Upwork Now Lets Pakistani Freelancers Withdraw Earnings to JazzCash, Easypaisa in Minutes

Upwork has quietly introduced a new way for Pakistani freelancers to cash out. According to a Facebook post, the platform now allows users to send their earnings directly to local mobile wallets in PKR.

Five wallets currently show up on the list: JazzCash, Easypaisa, NayaPay, SadaPay, and Finja. The feature started appearing in Pakistani accounts on November 6.

Each withdrawal comes with a flat $1.99 fee, which works out to roughly PKR 551 at current rates.

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That fee places the wallet option somewhere in the middle of Upwork's existing choices for Pakistan. Direct-to-local-bank transfers cost $0.99 but can take up to four business days. Wire transfers, on the other hand, cost $50 and only make sense for large amounts. Payoneer works too, but adds its own conversion fees on top. The wallet option offers a balance: a little pricier than bank transfers, but the money usually arrives within minutes.

There is one inconsistency worth flagging, though. The in-app popup clearly shows the $1.99 fee, but Upwork's official help pages currently say the fee "varies by wallet" without listing a fixed amount. That suggests the rollout may still be in a testing phase, even though real users can already set it up and withdraw.

Setting things up takes just a few steps. Freelancers go to Settings, then Withdrawals, and add a new method. They select "Local Wallet" and enter their wallet details. One important rule: the name on the wallet must exactly match the verified name on Upwork. After setup, activation can take up to three days. Once active, withdrawals land almost instantly.

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For Pakistan's freelance economy, this is more than just a minor payment update. Pakistani freelancers earned a record $1.76 billion in FY2025-26, according to State Bank data — a 78% jump from the previous year. The country is now home to roughly three million freelancers, making it the world's fourth-largest freelance market. Upwork remains one of the top platforms they use, alongside Fiverr.

Until now, most Pakistani freelancers relied on Payoneer as their main cash-out route. That meant withdrawing from Upwork to Payoneer, then from Payoneer to a local bank or JazzCash — each step carrying its own fees and delays. The direct wallet option removes that middleman entirely, so freelancers keep more of their earnings and get to them faster.

The rollout also fits into Upwork's broader global expansion of payment options. Still, the platform has its own challenges. It laid off 25% of its workforce in May 2026 and reported declining revenue in Q2. Adding local payment methods in high-growth freelance markets like Pakistan could help it compete with platforms offering smoother payout experiences.

For now, freelancers should double-check the fee on their own withdrawal screen before finalizing. The $1.99 figure comes from the in-app popup, not the official help documentation, which hasn't caught up yet.