.
Time that qualifies for guaranteed payment
guarantee guarantee
Why?
  • Time logged is online
  • Assignment is hourly
  • Activity level is over 5 (see green indicator)
  • Work memo included
Time that does NOT qualify for guaranteed payment
offline idle low activity no memo not work
User entered offline time
(yellow indicator)
Time is idle
(see yellow indicator)

Activity Level is low
(see green meter)
No work memo
Time appears unrelated to work
(User is browsing the Internet)
What kinds of payments aren't guaranteed?
The payment guarantee does not apply to any time or payment that doesn't meet the qualifications above. Specifically, the following are never guaranteed:
  • offline hours
  • bonus payments
  • all payments on fixed-price assignments
  • refunds
  • account adjustments
If payment is guaranteed, what's a dispute?
Disputes are a way to enforce our guarantee. In a dispute, the work diary in question will be examined to determine whether the time qualifies for our payment guarantee or not. (Read more about disputes.)
What is oDesk's work guarantee?
oDesk guarantees that every hour billed is an hour worked. We give you the tools to manage your assignments, but it is up to you to use them.
To qualify for the oDesk work guarantee you need:
  • an hourly assignment
  • a verified payment method verified payment method screenshot
  • to review your assignment's work diary weekly during the review period
  • to file any disputes during the weekly review period
  • an account in good standing with regards to oDesk policies and guidelines
Read the complete guarantee policy for full details.
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