The Freelance Economy has been rapidly increasing in the last years, and more people than ever are deciding to jump onto the freelance wagon. In fact, according to a recent report by Elance, more than 1.15 million professionals have signed up as freelancers in the last year alone!

Payoneer recently carried out a Global Payments survey for Freelancers, and found very interesting information regarding the preferences professionals have regarding receiving their online earnings. One of the questions we put forward was their preferred payment method.

Do you agree with the preferred method to receive freelance earnings below? Don’t be shy and let us know in the comments 🙂

Are you curious about how other professionals receive and use their online earnings? Stay tuned for future blog posts with more interesting info!

Thousands of artists nowadays have made the shift from traditional to digital illustration. They are employed either by advertising and graphic design firms, by companies with marketing and communications departments, or are self-employed as freelancers on multimedia marketplaces, such as stock houses.

Filipp Dunsky is a professional graphic illustrator from Russia who recently decided to take the freelancing plunge and leave his traditional 9-to-5 job routine behind. Here is what Filipp shared with us for all you aspiring freelancers:

What do you think it takes to be a successful illustrator?

I think it takes as same skills as it takes to be successful in any profession and in whole life. You have to learn how to keep calm in any stress situations, how to be positive, loving human being to give it away in your illustrations. To give something away first you have to gain something. And if you have only suffocation inside you cannot give anything rather than that. And of course it takes time. Without a gap, everyday learn something new and keep your energy level high. To keep energy high I mean do not intoxicate your body with some stuff and do not intoxicate your mind with some bad, heavy thoughts. Be light and easy. Be like a sponge also to soak of everything beautiful you love and then you can spread it.

Tell us about your educational background as an illustrator.

I was born in an artists’ family drawing all my childhood. My father used my children doodles to design some books. I was inspired by him a lot seeing how quiet he is sitting near his table under the lamp all evenings and drawing, cutting, gluing some pictures. For me it was like a magic. When I grew up I graduated fine arts and graphic design university in my hometown in Far East of Russia. I loved color science, to work on paintings and to make whimsical curved sketches of everything there.

After graduation I’ve tried to work as graphic designer in office for two years and it was hard time for me to understand that I have to go to the office every day, there was no way for me to grow up there as designer. Luckily I saw some perfect examples of people who was successfully freelancing as an illustrators and after some time spending on learning my own way of drawing I’ve started to get freelance orders and finally had a chance to leave the office for a better life – free working on myself with a lot of nice options freelancers have such as right to choose with whom you would like to work and what project to take, how much it should cost and what time it should take when and where to work etc.

How do you promote your work online? Mainly I showcase my works at Behance Network. I think this is number one well known social network for professionals like designers, illustrators, photographers, architects, movie makers, art directors and so on from all over the world. I’m collecting my works in groups of 10-15 illustrations and once I’ve got new portion I’m publishing them all together in one new project there. There are some great moderators with very good sense of visual taste. Luckily they notice almost all of my new projects there and they mark them as featured at the landing page. So this is how people from all over the globe getting to know about my works. Best thing here is when you’ve got featured there a lot of blogs starting to share your projects, taking some interviews and so on. In parallel I’m posting new works at my Facebook account, there is also such a great resource for Russian professionals like Re:vision http://revision.ru/a/do/ a lot of people from Russia comes to me that way. I have Dribbble account  but I’m not sure it is good for me to stay there as I’ve noticed it is mainly for UI and icon designers. I had only few work requests from there for last 2 years.

People are using Facebook instead – great recommendation market. Someone likes your work and his friends instantly get that news. I never spammed others asking to give me a job and I would recommend people to focus on the quality of their work instead of begging that way. You better grow up, gain skills and people will promote you by themselves. It is great that I can live my own life, show some of my thoughts, my works, my photos in Facebook and people can see I’m alive, I’m open and I have some reputation which I don’t want to lose. So there is some trust. I have my website also http://dunsky.ru but it is just a status for my clients I guess. Professional illustrator without a site? What?

To wrap up, what is your ultimate advice for illustrators that are just getting started, so they can also get noticed and be successful in their business?

Ultimate advice is start to develop common of all mankind qualities. To grow yourself as a good person and then other good things would start growing outside of you. As Thomas Edison once greatly said “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety nine percent perspiration”. Just relax and do what you love with a great sense of gratitude. People will like it for sure.

Would you also like to share your experience or interesting story with the Payoneer community? We’d love to hear about it – let us know by sending an e-mail to community@payoneer.com.

One such freelancer is Alejandro, a professional linguist who uses Payoneer to receive his earnings to Argentina. Using Payoneer’s US Payment Request service, Alejandro is able to easily send a request for payment to US companies and receive US bank transfers directly to his Payoneer account. We asked Alejandro to share his Payoneer experience – here’s what he had to say:

What are the benefits of using the US Payment Request service?

The US Payment Service is very convenient for the company I work for as a freelancer, since they can send my earnings to me through ACH transfers online in a matter of seconds. 

Are you satisfied with the updated US Payment  Service?

Yes- I’ve used the US Payment Service payment request not only to request payments for my work but also to receive reimbursements for operative expenses and commuting from the companies I work for. 

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Eduardo Grude is a professional freelance web designer from Latin America, and also a Payoneer account holder. Being experienced in doing business internationally while living in Latin America, Eduardo explains the obstacles freelancers face working in a global economy, and how Payoneer helped him to overcome those obstacles and grow his business.

I´ve been working as a web design freelancer for many years, but I had a big problem: I couldn’t do effective online advertising with per pay click payment methods such as Google Adwords, because of limitations I encountered in Venezuela. I needed to promote my Google Adwords services since the traditional methods weren’t effective enough for me and I needed to get more clients.

I received payments for selling some hosting services as an affiliate but I couldn’t make use of that money other than purchasing on websites or paying for some services. I discovered  Payoneer around 2012, I had been looking for information about opening a bank account in the USA for a long time, and I finally came across Payoneer’s services.

Why did you choose Payoneer?

I can honestly say that Payoneer has changed my life! My biggest problem had been solved, and now I could withdraw money that I received online to a US bank account through the US Payment Service, without having to incur in any expenses, like depositing money to open such account. I was then able to make payments with my Payoneer Mastercard.

Payoneer has enabled me to see the endless opportunities that the Internet has to offer, so much so that I’m leaving my profession as a freelance worker to start other online businesses.

Tell us a bit about your experience using the Payoneer Refer a Friend Program. Are you satisfied?

Regarding the Refer a Friend Program, I immediately started promoting Payoneer’s services- I wanted to shout to the world I had found such a valuable opportunity for everyone using the Net to work and do business.

I am very satisfied with the services Payoneer offers, they really are excellent! And I’m even happier that I have been able to help so many people get to know about their services. In fact, they have acknowledged I’m one of the top 2013 referrers.

To my fellow Venezuelans, and to everyone around the world, I’d like to say: there is a way, starting an online business to work from home or anywhere in the world, is the only way!

Eduardo Grude

Blog:  http://www.generandoactivos.com

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We were recently contacted by veteran oDesk freelancer and Payoneer account holder Lois Eva Adongo, regarding her experience using Payoneer as a payment solution for oDesk. Lois offers affordable business plan writing services on oDesk and is also the digital content strategist at the “Make a Living Freelancing” blog.

This is what she shared with us:

My name is Lois Eva Adongo. I am a thirty something Kenyan currently living in Yangon, Myanmar. 

I have  hands-on experience with startups as well as with established organizations; in the conceptualization, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of mobile, telecommunication, and branchless banking services in emerging economies including Uganda, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Kenya. An MBA graduate, I have also been providing small businesses with affordable and high quality business plan development services.

In April of 2009, I decided to move my business plan consultant services online through the oDesk platform in an effort to utilize knowledge from my MBA days. Almost immediately, I started getting contracts. But the greatest challenge I had was how to get paid for my freelancing services.

Initially, I used to request for electronic bank transfers to my Kenya shillings account. This proved to be a very costly option; so naturally, I started hunting for alternatives. Before long, I landed on Payoneer’s Prepaid Debit Mastercard. I applied for a card and in less than one month, I had received it.    

 Are you satisfied with Payoneer? Do you have any comments?

Sure. No regrets whatsoever. I’m an avid traveler who is also a risk taker. I have travelled to 30+ countries and lived in some very difficult ones. But one thing I love about Payoneer is that it never failed me even once. Anywhere there is a Mastercard logo, I have been able to use it. Even while I lived in Afghanistan back in the day, I was able to use my card. Additionally, when I wanted to verify my PayPal account, I used my Payoneer card. Thank God by then I had earned some cash from oDesk so I didn’t have any problem with topping it up.

Would you recommend Payoneer to other oDesk freelancers? If so, why?

Absolutely. So far, Payoneer is the cheaper option when it comes to withdrawing funds from oDesk.  In Kenya for instance, to receive your oDesk earning via bank transfer costs a whooping US$30, while with Payoneer, it can cost as little as US$1 if you are patient to wait for 2 working days. Otherwise, it only costs US$2.50 for immediate loading. And the best part, you get your money in US$, so no foreign exchange losses incurred.

Besides, Payoneer offers a safe and convenient way to pay for online purchases. I use Payoneer all the time to book my airline tickets and hotel accommodation.

Last but not least, Payoneer through its Refer-a-Friend program is an opportunity for earning extra income for telling others about the card’s benefits. Personally, I have earned substantial commissions by promoting the card to my blog’s visitor.

This is my 5^th year of using Payoneer Prepaid Master Debit Card and I have nothing negative to say about it.

Over the past few years the Freelance Economy has been exploding. Did you know that 1 in 3 people in the US are earning money from freelance jobs*, which amounted to approximately $42 million in 2013? In fact, a recent Global Online Employment Report posted by Elance shows 600,000 new jobs, 600,000 new freelancers, and over $130 million earned on Elance – just in the first 6 months of 2013!

The concept of traditional full-time employment  being the most secure and consistent is becoming obsolete thanks to technology’s role in today’s flexible global economy. Rather than leaving your home country to seek new employment opportunities, technology has made it possible for you to stay at home and work remotely. You can view an interesting infographic showing reasons why people choose to become freelancers here.

More and more companies are realizing the benefits of hiring freelance workers to complete projects. Whether it’s a one-time project, the company is short on budget, or simply is not in a position to hire a full-time employee, freelancers bring a lot to the table.

If you’re a freelancer, now is the time to take advantage of this rapidly growing economy and make money! The first thing you need to decide is where to focus your efforts. Payoneer provides global payment solutions to freelancers across the globe, and we recently asked them what kind of work they do. We found that the majority of freelancers work in the creative fields of Graphic Design, Content Writing and Video and Animation – below are the full results:

Next you’ll want to promote your services and find new clients. Social media is certainly a powerful tool, and services like Wix, WordPress, and Tumblr can help you easily set up your own website. Developing your profile and portfolio on major Sites like Elance, oDesk, Fiverr, 99Designs, Freelancer.com, and Envato is also a great way to promote yourself and find new jobs. Not sure which to focus on? Perhaps this infographic comparing some of the major freelance marketplaces can help:

Are you a Freelancer and want to share your experience and tips with us? Perhaps you’d like to write a guest post on our blog? Let us know in the comments below!

*Statistic according to the Freelancers Union

December is here, which means millions of people around the world are getting ready for the holiday season and welcoming the new year, leaving 2013 behind. At Payoneer we’re also in the holiday spirit, and so we’re preparing something special for our community!

This something is a story contest, bearing awesome prizes, and will surely make your year begin with a smile. Be sure to check back and follow us on our blog and social media channels for more updates about the contest – it’s coming right up and you don’t want to miss it!

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We’re happy to announce a new promotion we’ve created with one of our partners, AdWork Media!

Right now and until October 30th, AdWork Media will offer free sign up for a Payoneer card and free bank transfers for those who wish to sign up for the GBT service and not the card!

To join the special offer login to your AWM account and choose Payoneer and your preferred payment method (card or GBT) in the Payment Details section.

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We’re happy to announce a new collaboration with one of our partners, MaxBounty, who we’ve teamed up with to offer you some cool opportunities!

Right now and until October 31st, MaxBounty will offer free sign up and no activation fee for a Payoneer card! You can also receive a $50 bonus to your Payoneer card if you earn at least $250 by November 30th, so make sure to sign up now!

To join the special offer, log in to your MaxBounty account and request to change your payment method to Payoneer.

Have you liked us on Facebook yet? Are you following us on Twitter and Google+? Join us on the Payoneer Community Forums and on LinkedIn!

As many of you may know, Payoneer has partnered with Fiverr to provide Fiverr sellers with a quick and low cost payout solution: the Fiverr Revenue Card.

While this payout option was previously available only to certain tiers, we’re excited to announce that starting August 5th Payoneer’s services will be available to all four Tiers of sellers on Fiverr! Another perk? Tier 4 sellers that sign up will receive their card free of charge – paying no activation!

So, if you’re a Tier 4 seller or have friends on Fiverr who need a payout solution – spread the word and apply for the Fiverr Revenue Card now!

To read more about Payoneer’s partnership with Fiverr, check out this article on Yahoo! Finance.

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There are thousands of people using our Refer a Friend program to spread the word about Payoneer. We had the chance to speak with one of them, Gastón Bicego, who is the CEO and founder of ImpulsandoIdeas.NET. We asked Gastón:

Describe your general experience with our Refer a Friend Program.

The overall experience with the Refer a Friend program has been very good from the start. The Support team of the company has always been available when I needed them to handle my queries or resolve any issue- to me having direct and close contact is very valuable.

What advice would you give to our cardholders that are just starting to refer friends?

My first advice is to know the service and how it works, so you’re prepared to answer any queries you may receive in the future.

Use video. It is easy, what I did was create a simple slide show and record a video with my voice explaining the benefits of the service and how to apply for the card and then I uploaded to Youtube and other video platforms. I also uploaded the slide show on SlideShare . It all adds up to expose more people to your presentation.

Also, I published an article on my blog which included video containing certain keywords to attract visitors from the search engines.

Next was publishing the article with the video on my social networking profiles, and in some forums. All this was done cautiously trying to give the best value possible, without falling into SPAM practices.

Do not forget to answer queries directed to you as fast as possible.

Summing up, this was the basis that enabled me to become one of the main referers in the 2012 Refer a Friend program. I hope, from the bottom of my heart, that I inspire you to shape the techniques you are already using or going to use to promote this program.

Are you satisfied with this service?

I am very happy with the service and attention I receive from Payoneer (now in my native language as well) whenever I need to resolve any problem.

The new Payoneer referral system does work very well and it is reliable. It provides statistics and e-mail notifications whenever someone requests the card through your link and every time you get a commission, I love receiving this kind of notifications 🙂

I can only say: THANK YOU! for giving me this opportunity to share my experience with all the community and help others to generate income through the Refer a Friend program.

Gastón Bicego

Blog: ImpulsandoIdeas.NET

Twitter: @glbicego

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Due to the increasingly high usage of our US Payment Service Indonesia, we’re happy to provide this post explaining how to get paid from Amazon, in your local language. Please feel free to post in the comments if you have any feedback or questions!

Banyak pemegang kartu Payoneer juga menjual barang-barang di pasar Amazon.  Meski Amazon menawarkan solusi transfer bank ke beberapa negara zona Eropa, masih banyak lokasi di mana pembayaran yang cepat dan efisien belum tersedia.

Layanan Pembayaran AS Payoneer memungkinkan Anda untuk menjual di Amazon dan menerima hasil penjualan Anda secara langsung di Kartu Debit Mastercard® Prabayar Payoneer, tersedia di lebih dari 200 negara!

Prosesnya sangat mudah.  Jika Anda telah menjadi pemegang kartu Payoneer, cukup hubungi kami dan ajukan permohonan untuk mendapatkan Layanan Pembayaran AS.  Jika Anda belum mempunyai Payoneer, Anda dapat mengajukan permohonan dengan mengklik di sini.

Setelah permohonan Anda disetujui untuk mendapatkan Layanan Pembayaran AS, kami akan mengirimkan nomor akun/routing AS Anda, yang dapat digunakan untuk menerima pembayaran deposit AS langsung dari perusahaan-perusahaan AS yang terpilih.

Kemudian Anda dapat membuka beranda Amazon Seller Central, dan masuk ke akun penjual Amazon Anda:

Setelah Anda masuk, buka menu “Settings” dan pilih “Account Info”:

Pada “Metode Setoran”, klik “Tambahkan”:

Masukkan Informasi Layanan Pembayaran AS Anda di bidang yang disediakan, dan klik kirim.  Itu saja! Pembayaran dari Amazon akan dikirimkan ke Layanan Pembayaran AS Anda, dan disetorkan secara langsung ke kartu Payoneer Anda setelah dana sampai.  Kemudian kartu Anda dapat digunakan untuk melakukan pembelian secara online, di toko-toko, dan di ATM seluruh dunia yang menerima Mastercard®.

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