How To Withdraw Your Earnings From Upwork for Free in 2025
Getting paid on Upwork is exciting until it’s time to withdraw your money. Many Nigerian freelancers face the same issue: High fees, poor exchange rates, delayed payments, and blocked local bank accounts.
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Upwork supports multiple withdrawal options, but most of them either don’t work for Nigerians or take a big cut of your earnings. That’s why many freelancers are now switching to smarter, fee-free options like Cleva.
In this guide, you’ll learn the most effective way to withdraw from Upwork in Nigeria plus why it’s the best option if you want to save money, avoid delays, and stay in control of your earnings.
Source: Instagram
Why traditional withdrawal methods cost you more
If you're withdrawing from Upwork using Payoneer or a domiciliary account, here's what you're likely dealing with:
- $30–$50 wire transfer fees per withdrawal.
- Poor exchange rates when converting to Naira.
- Limited control over your money—you convert when the bank decides.
- Over time, these small losses add up to hundreds of dollars gone every year.
How to withdraw from Upwork via Cleva for free
Once your Cleva USD account is connected to Upwork, you’ll get paid without fees, your money will land in USD, and you can choose what to do next: either convert to Naira, spend with your Cleva card, or save in dollars.
Getting set up is simple, and the benefits kick in instantly. Whether you're new to Cleva or already using it, here’s how to start enjoying zero deposit fees on every Upwork payment:
Create a Cleva account here.
Verify your identity and get your free USD account in minutes.
After getting your Cleva USD account successfully, go to the ‘Get Paid’ tab under the Settings menu on your Upwork account.
Click “Add a withdrawal method” and select “Direct to a US Bank (USD).” Enter your Cleva USD account details and click “Add bank account” to complete the setup.
Once linked, go back to the ‘Get Paid’ tab and withdraw your earnings.
When your payment hits your Cleva account, you’ll see a line item confirming the deposit, with “Deposit fee waived for Upwork” clearly stated. You get the full amount you earned, exactly as it should be.
Cleva is now the first in the cross-border payment space to offer zero deposit fees on Upwork payments, and we’re doing it because we’re committed to helping freelancers across Africa earn and grow globally.
Source: Instagram
Why Cleva stands out
To understand just how much you could be losing with other platforms, let’s take a look at what a typical freelancer might spend without even realizing it.
Temi is a freelance writer earning about $1,000/month on Upwork. Like many freelancers in Nigeria, she used to withdraw her earnings via Payoneer, paying a $20 fee per withdrawal, plus a poor exchange rate every single time. Over just 3 months, that’s $60 in fees (₦90,000+ at the current rate) and that’s money gone before she even touched it.
That’s not counting the extra ₦10 – ₦20 per dollar lost to bad conversion rates, which adds up to another ₦50,000+ every quarter.
In total, she was losing over ₦140,000 every 3 months which is more than enough to buy 50 Upwork Connects, pay for a work-related premium tool subscription, and still have cash left for internet data.
Now that Temi uses Cleva, she withdraws her funds through Cleva for free
Earns Cleva Points, which she later converts to extra dollars. Not only does she keep more of her money, but she also gets to earn more just by using Cleva.
What used to feel like unavoidable losses now powers her tools, growth, and savings. That’s what switching to Cleva looks like.
Conclusion
Getting paid as a Nigerian freelancer has never been easier—or smarter. By switching to Cleva:
- You receive Upwork deposits for free
- You hold your earnings in USD (no forced conversion)
- You withdraw or convert only when you choose
- You earn points, which can be converted to real dollars
- You spend globally with your Cleva virtual USD card
Other benefits of using Cleva
- On Cleva, you can receive USD payments via sablecoins (USDC & USDT)
- Receive dollar payments wire transfers from all US banks
- Fund in Naira and convert to Dollars anytime
- Create and use a virtual dollar card for international transactions e.g Apple music, Netflix, Ali Express, Amazon, AWS, etc.
Stop losing money to outdated withdrawal methods. Download the Cleva app today and start getting paid the smart way—with you fully in control.
(Sponsored)
Source: Legit.ng
