Safe freelancing in Indonesia: comparing platform fees, escrow and common scams
A dated comparison of Sribu, Fastwork and Projects.co.id: fees, escrow and off-platform rules, plus the scams that target freelancers in Indonesia.
Summary
- Sribu and Fastwork both hold the client's payment on the platform until the work is finished or approved.
- Sribu states the freelancer fee as a cut of the client's payment in its terms, and client charges on its money-back guarantee page.
- Fastwork deducts a tiered commission by the freelancer's membership level, based on sales in the previous three calendar months.
- Projects.co.id's pages refused our automated check on 7 October 2026, so we could not verify its fees.
- A client who asks you to pay first, or to move to private chat before any payment, is a warning sign.
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On this page
- What should you check before using a freelance platform?
- Why does escrow matter for freelancers?
- Which platform fees should you factor in?
- Is it safe to deal with a client off the platform?
- Which scams most often target freelancers?
- What protection should freelancers think about?
- What should be written down in your agreement with a client?
- How do you work remotely for clients or companies abroad safely?
- How do Sribu, Fastwork and Projects.co.id compare?
What should you check before using a freelance platform?
Check four things before using a freelance platform: whether it holds the client's payment until the work is done, how much it deducts and where the rules are written, whether off-platform deals are prohibited, and how it verifies users. Sribu, for example, requires freelancers to be at least 18, hold an Indonesian ID card and show at least four portfolio pieces. The table on this page summarises our checks as of 7 October 2026.
Why does escrow matter for freelancers?
Escrow protects both sides: the client pays the platform, and the money goes to the freelancer only after the work is finished or approved. Sribu's home-page FAQ says its escrow system keeps the client's payment until the project is completed as agreed. Fastwork has clients pay through the platform and promises a refund if the client does not receive the work. That protection disappears once a deal moves off the platform.
Which platform fees should you factor in?
Work out the deductions before you set your price. Sribu states the freelancer fee in its terms as a 'starting from' cut of the client's payment, and the examples on its money-back guarantee page show a package commission, a posting fee for the client, VAT (PPN) and a unique payment code. Fastwork deducts commission from the job value at a rate set by your membership level, based on approved sales in the previous three calendar months plus the current month.
Is it safe to deal with a client off the platform?
It is better not to. Sribu's terms prohibit contest clients from settling work or paying extra fees outside the site. Fastwork allows personal contact details to be exchanged only after payment succeeds, and display names may not contain personal contact information. Off the platform you lose payment holding and dispute help, and scammers can disappear more easily.
Which scams most often target freelancers?
The best-known scam is small paid tasks that lead to deposit demands, as OJK's Satgas PASTI describes: after a few paid tasks, the victim is asked to deposit money for the next mission until the scammer disappears. Also watch for clients who ask for a project registration fee, one-time codes or bank details, or who send app files by chat. The Ministry of Manpower lists requests for your ID card, bank account or a selfie with your ID as signs of a fake job.
What protection should freelancers think about?
Freelancers have no employer to register them with BPJS, but they can register themselves as BPJS Ketenagakerjaan non-wage earners (BPU) for old-age savings, work-accident cover and death benefit, using just a NIK and an e-mail address. Protect clients' personal data and your own as well; Law 27/2022 requires data controllers to keep personal data confidential. For tax, see the related guide below.
What should be written down in your agreement with a client?
Write down the scope of work, number of revisions, deadline, price and in-platform payment before you start. Keep all conversations in the platform's chat, because they become evidence in a dispute. On Sribu, refunds for projects and contests follow its money-back guarantee rules, so understand when a client can ask for a refund before you accept a project.
How do you work remotely for clients or companies abroad safely?
Make sure the client or company is real: find its official website and contacts yourself, not only through chat, and use a platform with escrow when you can. Agree in writing on the work, deadlines, currency, payment method and who owns the copyright in the result. Never pay for training or equipment to get work, and refuse requests to deposit a cheque and send part of the money on, or to receive and re-ship parcels: the US consumer regulator (FTC) calls these scams aimed at virtual assistants. Jobs such as virtual assistant, content writer, designer, drafter, translator and photographer can be done remotely.
Checklist before accepting a freelance project
- The platform holds the client's payment until the work is done.
- You have worked out your price after commission and platform fees.
- Payments and conversations stay on the platform.
- The client does not ask for a deposit, registration fee, one-time code or bank details.
- Scope, revisions, deadline and price are written before you start.
How do Sribu, Fastwork and Projects.co.id compare?
| Platform | Client funds held? | Freelancer fee | Client fee | Off-platform deals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sribu | Yes, escrow until the project is finished (home-page FAQ) | A 'starting from' cut of the client's payment, set out in the terms; package commission example on the guarantee page | Posting fee, VAT and unique code, set out on the money-back guarantee page | Contest clients may not settle work or pay extra outside the site |
| Fastwork | Payment through the platform; refund if the work is not received | Tiered commission by membership level; the full table is published only as an image; BYOB clients carry no commission | Not published in the text of the official pages we checked | Personal contacts may be exchanged only after payment succeeds |
| Projects.co.id | Not yet checked | Not yet checked | Not yet checked | The site refused our automated check |
The fee rates each platform publishes are in the next table, taken from the platforms' official pages. KarirAman is not affiliated with any platform.
| Measure | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Fastwork: Bronze-level commission (example on the commission page) | 12% | 7 October 2026 |
| Fastwork: commission for BYOB clients | 0% | 7 October 2026 |
| Fastwork: Silver-level commission (example on the commission page) | 11% | 7 October 2026 |
| Sribu: freelancer fee, starting from (share of client payment) | 10% | 7 October 2026 |
| Sribu: client posting fee (share of project price) | 3% | 7 October 2026 |
| Sribu: package commission in the refund example | 20% | 7 October 2026 |
| Sribu: VAT on commission and posting fee | 11% | 7 October 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Projects.co.id safe to use?
We could not check Projects.co.id's official pages because the site refused automated access on 7 October 2026, so we do not rate its fees. Apply the same checks: read the fee rules and payment-holding system on its official help pages, and do not deal off the platform.
What is BYOB on Fastwork?
BYOB (bring your own buyer) is a Fastwork feature for clients you bring yourself. According to Fastwork's commission page, a client who arrives through your personal BYOB link before starting a chat carries no commission on all later transactions with that client.
A client asks me to pay a project registration fee or a deposit. Is that normal?
No. Real clients pay you, not the other way round. The Ministry of Manpower lists requests for money as a sign of a fake job, and repeated deposits are the core of the part-time job scam described by OJK's Satgas PASTI task force. Refuse and report the account to the platform.
Who wrote and reviewed this page?
Sources
The facts on this page come from these sources. Dates show when we opened them.
- Syarat dan Ketentuan Sribu Sribu · accessed
- Garansi Uang Kembali Sribu Sribu · accessed
- Sribu: situs freelance online (FAQ beranda) Sribu · accessed
- Fastwork Indonesia: biaya komisi berdasarkan kumulatif penjualan Fastwork Technologies · accessed
- Fastwork.id (beranda dan cara kerja) Fastwork Technologies · accessed
- Satgas PASTI Blokir 311 Pinjol Ilegal dan Pinpri (bagian 'Waspada Modus Penipuan') Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (Satgas PASTI) · accessed
- 6 Ciri Lowongan Kerja Bodong yang Perlu Diwaspadai Kompas TV · official statement via media · accessed
- BPJS Ketenagakerjaan: Bukan Penerima Upah (manfaat dan pendaftaran) BPJS Ketenagakerjaan · accessed
- Undang-Undang Nomor 27 Tahun 2022 tentang Pelindungan Data Pribadi Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 27/2022 · accessed
- Job Scams (Federal Trade Commission consumer advice) Federal Trade Commission (Amerika Serikat) · accessed
How to cite
KarirAman (2026). Safe freelancing in Indonesia: comparing platform fees, escrow and common scams. Updated 8 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/guides/safe-freelancing/
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CariTalent and PanduanHewan are Kode Nirlaba projects; Panduan Warga and The Cast Index are independent publications with the same founder. CourseToJob is a study-guide site with the same owner, run by Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd.
Change log
- : Added how to work remotely for foreign clients safely and links to role guides often done as freelance work.