PeoplePerHour sits somewhere between a traditional freelance marketplace and a service marketplace.
Freelancers can search for Projects and send Proposals, which makes part of the experience similar to Upwork or Guru. They can also create fixed-price Offers that clients can discover and purchase directly, which is closer to the way Fiverr works.
That combination is probably the most important thing to understand about PeoplePerHour. You do not have to rely entirely on bidding for work, but you also do not have to wait for clients to discover a packaged service.
For freelancers, that creates several possible routes to a client. You can respond to a posted Project, sell an Offer, or be contacted directly by a Buyer who has found your profile. Once the work begins, PeoplePerHour uses its WorkStream and Escrow system to manage communication, project terms, invoices and payment.
The platform also has a fee structure that rewards repeat business. The percentage PeoplePerHour charges falls as your lifetime billing with an individual Buyer increases, so a client who keeps coming back can become considerably more valuable than a series of one-off projects.
What Is PeoplePerHour?
PeoplePerHour is a freelance marketplace connecting independent professionals with businesses looking for project-based services.
The platform uses the term Buyer for the client and Freelancer for the professional providing the service.
PeoplePerHour covers a broad range of work, including writing, design, web development, marketing, business support and other professional services. Its own platform guidance describes three main ways a Buyer can hire someone: purchasing a predefined Offer, posting a Project and receiving custom Proposals, or finding a freelancer profile and requesting a Proposal directly.
That gives PeoplePerHour more flexibility than a marketplace built around only one acquisition model.
A freelancer might sell a small packaged service through an Offer and later turn the same Buyer into a larger custom client relationship. Someone else might ignore Offers almost entirely and concentrate on responding to Projects.
If you are comparing PeoplePerHour with other general marketplaces, our guide to the best freelance websites to find work covers several different models.
How PeoplePerHour Works
Before freelancers can start using the marketplace fully, they need to complete an application.
PeoplePerHour’s current freelancer application guidance says applicants verify their email and complete an application containing information such as their profile photograph, professional information and skills. The application is then reviewed before the freelancer gains access to the marketplace.
Once accepted, the freelancer can build out their profile, create Offers and look for Projects.
If you find a Project you want, you send a Proposal explaining what you would deliver, the price and the commercial terms. If the Buyer accepts it, funds are deposited into Escrow before the work begins.
If a client purchases an Offer instead, the full Offer price is placed into Escrow.
From there, communication and project administration happen through PeoplePerHour’s WorkStream. Once the agreed work is complete, the freelancer raises an invoice and the Buyer releases the appropriate payment.
It is a fairly conventional freelance workflow, but the combination of Proposals and Offers gives freelancers more than one way to get into that workflow.
PeoplePerHour Projects
Projects are the proposal-led side of PeoplePerHour.
A Buyer posts a requirement explaining what they need, and freelancers can submit Proposals for the work.
For someone coming from Upwork, this part of the platform will feel familiar. You browse current opportunities, decide which ones are relevant and explain why you are suited to the project.
PeoplePerHour’s current Proposal guidance recommends addressing the actual deliverables, timeline and required skills rather than sending generic applications. It also notes that Buyers may begin reviewing Proposals before every application has arrived, so timing can matter alongside relevance.
That does not mean sending rushed applications to everything.
A fast, irrelevant Proposal is still irrelevant. The better approach is to recognise jobs where your previous work gives you something specific to say and respond while the opportunity is still active.
PeoplePerHour Offers
Offers are the other major side of the marketplace.
An Offer is a predefined fixed-price service created by the freelancer. The client can browse it and purchase it without first posting a custom Project.
PeoplePerHour describes Offers as smaller, clearly packaged services. Its current Offer policies describe them as fixed-price services designed to showcase what a freelancer can deliver in a relatively contained form.
A copywriter might create an Offer for a landing-page rewrite. A designer could offer a pitch deck review. A developer might sell a WordPress speed audit.
The important part is that the service needs to be clear enough for someone to understand before they buy it.
This gives freelancers an alternative to constantly searching through Projects. A well-positioned Offer can bring clients to you instead.
Projects vs Offers
The two models suit different kinds of work.
A Project makes more sense when the requirement needs discussion before the final price or scope can be agreed. Website builds, consulting engagements and longer marketing projects often fall into this category.
Offers work better when the service is predictable enough to define upfront.
That does not mean an Offer client has to remain a small client forever.
PeoplePerHour explicitly supports follow-on work through the same WorkStream. A Buyer could purchase a small Offer to test a freelancer and then commission a larger custom Project after the first piece of work goes well.
That progression can be useful because one-off marketplace transactions are usually less valuable than clients who return with additional work.
Creating a Strong Profile
Your PeoplePerHour profile supports both sides of the marketplace.
Someone reviewing your Proposal may open it before deciding whether to reply. A Buyer browsing freelancers directly may discover the profile without you having contacted them at all.
That means the profile needs to explain what you actually do rather than becoming a catalogue of every possible skill.
If most of your experience is in Shopify development, make that easy to see. If you specialise in paid search for ecommerce brands, the profile should reflect that. If you are a presentation designer, examples of presentation work are more useful than a huge portfolio full of unrelated graphics.
PeoplePerHour gives you several ways to reach clients, but none of those acquisition routes can make an unclear profile convincing.
The aim is to make the next step easy for the Buyer: understand your work, see relevant evidence and decide whether a conversation is worthwhile.
Proposal Credits
PeoplePerHour uses Proposal credits to control how many Projects a freelancer can apply to.
Under the current system, freelancers receive 15 free Proposal credits at the beginning of every month. Sending a standard Proposal normally uses one credit. Free credits reset each month rather than accumulating, while additional credits that you purchase can roll over if unused.
This means freelancers cannot apply to an unlimited number of Projects using the free allowance.
That is not necessarily a bad thing.
Fifteen Proposals can be enough if you are selective and the marketplace has relevant work. They can disappear very quickly if you send applications to every remotely suitable listing.
The better measure is not how many Proposals you manage to submit. It is how often those Proposals result in useful conversations and paid work.
Buying More Proposal Credits
If the 15 free monthly credits are not enough, PeoplePerHour allows freelancers to purchase additional credits through their account settings.
Purchased credits roll over rather than disappearing at the end of the month.
Freelancers can also buy separate Featured Proposal credits. A Featured Proposal receives additional visibility in the Buyer’s PeoplePerHour inbox and notifications, but it still consumes a normal Proposal credit as well.
Features like this are worth treating as optional acquisition costs rather than necessities.
Making a good Proposal more visible may help. Paying to feature applications that are poorly matched to the Project is unlikely to improve the underlying economics.
Before buying more credits regularly, it is worth knowing what your existing applications are producing.
Writing Better Proposals
PeoplePerHour’s own current advice is refreshingly practical: understand the deliverables, timeframe and skills required before sending the Proposal.
That is a better starting point than trying to write the longest application.
The Buyer has already told you there is a problem. Your Proposal should show that you understand it and have enough relevant experience to help solve it.
If the Project asks for a Webflow redesign, show Webflow work. If the Buyer wants paid social support, discuss the channels and types of campaigns you have actually managed. If they need a financial model, explain the relevant modelling experience rather than sending the same freelancer introduction you use for every finance Project.
PeoplePerHour also allows budgets to function as guidelines rather than necessarily fixed final prices, so a strong fit may still be worth discussing if the Project cannot realistically be completed within the original estimate.
The Proposal should help clarify the engagement rather than simply win the click.
How Deposits Work
When a freelancer submits a Project Proposal, they specify how much needs to be deposited into Escrow before the work begins.
PeoplePerHour’s deposit guidance currently recommends funding smaller fixed-price Projects fully and using a substantial deposit for larger work. It also imposes minimum deposit levels depending on the Project structure.
For a small fixed-price Project below 40 in the relevant marketplace currency, the minimum deposit is currently 100%. For larger fixed-price work, the minimum is 30%, while PeoplePerHour recommends 50%.
Hourly work uses deposit requirements based on the minimum number of hours in the engagement.
The exact numbers matter less than the principle behind them: do not complete substantial freelance work when there is no funded payment structure behind the agreement.
PeoplePerHour Escrow
Escrow is central to PeoplePerHour’s payment system.
When a Buyer purchases an Offer, the entire Offer price goes into Escrow. When they accept a custom Project Proposal, the agreed deposit goes into Escrow before work begins.
The money is held by PeoplePerHour rather than immediately being transferred to the freelancer.
Once the freelancer completes the work and raises an invoice, the Buyer can approve the invoice and release the appropriate funds.
For freelancers, the benefit is knowing that money has actually been committed before starting.
For Buyers, it means the freelancer does not simply receive the full payment with no delivery requirement attached.
That structure cannot prevent every disagreement, but it gives both sides much stronger protection than an informal promise to pay later.
Our report on freelancers facing payment issues looks more broadly at why funded milestones and clear payment terms matter in independent work.
The WorkStream
The WorkStream is the central workspace for a PeoplePerHour relationship.
It contains communication between the Buyer and freelancer, along with Proposals, deposits, invoices and other important project information.
This is more important than it may initially sound.
When an agreement changes through a phone call, private message or several disconnected channels, it becomes difficult to establish later what both sides actually agreed.
PeoplePerHour’s trust and safety guidance specifically treats the WorkStream as an important record if a dispute occurs.
That makes keeping significant project decisions inside the platform useful even if day-to-day collaboration eventually involves other tools.
Scope changes, payment agreements and approvals are the things you want documented clearly.
PeoplePerHour Freelancer Fees
PeoplePerHour’s freelancer fee structure is based on lifetime billing with each individual Buyer.
The current commission tiers are:
| Lifetime Billing With One Buyer | Freelancer Service Fee |
|---|---|
| Below £250 | 20% |
| £250 to £5,000 | 7.5% |
| Above £5,000 | 3.5% |
The fees are listed excluding VAT where applicable. PeoplePerHour also currently applies a minimum service fee of £1 per invoice.
This structure is quite different from a marketplace that charges the same percentage regardless of how long you work with the client.
A new Buyer starts in the most expensive tier. As your lifetime billing with that individual Buyer grows, the fee percentage falls.
That makes repeat business especially valuable on PeoplePerHour.
How the Fee Tiers Work
The fee tiers apply progressively based on how much you have billed a particular Buyer over the lifetime of that relationship.
The important phrase is per Buyer.
Billing £6,000 across ten unrelated clients does not put all future marketplace work into the 3.5% tier. The lower fee applies when lifetime billing with a particular client passes the relevant threshold.
That changes how freelancers should think about the economics of PeoplePerHour.
A £100 one-off Project carries a relatively high platform cost because it sits in the 20% tier. A client who goes on to spend several thousand pounds with you becomes progressively less expensive to serve through the marketplace.
That gives freelancers a strong reason to treat good client relationships as more valuable than simply chasing the maximum number of first-time orders.
Is PeoplePerHour Expensive?
The answer depends heavily on the client relationship.
A 20% fee on the first £250 billed with a Buyer is substantial and is similar to the freelancer share taken by Fiverr on completed orders.
The economics become more attractive once lifetime billing with that client moves into PeoplePerHour’s lower tiers.
That means the platform can feel relatively expensive for freelancers doing lots of small one-off Projects while being more competitive for professionals who develop repeat Buyer relationships.
The fee should therefore be included in your pricing from the beginning.
If you need to receive a certain amount for the work, calculate what remains after the applicable marketplace charge rather than setting a price and treating the fee as an unexpected deduction afterward.
Getting Paid
When the work is complete, the freelancer raises an invoice through the WorkStream.
The Buyer can approve that invoice, which releases the appropriate funds from Escrow. After PeoplePerHour processes the payment and its security checks, the money moves into the freelancer’s PeoplePerHour account.
The funds are not necessarily available for immediate withdrawal.
PeoplePerHour’s current payment guidance says the clearing period can take approximately 14 working days before money becomes withdrawable. Once a freelancer submits a withdrawal request, PeoplePerHour says that request is typically processed within another two working days.
This is worth understanding before relying on PeoplePerHour income for immediate expenses.
Completed work, paid invoices and cash available in your bank account can happen on different dates.
Withdrawal Methods
PeoplePerHour currently supports withdrawals to a bank account, PayPal and Payoneer, subject to account and geographic availability.
Its platform wallet operates in GBP, EUR and USD.
Freelancers using Payoneer need to pay attention to the currency attached to the receiving account because funds may need to be converted before withdrawal if the currencies do not match.
Cross-border freelancers should always look at the complete payment chain rather than focusing only on the marketplace commission.
Currency conversion and withdrawal arrangements can affect the amount that ultimately reaches your bank account.
What Happens if the Buyer Does Not Approve an Invoice?
PeoplePerHour has processes for invoices that remain unanswered.
Its current Escrow guidance says overdue invoices can be processed automatically when the Buyer has neither accepted nor rejected them after the platform’s reminder period. The timeframe is currently seven days for Offers and 15 days for custom Projects.
The Buyer can also reject an invoice if they believe the work is incomplete or incorrect, and disputed cases can enter PeoplePerHour’s resolution process.
This is another reason keeping the Project inside the WorkStream matters.
A freelancer’s position is much clearer when the agreed scope, submitted work, feedback and subsequent changes have been documented in the same system that is handling the payment.
Is PeoplePerHour Free for Freelancers?
There is no standard registration fee simply to join PeoplePerHour, and the platform does not charge freelancers to search for Projects or post Offers.
Instead, PeoplePerHour makes money primarily through service fees on freelancer earnings and additional optional marketplace features.
Freelancers currently receive 15 free Proposal credits each month and can buy additional credits if needed.
That makes it possible to test PeoplePerHour without immediately paying for applications.
As with other marketplaces, however, “free to join” does not mean “free to use commercially.” Once you win work, the service fee affects what you actually earn.
PeoplePerHour for Buyers
From the client side, PeoplePerHour provides several ways to begin.
A Buyer can browse Offers and purchase a predefined service, post a custom Project and receive Proposals, or browse freelancer profiles and contact someone directly.
That flexibility is useful because not every requirement deserves the same hiring process.
If you need a small, clearly defined service, an Offer may be enough. If you are commissioning something larger, posting a Project gives freelancers room to respond to the specific brief.
Clients can then use the WorkStream to keep communications and payment activity around the Project in one place.
Once the work is complete, the Buyer reviews the invoice and releases payment from Escrow.
Reviewing Freelancers
PeoplePerHour gives Buyers access to freelancer profiles, previous work and marketplace reputation when deciding who to hire.
The useful approach is to look for evidence relevant to the Project rather than simply choosing whoever sends the cheapest Proposal.
A freelancer who has already completed several similar projects is easier to evaluate than someone whose profile contains dozens of unrelated skills.
Communication during the Proposal stage matters too.
A freelancer asking thoughtful questions about the brief may be more useful than someone who immediately agrees to everything without clarifying what the Project actually requires.
The cheapest Proposal can become expensive if the work needs substantial revision or has to be completed again by someone else.
Is PeoplePerHour Legit?
Yes. PeoplePerHour is an established freelance marketplace with active Project, Offer, WorkStream and Escrow systems.
As with any open online marketplace, that does not mean every user or Project should automatically be trusted.
Freelancers should check whether the Buyer has funded the required Escrow deposit before beginning work. PeoplePerHour itself says freelancers should not start work before the Proposal has been approved and the required money is under Escrow.
Clients should also evaluate freelancers rather than assuming every profile will deliver the same quality.
The platform creates the infrastructure around the relationship. Both sides still need to make good decisions about who they work with.
PeoplePerHour vs Upwork
PeoplePerHour and Upwork both allow clients to post projects and freelancers to submit proposals, so part of the experience is similar.
The main difference is that PeoplePerHour has a more visible hybrid model through Offers.
A PeoplePerHour freelancer can pursue posted Projects while also creating predefined services that Buyers can purchase directly.
Upwork has expanded beyond traditional proposals through products such as Project Catalog, but its marketplace identity remains strongly associated with posted jobs, proposals and Connects.
The fee structures differ as well. PeoplePerHour starts at 20% with a new Buyer and drops as lifetime billing with that Buyer grows, while Upwork currently assigns a contract-specific freelancer service fee between 0% and 15%.
If you are considering that platform too, our guide to Upwork for freelancers explains its current jobs, Connects and fees.
PeoplePerHour vs Fiverr
PeoplePerHour’s Offers are the part of the platform most similar to Fiverr.
Both let freelancers turn services into something clients can browse and buy.
The difference is that PeoplePerHour also keeps a strong custom Project marketplace alongside those services.
A freelancer can therefore use Offers for repeatable work and Proposals for requirements that need more discussion.
Fiverr has also been expanding beyond its original Gig model, but packaged services remain a major part of how the marketplace works.
For someone who likes the idea of selling predefined services but still wants access to posted Projects, PeoplePerHour’s hybrid model can be attractive.
Our guide to Fiverr for freelancers covers that marketplace separately.
PeoplePerHour vs Freelancer.com
PeoplePerHour and Freelancer.com both support open Projects where freelancers compete for client work.
Freelancer.com is more strongly centred around bidding and also runs contests as a prominent part of its marketplace.
PeoplePerHour adds the Offer model and uses a different freelancer commission system based on lifetime billing with each Buyer.
That creates different incentives.
On Freelancer.com, the standard freelancer fee is generally tied to the individual Project. On PeoplePerHour, continuing to work with the same client can move your future billing into progressively lower commission tiers.
That makes repeat relationships particularly important on PeoplePerHour.
Our Freelancer.com review explains the differences in its bidding, membership and fee model.
PeoplePerHour vs Guru
Guru is another traditional project marketplace.
Its freelancers send Quotes rather than PeoplePerHour Proposals, and Guru uses a membership structure that changes both the available Bids and the Job Fee.
PeoplePerHour does not use that same membership model. Instead, it provides 15 free Proposal credits each month and applies its declining fee structure based on lifetime Buyer billing.
Guru also uses SafePay for funded project payments, while PeoplePerHour uses Escrow.
The underlying idea is similar: both platforms try to make sure money can be committed before the freelancer completes the work.
The choice between them should come down largely to current demand in your category and which fee structure makes more sense for the type of clients you tend to build.
Our guide to Guru for freelancers covers that platform in more detail.
Is PeoplePerHour Good for Beginners?
PeoplePerHour can be useful for beginners, but joining the platform does involve an application review rather than instant unrestricted access.
Once accepted, a new freelancer still has the usual marketplace problem: no PeoplePerHour reviews or transaction history.
That means the profile and outside portfolio have to carry more weight initially.
Beginners should probably avoid spreading the 15 monthly Proposal credits across weak applications. A Project where you have strong evidence of relevant work is far more valuable than one where you are applying mainly because it is available.
Offers can provide another route, particularly if you know how to turn a skill into a clear small service.
Someone new to freelancing may find that exercise useful in itself because it forces them to define exactly what a client receives for the price.
Is PeoplePerHour Good for Experienced Freelancers?
Experienced freelancers may get more from the platform’s hybrid structure.
Someone who already understands their most common client problems can turn repeatable work into Offers while using custom Proposals for larger engagements.
Strong outside portfolio evidence can also reduce the disadvantage of having limited PeoplePerHour history when first joining.
The declining commission structure becomes particularly relevant once repeat clients appear.
A long-term Buyer eventually becomes much less expensive from a marketplace-fee perspective than continually replacing each completed project with a first-time customer.
That can make PeoplePerHour more attractive for professionals who treat the platform as a way to build ongoing relationships rather than simply chasing isolated transactions.
Where PeoplePerHour Is Strongest
PeoplePerHour’s most useful feature is not one individual tool. It is the fact that freelancers can use several acquisition models inside the same marketplace.
You can respond to posted Projects when something relevant appears. You can create Offers around services that are easy to package. Buyers can also discover your profile and ask for a custom Proposal.
Once work starts, the WorkStream and Escrow system keep the commercial side reasonably organised.
The fee structure also gives repeat business a real financial benefit because the service percentage drops as lifetime billing with the same Buyer increases.
That combination makes PeoplePerHour more interesting than treating it simply as another job board.
Where PeoplePerHour Can Be Harder
The starting freelancer fee is high.
A 20% service fee on the first £250 billed with a new Buyer is significant, particularly on small projects. The model becomes more attractive if the same client keeps working with you, but not every Buyer will turn into a long-term relationship.
Proposal credits also mean you need to be selective about applications.
There is then the payment timeline. PeoplePerHour says funds can take approximately 14 working days to clear before withdrawal, so freelancers relying on rapid access to income should account for that delay.
Finally, marketplace demand varies by category. The presence of Projects on the site does not mean there will always be enough high-quality work in your particular niche.
That needs to be tested rather than assumed.
Where Flexable Is Different
PeoplePerHour gives freelancers several ways to make themselves available to Buyers.
A Buyer can choose an Offer, post a Project and receive Proposals, or search profiles directly.
Flexable has been moving toward a more project-first matching model.
The client begins by explaining what needs to get done, including the scope, budget and timeline. The goal is then to narrow relevant talent around that requirement rather than making the Buyer work through a broad marketplace first.
We explain that approach in FLXB 2.0: How Flexable Works Today.
The difference becomes more noticeable as projects become less standardised.
PeoplePerHour Offers can work well for clear, repeatable services. Its Projects work well when a Buyer wants several freelancers to send custom Proposals.
A matching-led model becomes useful when the client would rather reduce the amount of initial searching and filtering.
Different projects can justify different hiring processes.
Should Freelancers Use PeoplePerHour?
PeoplePerHour is worth testing if there is active demand for your work and you are comfortable with both proposals and packaged services.
The 15 free Proposal credits each month make it possible to explore the Project marketplace without immediately buying extra application capacity.
Start selectively.
Look for Projects where your portfolio genuinely matches the requirement. Build one or two Offers around services you understand well. Then watch what happens over a few client interactions.
The useful numbers are straightforward: how many Proposals become conversations, how many conversations become projects, whether Offers generate enquiries, how often Buyers return, and what you keep after service fees.
Those results tell you whether the platform deserves more of your time.
Should Clients Use PeoplePerHour?
PeoplePerHour can be useful for clients who want several ways to buy freelance services.
A small, predictable requirement can be handled through an Offer without creating a complete job post.
A larger Project can be posted so several freelancers can submit custom Proposals.
A client who already knows which professional they want can contact that freelancer directly.
That flexibility reduces the need to force every purchase through the same workflow.
The client still needs to define custom Projects properly. Better briefs create better Proposals and make it much easier to compare freelancers on capability rather than simply price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PeoplePerHour?
PeoplePerHour is a freelance marketplace where clients can post custom Projects, purchase predefined freelancer Offers or contact freelancers directly for proposals.
Is PeoplePerHour free for freelancers?
There is no standard registration fee, Project-search fee or fee for posting Offers. PeoplePerHour charges service fees when freelancers earn money through the platform.
How many free Proposals do you get on PeoplePerHour?
PeoplePerHour currently gives freelancers 15 free Proposal credits each month. Sending a standard Proposal normally uses one credit.
How much does PeoplePerHour charge freelancers?
The current freelancer service fee is 20% below £250 in lifetime billing with an individual Buyer, 7.5% between £250 and £5,000, and 3.5% above £5,000, excluding VAT where applicable.
What is an Offer on PeoplePerHour?
An Offer is a fixed-price service created by a freelancer that Buyers can purchase directly without first posting a custom Project.
Does PeoplePerHour use Escrow?
Yes. Offers are fully funded into Escrow, while custom Projects use an agreed deposit. Funds are held until the appropriate payment is released to the freelancer.
How long does PeoplePerHour take to pay freelancers?
After the Buyer pays an invoice, PeoplePerHour processes the payment and applies a clearing period that can take approximately 14 working days before the money becomes available for withdrawal.
Can you buy more PeoplePerHour Proposal credits?
Yes. Freelancers can purchase additional Proposal credits, and purchased credits roll over if they are not used during the month.
Is PeoplePerHour like Upwork?
Partly. Both allow freelancers to respond to client Projects with custom proposals. PeoplePerHour also gives freelancers a more prominent Offer system for selling predefined services.
Is PeoplePerHour like Fiverr?
Its Offers are similar to Fiverr Gigs because they package freelance services at a fixed price. PeoplePerHour also has a substantial Project-and-Proposal marketplace, so its overall model is broader.
Final Thoughts
PeoplePerHour is easier to understand when you stop trying to place it entirely in either the Upwork or Fiverr category.
It does both.
Freelancers can actively pursue posted Projects through Proposals, while also creating Offers that Buyers can purchase directly. Clients can take a third route and contact a freelancer they find through search.
That flexibility is probably the strongest part of the platform.
The economics require more attention. The 20% service fee on the first £250 billed with a new Buyer is significant, but the rate falls substantially when the relationship grows. That makes repeat clients especially valuable and gives freelancers a reason to think beyond winning isolated Projects.
The Escrow system adds useful payment structure, although the clearing period means money may take time to become withdrawable after an invoice is paid.
For freelancers, the practical approach is to test both sides of the marketplace. Use the free Proposal credits on Projects where you have a real fit, create Offers around services you can define clearly, and pay attention to which route brings clients worth keeping.
If PeoplePerHour produces repeat relationships rather than only occasional low-value transactions, its fee structure and hybrid marketplace model begin to make considerably more sense.