GETTING PAID
Getting paid for freelance projects in Europe
Understand how to get paid for freelance projects in Europe when you work through VirtualMasst.
You set your professional rate, agree the job directly with the employer and invoice the employer in your own name. VirtualMasst facilitates pre-funding and payment through Stripe.
- Agreed work is pre-funded before you start
- You set your professional rate
- You invoice the employer directly
ELIGIBILITY
Who can get paid through VirtualMasst
VirtualMasst is for independent professionals working directly with employers.
Freelancer
A freelancer is hired to produce an agreed deliverable, such as design, code, copy, photography or another defined output.
European freelance opportunities
Consultant
A consultant advises on strategy or decisions by analysing a situation, recommending actions and helping guide direction.
Independent consultant opportunities
PROFILE
Prepare your profile before paid work
Employers read your profile to decide who to contact. Your professional details also need to stay current as you work through the platform.
Show your impact
Describe a concrete situation you improved or solved. Include the challenge, your approach and the result.
Be specific about your depth
Explain the level at which you operate and illustrate it with relevant examples.
Define your core expertise
State clearly the skill or discipline you specialise in. Make your main area of expertise easy to understand.
Specify your availability
Provide your availability so employers can see whether it fits the timing of the job.
OPPORTUNITIES
Find jobs before the payment process begins
Public jobs
Published jobs in the public category are visible to registered talents.
- Read the full job before applying
- Apply when the job fits your expertise and availability
Private invitations
Published jobs in the private category are visible only to invited talents.
- Review whether the job fits your expertise
- Check the timing and commercial terms
- Accept or decline the invitation
Found through profiles
Employers browse by job category and talent titles.
- A clear profile helps employers find you
- Name your category plainly
- Include your working languages and relevant expertise
APPLYING
Apply before agreeing payment terms
Check the fit
Check that the job matches your experience, the timing works for you and the scope is clear enough to evaluate.
Apply
If the job meets your requirements, click the Apply button.
The system will ask you to upgrade if you have not upgraded.
First contact
Wait for the employer to contact you and move forward from there.
COLLABORATION AGREEMENT
Agree scope, rate and project structure
Agree the job directly with the employer before work begins.
- The deliverable and expected outcome
- Your rate and the time commitment
- Acceptance criteria
- Several projects for a larger job, if the employer chooses to split the work
- How changes affect the scope, timing and rate
- Ownership and permitted use of the completed work
PAYMENT
How freelancers get paid on VirtualMasst
Payouts are issued fifteen calendar days after the employer releases payment for a completed project.
- Current charges are listed on Pricing.
- Connect Stripe and complete the required identity, banking and compliance checks, including Know Your Customer (KYC), before you can be paid. Your profile is reviewed and approved by the VirtualMasst team.
- Employers pay upfront by credit card or bank transfer through Stripe. Funds are held within the Stripe payment flow until release.
- Talents across Europe can use VirtualMasst's PEPPOL invoicing when required.
POSITIONING
Your profile is your professional passport.
A strong profile demonstrates how you work and what you deliver. It helps employers understand your experience before they decide whether to contact you.
Profiles that demonstrate capability
- Completing a complex migration without data loss
- Improving a process
- Delivering a measurable outcome
- Showing the context and constraints around the job
- Working with tight deadlines, legacy systems or limited resources
Keep your expertise clear
Focus your profile on the services, experience and outcomes that best represent your professional work.
ACCEPTING THE OFFER
Confirm the job before work begins
Accepting an offer
When an employer invites you to a job, review the scope, project structure, timing and commercial agreement.
If everything is clear and aligned with your expectations, you can accept the offer.
Acceptance confirms that you agree to the job, timeline and rate and that you are ready to begin once pre-funding is in place.
Declining an offer
If the job does not fit your expertise, availability or professional direction, you can decline it.
Declining means you are not taking the job and allows the employer to continue with other talents.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Prepare for payment
- Know your professional rate, availability and working rhythm
- Keep your Business number and professional details up to date
- Keep your profile and CV updated with completed work
- Have your invoicing details ready
- Confirm the scope, timeline, deliverables and rate with the employer
- Confirm whether the work setup is on site, remote or hybrid
INDEPENDENCE
Keep control of your professional payment relationship
You work as an independent professional and invoice the employer in your own name.
Agree clear outcomes
Confirm the deliverables, timeline and project structure before work begins.
Confirm pre-funding
Make sure the agreed work is pre-funded before you start.
Complete the agreed work
The employer reviews the completed work against the agreed criteria and confirms completion.
Invoice the employer
You invoice the employer in your own name. Talents across Europe can use VirtualMasst's PEPPOL invoicing when required.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Create your profile and prepare to get paid
Build a clear professional profile, keep your Business number and invoicing details current, and connect Stripe when required for payment.
Independent consultant opportunities
European freelance opportunities
YOUR NEXT STEP
Create your profile and prepare to get paid
Build a clear professional profile, keep your Business number and invoicing details current, and connect Stripe when required for payment.
Create your profile
Browse current jobs