How can I protect myself when working on oDesk?

oDesk provides its buyers and providers with a suite of tools and applications, suggested best practices, and oDesk policies in order to ensure that they are able to work in a transparent and mutually profitable environment.

oDesk account profiles give both buyers and providers a synopsis of potential team members' history and performance feedback since they first joined the oDesk network. This insight is important when entering a new working relationship via oDesk, as it allows you to evaluate a future team member's potential.

It is important to adhere to oDesk's billing and payment process. Disintermediation from the oDesk network forfeits the safe and trusted platform that oDesk has established for all members to work effectively together. Any disputes that should arise regarding delivery of work or payment in such a situation will not involve oDesk.

Both of oDesk's payment models, Fixed-Price and Hourly, allow buyers and providers to "start small" with shorter-term assignments and then grow their working relationships to accomodate longer-term, larger projects. This method is recommended by oDesk and has been proven by many successful buyers and providers in the network.