Project Payment Types (for Buyers) (Click here to see this information for sellers)

There are two different ways to pay a Seller on a project: "pay for deliverables" and "pay for time". Below is an explanation of when to choose one over the other.

Pay for deliverables (recommended for new buyers) You will pay the seller a fixed price for delivering your entire project (or portions of it, if you setup paid milestones).  If the seller does not deliver to the contract, then you receive a refund of unawarded funds via arbitration. Advantages You are guaranteed to receive either receive the completed deliverables or your money back. If the Seller underestimates the amount of effort the project will take, they are responsible for absorbing the extra cost. You can set a deadline and if the Seller agrees to it and misses it, you can terminate the project and receive back unawarded funds. Disadvantages Rent A Coder fee to the Seller is higher (due to arbitration costs), which means they will tend to charge you more for the same job. You commit to completing the entire project (assuming the seller works competently). If you pull out prematurely, the seller is paid for the work they completed and you receive a poor rating from Rent A Coder. You must take the time to define your entire project up front so the worker can bid.  If this is too time consuming or you cannot, then you should choose "pay for time" instead. Your company's policy may not allow you to pay for deliverables and only allow paying for time Pay for time (recommended for advanced buyers only) You will pay the seller for the time they spend working on your project.  The seller will prove they are working this time by logging into a timecard application.  While logged in, Rent a Coder will peroidically take a webcam picture of them (to verify they are present on their computer) and screenshots of their desktop (to verify they are working on your project).  At the end of the timeperiod, you can verify the above and then pay them for the time worked.   If a picture shows they are not present or working on something else, an arbitrator will verify it and you will not have to pay for that portion. This option is ONLY recommended for advanced users who also have the time and ability to closely interview Sellers before the project, oversee/analyze their interim work for progress and review their timecard regularly. Advantages Rent A Coder fee to the Seller is lower (due to arbitration costs), which means they will tend to charge you less for the same job. You don't have to define the work up front. This is also ideal for any situation where you are unsure at the beginning exactly will need to be done. Also is ideal if you need a quick-question answered, desire live technical (or other) support, or are using Agile Development methodologies. You can terminate the project at any time and for any reason, without receiving a poor rating from Rent A Coder (Note: the seller is paid for the work they completed before termination). If your company's policy requires you to pay in this way, you can do so. Disadvantages If the seller underestimates the amount of effort the project will take, you will pay for more hours than you initially expected. There is no guarantee that you will receive the deliverables you desire...only that the seller will work a certain amount of time on your project. Requires close supervision of interim work and timecards to avoid cost overruns.