Upwork starts charging $2.99 on Direct to U.S. Bank payouts abroad

From September 1, 2026, Upwork charges $2.99 on every Direct to U.S. Bank withdrawal when the tax address on your profile sits outside the United States. US tax addresses stay free. The fee hits any new withdrawal and any previously scheduled one that executes on or after that date. Only withdrawals already processed before September 1 went through at $0.

Direct to Local Bank outside the US is still $0.99 per transfer on Upwork’s own list. The old free ACH into a US account is now the more expensive of the two common bank options. A weekly Direct to U.S. Bank habit at $2.99 is about $155 a year; monthly is about $36.

If you invoice through Upwork from Spain or anywhere else with a non-US tax address, check the method on your next payout. Our international transfer fee calculator is the place to run the rest of the chain (Wise, Payoneer, a local account) once Upwork has taken its cut.

$2.99 is small until you click withdraw every Friday. Batch it, or change the payout method.