Wise Platform Partners With Upwork To Power Faster Freelancer Payments
New Infrastructure Deal Targets Cross-Border Transfers
Wise Platform, the global payments infrastructure arm of Wise, has signed a partnership with Upwork Inc. (Nasdaq: UPWK), the world’s largest human and AI-powered work marketplace. The collaboration strengthens Upwork’s payment rails by enabling freelancers to access quicker, lower-cost transfers in select markets across South America, APAC, and Europe.
Through the integration, freelancers using Upwork’s “Direct to Local Bank” method can now route their earnings through Wise’s global network. This means withdrawals to certain local currencies will be settled more rapidly and with greater cost efficiency, a key improvement for freelancers managing cash flow in international markets.
Voices From Both Companies
“Integrating with Wise Platform is assisting us provide freelancers on Upwork in select regions with more seamless, flexible and quicker payment transfers,” said Mohit Kumar, General Manager of Payments & Trust at Upwork. “We are excited to begin this relationship and look forward to exploring potential expansion of our partnership to continue improving our payment capabilities for the customers we serve in more than 180 countries around the world.”
From Wise’s side, Lauren Langbridge, Commercial Director for Americas at Wise Platform, emphasized the broader significance: “Partnering with Upwork is an exciting opportunity to enhance the speed, reach, and convenience of international payments for freelancers. Through Wise Platform, we’re delivering quicker, more secure ways to transact across borders, supporting the Upwork global freelance workforce as it continues to grow.”
Freelancing Demands Better Payments
Upwork data shows that freelancing is becoming increasingly central to the global workforce. In the United States alone, 28% of knowledge workers are now freelancing or operating independently. Globally, freelancers on Upwork earn nahead $4 billion annually. As independent work shifts into a deliberate career choice for millions, the demand for sophisticated financial tools is rising.
Cross-border friction point for these workers. Delays, high fees, and opaque settlement times can erode earnings. By integrating Wise’s infrastructure, Upwork aims to provide freelancers with more reliable, transparent, and immediate access to their funds — key to building trust and retaining talent in its ecosystem.
Wise’s Global Reach
Wise’s infrastructure connects directly to six domestic payment systems and operates under more than 70 licenses globally. This allows 70% of Wise transfers to arrive instantly, typically under 20 seconds. By embedding this infrastructure into Upwork’s platform, freelancers in select compared to traditional cross-border rails.
Wise’s roster of enterprise clients already includes Morgan Stanley, Google, Brex, and Ramp. With Upwork’s now onboard, the integration underscores how payments infrastructure is evolving to support not just corporates but also the growing class of independent professionals.
