Here are a list of frequently asked questions and answers. If you don’t see your question here, please send it to us to answer and add here.

GENERAL
What is Internet.com Freelancer?
How does Internet.com Freelancer work?
What languages do you support?
Do you have RSS project feeds?
What is a WatchList?

REGISTRATION
How do I sign up?
What does it mean to become an Internet.com member?
What is a role?
What if I want to be both an employer and freelancer? Is this possible?
Can I change my membership plan once I register?
How long am I signed up for?

ACCOUNT SET-UP
How do I promote my skills and services?
Where do I create a public profile?
What is the difference between a personal profile and a public profile?
What is verification?
How do I get my credentials verified?
How long does it take to get verified?
Where can I add my business registration number?

POSTING & AWARDING PROJECTS
How do I find freelancers to hire?
How do I post a project?
Which category should I post my project in?
What type of auction event styles do you support?
What type of bidding privacy do you support?
How many projects can I list?
Can I invite freelancers to bid on projects?
How do I view bids and award project?
Can I cancel a project that I have posted?

BIDDING ON PROJECTS
How do I find projects to bid on?
How do I bid on projects?
How many projects can I bid on?
Can I Re-bid on a project I already bid on?
Can I retract a bid?
How do I know if I was awarded a project?
How much time does a freelancer have to accept an awarded project?

COLLABORATION
What is the secure MediaShare system?
How does the feedback/rating system work?
What if additional work and payment is required beyond the original scope of the project?

COMMUNICATION
How do employers and freelancers communicate with each other?
How do Private Message Boards (PMB) work?
How do Public Message Boards work?

PAYMENT
What exactly is safe escrow?
How do I fund safe escrow?
Where can I see transaction details?
What currencies do you accept?
Are there any fees associated with this service?
How do I fund my account? What payment methods do you accept?
How do freelancers get paid?
How can I withdraw money from my account? What payout methods do you offer?
Do I need to submit 1099 tax forms?

GENERAL

What is Internet.com Freelancer?
Internet.com freelancer offers a complete marketplace for developers, programmers and other technology professionals to promote their services to employers who are looking for help with IT projects. All project postings, bidding, collaboration, communication, and payments are performed right here in an all-in-one secure work environment.

How does Internet.com Freelancer work?
The typical process works like this:

Employer posts project. Freelancers bid on project. Employer reviews bids, evaluates freelancers and awards project to a freelancer.

Employer funds the safe escrow account that will be used to pay freelancer. Freelancer accepts project.

Freelancer begins work on project. Employer and Freelancer communicate using internal private message system. They can share files with the secure MediaShare system.

Once the freelancer finishes the project, the employer pays the freelancer by releasing all funds from escrow account into freelancer’s online account.

What languages do you support?
Right now we only have an English version of the web site.

Do you have RSS project feeds?
Yes we do. You may use our simple feed generator to select which categories you would like to receive project feeds from. You can also set the number of projects to download at one time. Feeds are RSS 0.91 compliant.

What is a WatchList?
Watchlist allows members to keep track and recall freelancers and projects. The Watchlist manager can be found in the main CP control panel. This section is mainly used to organize and monitor potential employers/freelancers and project activity in the marketplace and to keep record of current interests.

REGISTRATION

How do I sign up?
Internet.com Freelancer is free to join and available to all Internet.com members. To become an Internet.com member and create a freelance marketplace profile in one easy step, simply complete the registration form . If you are already an Internet.com member, you may use your existing account info during the registration process. If you are not already logged into Internet.com, you may do so from the registration form. If you would like to create a new profile for the freelance marketplace, make sure you are logged out and then register as a new user.

Once you submit the registration form, you should receive a welcome e-mail.

What does it mean to become an Internet.com member?
The free Internet.com membership provides access to exclusive content on our network, including our eBook Library, whitepapers, newsletters, webcasts, WinDrivers and more. Get the technical resources you need to succeed in today's rapidly evolving IT, Developer and Business environments

What is a role?
During the registration process, you are asked to select a role. We currently have three options. You can choose Employer, Freelancer, or Entrepreneur. Choose “Employer” if you would like to post projects and hire freelancers. Employers are also sometimes referred to as Service Buyers. Choose “Freelancer” if you would like to bid on projects posted by “Employers”. Freelancers are also sometimes referred to as Service Providers. Choose “Entrepreneur” if you require the flexibility to post projects and bid on projects.

See our membership plan matrix for an overview of the various features and options available to each role.

What if I want to be both an employer and freelancer? Is this possible?
Yes! It is possible. When signing up make sure you choose the “Entrepreneur” role. This will give you the ability to create projects and bid on projects. Please review our membership plan matrix for an overview of role features.

Can I change my membership plan once I register?
Yes. You will have access to the Memberhisp Plan Manager, which is located in the left navigation of the “My Control Panel” menu. This provides details about your current plan and offers you the ability to upgrade to a different plan at no cost. You may also cancel your Membership Plan and opt-in for auto renewal.

How long am I signed up for?
You are a member forever, but your particular plan will expire after 1 year. Once your plan expires, you will be asked to renew. You may also opt in to auto-renewal through the Membership Plan Manager located in the left navigation of the “My Control Panel” menu.

ACCOUNT SET-UP

How do I promote my skills and services?
Internet.com Freelancer provides numerous ways for freelancers to promote their services, skills and talents. All of these can be accessed and managed from "My Control Panel".

1. Public profile
   
   1. Create opening statement or business case. This brief statement will be presented in the search results where your profile appears.
      
   2. Upload your company logo
      
   3. Post a promotional YouTube video
      
   4. Choose up to 20 project categories of expertise
      
   5. Add your professional summary to tell potential clients more about you.
   6. List your work experience, certifiations, licenses or awards, and education you have received. You may also opt to have us verify each one for a fee.
2. Portfolio provides an area to showcase any work you have done. You may upload photos, images, Word documents, spreadsheets—anything that will help showcase your talents.
3. You may also choose up to 25 skills in which to feature your profile. Employers looking for particular skills can quickly find your profile.
4. Bid on projects. By doing the above, you will be ready to bid on projects when employers post them in the public service auction area or invite you to a private auction.
5. Receive high ratings from employers with whom you have done business. These ratings will be publicly visible to employers when you bid on other projects.

Where do I create a public profile?
Public profiles are available to Freelancer and Entrepreneur level members. Once you are registered and logged in, you may create and update your public profile by clicking on the “Public profile” link in the ”Freelancer Activity” menu of the “My Control Panel” left nav.

What is the difference between a personal profile and a public profile?
A personal profile contains the required personal information you provide during the registration process. This information is private and is not shared publicly on the site. However, city, state and/or country may appear in your project listing or public profile as it may be important for location-based projects. You may edit your personal profile from the personal preferences menu

A public (or professional) profile contains information about your skills, experience, and other credentials. No personal profile information (besides location) is displayed on this page. This is where you promote your skills and services to potential employers. You complete your public profile after you activate your account.

What is verification?
Freelancers can list in their public profile any work experience, degrees, certifcations, licenses, awards they have received. This information is available to employers when they view your public profile. By default, all information supplied is unverified. You may choose to have us verify this information for a fee. Once we verify this information, each verified item in your public profile will receive a icon, and search results will indicate to employers if you have verified information in your public profile.

How do I get my credentials verified?
It costs $20.00 per verification. You must first update your public profile with any relevant degrees, certifications, licenses, and/or awards. After you save this information, return to the public profile update page. Each listed and verifiable item will have a live, corresponding “US$20.00” button. Clicking this button will take you to a payment page where you can review the certification request details and provide necessary contact info for us to verify your credentials.

You will only be able to submit the verification request if you have enough funds in your online account. You may fund your online account at the “Deposit Funds” screen. You may use PayPal, credit card, check, or wire transfer.

How long does it take to get verified?
This varies depending on volume and time it takes to reach contacts, but credential verification could take up to 2 weeks. If in this time we cannot establish contact with the verification authentication body, then we will notify you to discuss further action.

Where can I add my business registration number?
In the left navigation under preferences, click on “Personal Profile”. The last section of this page provides an area where you can add business registration information such as company name, company registration number, VAT registration number, and/or Dun and Bradstreet number (DUNS). This info will be visible to staff and partners you do business with. Your number will be displayed on invoices and related receipts generated to or from you.

POSTING & AWARDING PROJECTS

How do I find freelancers to hire?
Finding freelancers begins by posting projects for bid. During the posting process there are a variety of options you can choose to target freelancers. Some of these options are categories, public or private auctions, localization requirments, and rating requirments. You may also use our advanced search engine to find specific freelancers and invite them individually to bid on your project.

How do I post a project?
If you are an Employer or Entrepreneur, you may post projects for Freelancers to bid on.
There are two ways to begin the project posting process:

1. Click the Post Project tab in the top menu.
   
2. Click “Create New Project” from the “Employer Activity” menu in the left navigation of “My Control Panel”.

Which category should I post my project in?
Each project can only be posted in one project category. Our categories reflect specific technologies (i.e. .NET, Java, PHP, etc.) and general genres of popular projects (E- commerce, Content Management Systems, etc.). We suggest posting projects in technology specific categories before posting in general types of projects. For instance, if you need an E-commerce site built in .NET, post it in the “.NET” category. If you need an E-commerce site but are unsure of the technology or the technology is not listed, post it in the “E- commerce” category.

What type of auction event styles do you support?
We offer three popular auction event styles:

• Public – anyone can view and bid on your project
  
• Invitation Only - private invite-only auction which provides the option to invite other existing members from the marketplace or include a specific email adddress from potential providers who are not yet registered with the marketplace to bid on the project
  
• Realtime - can conduct a live auction event which gives bidders a more competitive and live environment to participate.

What type of bidding privacy do you support?
Employers have the choice to enable various types of bidding privacy for their auction listings.

• No Bid Privacy Enabled indicates that the bidder's names and bid amounts are shown and the listing is available to search results
  
• Sealed Bidding indicates that the bidders names are shown and bid amounts are hidden
  
• Blind Bidding indicates that the bid amounts are shown and bidders names are hidden
  
• Full Privacy indicates that owner can see all bids placed and bidders can see only their own bids but can't see other bids placed
  
  

How many projects can I list?
As many as you need. There is no project listing limit.

Can I invite freelancers to bid on projects?
Yes. You may invite specific freelancers as well as non members to bid. When posting a project, enter the e-mail address and first name of people you would like to invite. They will receive an e-mail with an invitation to bid on your project.

If you know they are already a member of Internet.com freelancer, go to their public profile page. In the left column under “My skills” click on the “Invite to Bid” link to invite this freelancer to an existing project auction or a new one you will be creating.

How do I view bids and award project?
You can view bids and award projects from your Employer Activity. In the first column, click on the "+" sign next to the project title, and then click the "Bid History" tab. From there you can view all the bids for that project and choose the freelancer you would like to award the project to.

Can I cancel a project that I have posted?
Yes. You may cancel a project that has or hasn't received bids as long as you have not awarded it to a freelancer. Use cancelations wisely. While you are under no obligation to accept a bid for your project, too many project cancelations may hinder your ability to receive bids in the long run.

BIDDING ON PROJECTS

How do I find projects to bid on?
There are a few ways to find projects to bid on:

1. You can use the search engine to find project auctions
2. You can browse project auctions via categories
3. You can receive e-mail notifications of projects in the categories you chose in your public profile. Project notifcation e-mails are delivered once daily.
4. You can use our RSS feed generator to create RSS feeds for project categories of your choice. Notification of projects are instant.

How do I bid on projects?
To bid on projects you must be registered as a “Freelancer” or “Entrepreneur”. Once you find a project to bid on, simply review the project details and click the "Place a Bid" button. This will take you to a page where you can submit:

• Bid amount
  
• Time to deliver (in days)
  
• Bid proposal
  
  

How many projects can I bid on?
If you signed up as a “Freelancer” you may bid on up to 20 projects a day up to 500 a month. If you signed up as an “Entrepreneur” you may bid on up to 10 projects a day up to 250 a month.

Can I Re-bid on a project I already bid on?
Yes. If you would like to adjust your bid on a project you already bid on, then you may do so as many times as you need. Re-bids do not count against your daily or monthly bid allotment. To re-bid, visit your Project Bidding Activity in "My Control Panel" and click the "Re-Bid" link for the desired active project.

Can I retract a bid?
Yes. Freelancers and Entrepreneurs may retract up to 5 bids per month. However, these should be used with caution and only in exceptional cases. Bid retraction count is displayed in your public profile for employers to view.

How do I know if I was awarded a project?
You will be notified by e-mail if an employer chooses your bid and awards you the project. You can also check the status of your bids by clicking on the "Awarded" tab in the "Bid Proposal Activity" area of "My Control Panel". Once you have been awarded a project, you must then accept or decline the award.

How much time does a freelancer have to accept an awarded project?
This is ultimately up to the employer, but once an employer awards a bid to a freelancer, the freelancer has up to 3 days to accept the award. After 3 days, the system automatically re-opens the project for bidding if there is any remaining time left.

COLLABORATION

What is the secure MediaShare system?
Once a project has been awarded, employers and freelancers can utilize the Secure Mediashare system to exchange project details.

The Work Space icon will only appear in the project listing and bid proposal activity once a project has been awarded and accepted.

The Secure Mediashare system allows employers and freelancers to upload relevant project/RFP content to share with each other or for private reference information they wish to keep orgainzed within the Private folder areas. The Media Share process begins when a freelancer accepts the awarded bid. Then files can be exchanged through the media space provided.

Private folders are available for the employer and freelancer to store private info not meant to be shared with each other. Shared folders are used to share relavant project media with each party in a more open format. Each party has access to these folders.

Buyers and Providers who have access to the folders have the ability to create new folders, move, copy or rename items, and even upload additional media. They can also move files between private and shared folders.

How does the feedback/rating system work?
Internet.com freelancer provides a detailed mechanism for employers and freelancers to rate and comment on their experience with each other.

Employers have the opportunity to provide detailed written feedback, rate their overall experience as positive or negative, and provide detailed ratings on individual aspects of their experience. The detailed rating system uses increments of 1.0 to 5.0 with 5.0 being the highest. Members in the marketplace will end up with an average of the overall feedback ratings given from other members which will be displayed in their selling profile for others to review. Employers may then use feedback ratings as a filter critieria when posting projects. For instance, an employer can create a project that only freelancers with a user rating of 4 out 5 or higher can view. Feedback information for freelancers will be visible when a member has received at least 10 detailed seller ratings. This information will be available on the freelancer’s public profile page.

The feedback left for employers from freelancers is simply based on a positive or negative experience and the feedback score can be reviewed from the employer's profile page.

What if additional work and payment is required beyond the original scope of the project?
If additional work for a particular project is required, Internet.com Freelancer offers freelancers access to our invoicing system free of charge. In your "Bid Proposal Activity" area locate the Invoice column, click the Invoice icon for the project that you need to bill for additional work. Here you will be able to enter the invoice amount and description that will be sent to the employer for that project.

COMMUNICATION

How do employers and freelancers communicate with each other?
Once a project has been awarded, the employer will have a private message board (PMB) to initiate communication with the freelancer. The employer also has the option to create a pubic message board for each project auction. Public message boards allow freelancers to ask employers questions during the bidding process.

How do Private Message Boards (PMB) work?
Private Message Boards allow an employer to contact a freelancer about a specific project. A PMB is set up once the employer awards the project to the freelancer. At this time the employer may initiate communication with the freelancer through the PMB. PMBs can be accessed from the "Project Listing Activity" menu. Click on the icon to access it.

How Do Public Message Boards work?
All employers have the option to enable public message boards for their projects. When enabled, a public message boards will appear below the project listing on the project- listing page. This allows freelancers to ask additional questions about a project before placing a bid. Public message boards are visible to everyone, but members must be logged in to post to it.

PAYMENT

What exactly is safe escrow?
Safe escrow provides a secure holding area for funds related to a specific project. When a project is awarded and the freelancer accepts it, a safe escrow account is created for that project. The employer is instructed to fund the safe escrow account with the winning bid amount before the freelancer begins work. The freelancer is instructed not to begin work until the safe escrow account is funded. Once the safe escrow account is funded, the employer cannot take back the funds; he can only release them to the freelancer. If the employer would like the funds returned to him, he must contact customer service.

How do I fund safe escrow?
The employer can fund the account by going to the Service Buyer Escrow Activity page and hitting the "Pay Now" link. This goes to a payment page where the employer can transfer funds from his online account into the secure escrow account. Once the escrow account is funded, one e-mail is sent to the employer confirming the transaction and another is sent to the freelancer notifying him that the money is in safe escrow. The freelancer can also verify that funds have been deposited into the safe escrow account by clicking on the "Escrow" tab in his "Selling Activity Dashoard".

Before funding safe escrow, please make sure you have enough money in your online account to transfer. Learn more about depositing funds.

Where can I see transaction details?
Internet.com freelancer provides a very detailed and intuitive invoicing system that is accessible from “My Account Manager” in “My Control Panel”. View account summary, unpaid invoices, debits, and credits. You can also view transaction history and all scheduled transactions.

What currencies do you accept?
We only accept US Dollars. We only payout in US Dollars. We provide a built-in currency calculator to estimate conversions from US dollars to a variety of international currencies.

Are there any fees associated with this service?
When the employer releases funds from the safe escrow account and pays the freelancer, a small commission fee of 6% is deducted plus an even smaller fee of 3% to cover fees payment processors charge us.

How do I fund my account? What payment methods do you accept?
We accept a variety of popular payment methods. Please see the chart below for details.

How do freelancers get paid?
Once a project is completed by the freelancer, the employer releases the funds from the safe escrow account to the freelancer’s account. At that time, a 9% final value fee is deducted. This covers a 6% commission and a 3% processing fee that payment processors charge us. The remaining money is in the freelancer’s online account, and he can withdraw the funds or accumulate funds to withdraw at a later time.

How can I withdraw money from my account? What payout methods do you offer?
We also offer a variety of popular payout methods. There is no additional withdrawal fee with any of these options. Please see chart for details.

Do I need to submit 1099 tax forms?
If you are a U.S.-based employer and hire and pay a freelancer who is considered a U.S. Person, then you may need to file a 1099 MISC tax form. The Form 1099 MISC is the form issued to freelancers who are U.S. Persons and who have earned more than $600 in one fiscal year. The 1009 MISC form basically provides a record of the income a freelancer has earned from a particular employer. It is the employer’s responsibility to issue the 1099 form to the IRS and the provider.

In order for an employer to complete and submit a 1099, he must request and collect the necessary W-9 form from the freelancer who is considered a U.S. Person. You are considered a US person if you are:

• An individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States
  
• A partnership, corporation, company, or association created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States, or
  
• Any estate (other than a foreign estate) or trust.