Freelancer & Project Payment Rules

1. How project payments work

On Alwass, project money is held safely by Alwass until the work is done. The client pays first, the freelancer works knowing the money is there, and nobody is paid for work that was not delivered. These rules apply to every project milestone and freelance order paid through Alwass, and form part of our Terms of Service.

2. Step by step

1) The client and freelancer agree the work, the price and, for projects, the milestones. 2) The client pays the milestone or order through Alwass before work starts. Alwass holds the money, and the freelancer can see it is funded. 3) The freelancer does the work and submits it on Alwass. 4) The client reviews it. If it matches what was agreed, the client approves it. If not, the client asks for changes and explains what is missing. 5) When the work is approved, Alwass pays the freelancer the amount minus the Alwass service fee.

3. If the client does not respond

A client has 14 days to review a submitted milestone. After 11 days we send a reminder. If the client neither approves it nor asks for changes within 14 days, the milestone is approved automatically and the freelancer is paid. This stops a freelancer's money being held forever by a client who has gone quiet.

4. If the project is cancelled

If a project or order is cancelled before the work is approved, Alwass returns the held money for that unapproved work to the client. The freelancer is paid for any milestone already approved. Money already paid out to a freelancer for approved work is not taken back, except in a proven case of fraud.

5. The Alwass service fee

Alwass keeps a service fee of 12% from each amount paid to the freelancer. The client pays the agreed price and nothing more. For example, on a milestone of NPR 10,000, the freelancer receives NPR 8,800 and Alwass keeps NPR 1,200. The fee in force is shown before a project starts. No fee is kept on money refunded to a client.

6. When the freelancer gets paid

Approved earnings move to the freelancer's balance. Payouts are made once a week to the freelancer's saved bank account, eSewa or Khalti, for balances of NPR 500 or more. A smaller balance carries over to the next week. Where Nepali tax law requires tax to be deducted at source, we deduct it and show it on the payout.

7. Disagreements

If the client and freelancer cannot agree whether the work is done, either of them can raise a dispute from the project or order before it is approved. The money stays held while Alwass reviews the messages, files and delivery on the platform. Alwass then decides either to release the payment to the freelancer or to refund the client, and tells both sides why, within 15 days. See our Dispute Resolution page for the full process.

8. Stay on Alwass

Keep all project messages, files and payments on Alwass. Work paid outside the platform is not protected: we cannot hold the money, check the delivery or settle a dispute about it. Asking the other side to pay outside Alwass during an active project breaks our Terms.

9. Rights in the work

When a freelancer has been paid in full for a milestone or order, the client owns the work delivered for it, unless both agreed otherwise in writing. Until then, the work belongs to the freelancer.

10. Contact

Payment questions: finance@alwass.com. Disputes and complaints: support@alwass.com, +977 9864430736.