DEBEL Fees and Charges
For Parents, Students, Institutions, Employers
Classes /events
Debel is free to sign up, post a project, receive bids from instructors, review the instructor's portfolio and discuss the class requirements. If you choose to award the class, we charge you a small project fee relative to the value of the selected bid, as an introduction fee.
The cost and how this fee is charged depends on the type of project.
For fixed price projects, a fee of 3% or $3.00 USD (whichever is greater) is levied at the time a project has been awarded by you. If you subsequently pay the instructor more than the original bid amount we will also charge the class fee on any overage payments.
For hourly projects, a fee of 3% is levied on each payment that you make to the instructor.
You may cancel the class from your dashboard at any time for up to seven (7) days after the project has been accepted for a full refund of your fee.
Optional project upgrades may be purchased.
Contests
At the time of posting a contest, employers must provide funds equivalent to the total contest prize. We have a Money Back Guarantee for this prize money.
The Money Back Guarantee entitles you to get your money back for up to 30 days from contest closing if you are not happy with the submitted entries. You can get refunded simply by contacting support.
Note that refunds are not available on 'Guaranteed contests', and this refund does not include any upgrades that you may have selected for the contest. If you've already selected an entry as the winner and completed the contest handover, which has released the prize money to them, you are not eligible for a refund.
There is no contest fee for posting and awarding the contest for employers.
Each additional awarded entry will also require payment of the prize for that entry.
Optional contest upgrades may be purchased.
Services
At the time of ordering a service, employers must provide funds equivalent to the total service price. The payment is protected by the Debel Milestone Payment System. Only release the payment once you are 100% happy with the work that has been delivered.
For Instructors
Instructor is free to sign up, create a profile, select skills of classes or events you are interested in, upload a portfolio, receive classes or events notifications, discuss class details with the parents, students or institutions, bid on projects (free members receive initially 6 bids per month) and enter contests.
Optional bid upgrades may be purchased to promote a bid.
Classes or events
For fixed price projects, if you are awarded a project, and you accept, we charge you a small project fee relative to the value of the selected bid, as an introduction fee. If you are subsequently paid more than the original bid amount, we will also charge the project fee on any overage payments.
For hourly projects, the fee is levied on each payment as it is made by the employer to you.
The fee for fixed price projects is 10% or $5.00 USD, whichever is greater, and 10% for hourly projects.
Contests
Submitting entries to a contest is free. Contest fee applies when you are awarded a contest prize. This fee is charged when the prize is released, which is after contest has been awarded to you and the handover of entry materials has been completed to the contest poster's satisfaction.
The freelancer contest fee is 10% or $5.00 USD, whichever is greater.
Preferred Freelancer Program
If you are in the Preferred Freelancer Program, you will be charged 15% project fee when you are awarded and accept a Recruiter project. This will not be charged upfront, like on regular projects, but rather when you receive the payment.
Refunds as Bonus Credit
In some instances, refund of fees may be done as bonus credit. This bonus may only be used on site, and can not be withdrawn or transferred. The bonus will expire in 90 days from the date of receipt.
Membership Plans
Select from a range of membership plans to determine the fees you pay for our service. You can work on the site as either an employer or freelancer as a free member, or gain additional benefits as a paid member by upgrading to a paid plan.
Memberships will recur on either a monthly or annual basis on the anniversary of your subscription, unless cancelled. If funds are insufficient we will try to renew your membership for up to 30 days, until funds are made available.
You may cancel your membership at anytime from the user settings page, which will cease billing at the end of your subscription period without additional costs.
employment
- Personal Home Tuition / Tutoring Classes - academic: 8% - 15%
- Personal Online Tuition / Tutoring Classes - academic: 8% - 15%
- Personal Coaching Classes - non-academic / extracurricular: 8% - 12%
- Personal Online Coaching Classes - non-academic / extracurricular: 8% - 12%
- Group Tuition / Tutoring Classes – academic: 10% - 18%
- Online Group Tuition / Tutoring Classes: 10% - 18%
- Group Coaching Classes – non-academic / extracurricular: 10% - 15%
- Universities / Colleges: 5% - 10%
- Schools: 5% - 10%
- Courses: 8% - 15%
- Online courses: 8% - 15%
- Seminars: 10% - 18%
- Webinars: 10% - 18%
- Workshops: 10% - 18%
- E-books: 5% - 12%
- Video tutorials: 5% - 12%
- E-learning: 8% - 15%
- Conferences: 10% - 18%
- Conventions: 10% - 18%
- Internships & Practical Training: 5% - 12%
- Mentorship Programs: 5% - 12%
- Academic Resources & Study Materials: 5% - 12%
- Educational Games & Simulations: 5% - 12%
- Industry Certifications & Accreditation: 8% - 15%
- Distance Learning Support: 8% - 15%
- Career Placement & Job Training: 8% - 15%
- Educational Software & Tools: 5% - 12%
- Continuing Education & Lifelong Learning: 8% - 15%
- STEM Outreach & Educational Events: 8% - 15%
Other Fees
Projects
The following fees are optionally charged for additional services. Unless otherwise specified according to the benefits of a paid membership plan:
|
Posting request for personal classes |
FREE |
|
Featured |
$9.99 USD |
|
Urgent |
$9.99 USD |
|
Private |
$21.99 USD |
|
Full Time |
$229.99 USD |
|
Recruiter |
$11.99 USD |
|
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) |
$21.99 USD |
|
IP Agreement |
$21.99 USD |
|
Sealed |
$9.99 USD |
|
Priority |
$5.00 USD |
|
Extend |
$9.99 USD |
Contests
The following fees are optionally charged for additional services. Unless otherwise specified according to the benefits of a paid membership plan:
|
Posting a Contest |
FREE |
|
Awarding contest |
FREE |
|
Awarding to additional freelancers |
FREE |
|
Guaranteed |
FREE |
|
Featured |
$30.00 USD |
|
Top Contest |
$30.00 USD |
|
Urgent |
$35.00 USD |
|
Highlight |
$15.00 USD |
|
Sealed |
$30.00 USD |
|
Private |
$25.00 USD |
|
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) |
$20.00 USD |
|
Extend |
Costs: |
Bid Fees
|
Bidding on projects |
FREE |
|
Sponsored bid |
0.75% of bid amount (minimum $5.00 USD, maximum $20.00 USD) |
|
Highlight Bid |
$1.00 USD |
|
Sealed Bid |
$0.10 USD |
Contest Entry Fees
|
Submit an Entry |
FREE |
|
Sealed Entry |
$0.50 USD |
|
Highlight Entry |
$0.50 USD |
Directory Fees
|
Directory sponsorship |
As selected at time of sponsoring (minimum $50.00 USD) |
Exams
|
Taking an exam |
Dependent on exam. As specified prior to purchase. Typically either free, $5.00 USD, $10.00 USD, or $15.00 USD. |
Change of Username Service Fee
|
Change of username service |
One time chance to change your username for $99 USD. Read more here. |
Transaction Fees
|
Transaction fees incurred for using Credit Card, PayPal or Skrill.* |
$0.30 USD + 2.3% |
|
Local Bank Deposit |
FREE |
|
International Wire Transfer |
$15.00 USD |
*Australian users incur $0.30AUD + 0.99% for Credit/Debit card transactions.
Arbitration Fees
The arbitration fee for a milestone dispute is $5.00 USD or 5%, whichever is greater.
Our dispute resolution system is designed to allow both parties to resolve issues regarding milestone payments amongst themselves without arbitration.
After 4 days of a dispute being filed (or 7 days if the dispute is filed by the freelancer) either party may elect to move the dispute to paid arbitration. The other party will then have a further 4 days to agree to pay this fee and for both parties to submit any final evidence. If the other party fails to pay within time, they will lose the dispute.
The arbitration fee will then be refunded to the winner of the dispute.
Offsiting Fee
Users who have violated our Terms and Conditions by conducting communications and transactions outside the platform will be assessed a penalty equal to 30% of the maximum project budget or the agreed amount.
Withdrawal Fees
Fees may be optionally levied depending on the method of withdrawal. Additional fees may be levied by the third party offering the withdrawal method.
|
Express Withdrawal |
FREE |
|
PayPal |
FREE |
|
Skrill (Moneybookers) |
FREE |
|
Payoneer Debit Card |
FREE |
|
International Wire |
$25.00 USD |
We impose a minimum withdrawal, after fees, of USD $30.
Maintenance Fee
User Accounts that have not logged in for six months will incur a maintenance fee of up to $14.00 USD per month until either the account is terminated or reactivated for storage, bandwidth, support and management costs of providing hosting of the user's profile, portfolio storage, listing in directories, provision of the HireMe service, file storage and message storage. These fees will be refunded upon request by users on subsequent reactivation.
Taxes
Taxes are applied based on local rates and rules defined by the user's country of residence / registered country.
|
Australia - Goods and Service Tax (GST) |
10% |
|
Chile - Value Added Tax (VAT) |
19% |
|
European Union - Value Added Tax (VAT) |
|
|
India - Tax Collected at Source (TCS) |
1% |
|
India - Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) |
1% / 5% |
|
Mexico - Income Tax Withholding |
1% / 20% |
|
Mexico - Value Added Tax (VAT) |
16% |
|
Russia - Value Added Tax (VAT) |
20% |
|
Switzerland - Value Added Tax (VAT) |
7.7% |
India Equalisation Levy Reimbursement
The treaty relieves freelancers of withholding obligations, for the avoidance of doubt, the Equalisation Levy. You are not being charged or paying for this levy, it is a reimbursement.
|
CLIENT |
FREELANCER |
WHO PAYS LEVY |
LEVY DETAILS |
|
Indian Resident |
Indian Resident |
Freelancer |
2% charged to Freelancer on gross earnings |
|
Indian Resident |
Other |
Client |
2% charged to Client on gross milestone payments |
|
Other |
Indian Resident |
Freelancer |
2% charged to Freelancer on gross earnings |
|
Other |
Other |
N/A |
N/A |
* Debel and its affiliates do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors.
User Agreement
The fees and charges summarised on this page are governed by the terms of the Debel User Agreement and related site policies. The User Agreement includes other important terms and should be read in full. In particular section 23 of the User Agreement specifies the consequences of termination for violations of the User Agreement. Those consequences can include fines for damages that Freelancer will sustain as a result of actions that breach the User Agreement.