Welcome in TakeACoder.com

What is TakeACoder?

TakeACoder is a Global Marketplace for Services. Our system boosts your chances to get your projects done fast and gives you competitive advantages. It's a virtual marketplace for buyers and providers from all over the world. Providers are mostly freelance workers (e.g. independent workers hired on a project basis). Types of services offered by freelancers you can come across with on Takeacoder include programming, copywriting, law consulting, webdesigning, translations, etc. As a result, the best work gets done at the best price.

Are you a buyer?

Do you need to get a project done? Post it on Takeacoder for free and wait. In a few minutes you will start getting bids from providers located all around the world. Choose the right one for you, choose the offer that suits you the most, have a look at his feedback to see how previous buyers rated him : positive feedback means good quality. Once you've picked your service provider, you can start working with him. You can find providers from India, Romania, China, Pakistan, Russia, Ukraine, United States, United Kingdom and many other.

Outsourcing is easy, fun and cheap with TakeACoder.

Outsourcing is the process of subcontracting work projects to companies/freelancers who do not work in partnership with your own company. TakeACoder is one of the biggest sites in its genre, and it offers a lot of exclusive features! 

Sign up and post your project for free!

Signing up and posting projects are for free on TakeACoder! You will only pay a very small commission after picking a provider. Companies of any size have used our web services. Thanks to TakeACoder you reduce costs and increase efficiencies, getting your business to grow consistently and giving you a sustainable competitive advantage.

By using TakeACoder you can stretch your budget and save up to 90% of what you would have had to spend by traditional means.

One of the main advantages of TakeACoder is low labour cost. Rates on TakeACoder are typically seven to twenty times lower than US and European rates. Use TakeACoder when you want to save money, increase efficiency or speed the development of your project up. TakeACoder lets you focus on growing your business while others do the tedious work!

TakeACoder is worldwide.

A worldwide English version of TakeACoder is online and we call it ''TakeACoder International'' (www.TakeACoder.com). But you ll find soon online several local versions in your country language.

Connect to www.TakeACoder.com, our international English Website if you want to get in touch with providers from all over the world, especially from countries where labour cost is very low such as India, Pakistan, China, Eastern Europe. These sites use Euro currency.

Everything is great so far! But how does it work?

Post you project for free and wait. After a few minutes our providers will start bidding on your project. Once the bidding period is ended, you can choose the best bid for your needs and then assign your project to a provider. TakeACoder sends you and the provider you have selected your respective e-mail and instant messaging accounts, so that from this point on you can start working on the project together.

Use TakeACoder collaboration tools!

TakeACoder is in a strong partnership with Basecamp, the worldwide leader in collaboration and project management tools. In order to develop a project with a freelancer, TakeACoder suggests that you use Basecamp's free services. They make it easy for you and your provider to collaborate, communicate and share files with each other. Get a Basecamp account: it's free! Afterwards you will be able to start working with your provider easily!

What about payments?

You do not have to worry about payments! TakeACoder accepts Paypal payments only. Paypal is the worldwide leader in online payments and part of Ebay's group. Using Paypal makes it very safe to make and receive payments from all over the world. Paypal lets you use your credit card for your payments. Get a free account with Paypal in a minute and start taking advantage of it! Once you have your Paypal account, you can register with TakeACoder and post your first project.

What is Escrowpay?

Escrowpay is a great service offered by TakeACoder for FREE! If you are due to receive payments from a buyer or make one in favour of a provider and you want to be absolutely safe with the process, take advantage of our great Escrowpay service, the best way to ensure safe payments!

Use Escrowpay:

a) if you are a buyer, and you want to pay your provider only when you are fully satisfied with his work: with Escrowpay buyers decide when to release the escrow payments;

b) if you are a provider, and you want to make sure your buyer is reliable and has the money to pay you.

TakeACoder receives Escrowpay payments from buyers and holds them until buyers are satisfied with providers' work. With Escrowpay, buyers choose to make either a full or partial payment in favour of the provider, while providers are the only ones entitled to cancel an Escropay payment before the project is completed. Once the project is completed, TakeACoder asks the buyer if he wants to approve the job and grant the payment. If affirmative, TakeACoder transfers the money from the Escrowpay to the provider's account. If negative, buyer and provider have 90 days to come to an agreement.

Which kind of Memberships are available with TakeACoder?

Two different types of memership are available with TakeACoder:

a) Standard : ideal for beginners and non professional freelancers. It's totally free!

b) VIP: ideal for professional outsourcers. You must pay a small monthly fee, but you get a lot of great advantages in turn!

FAQ & SERVICE INFORMATIONS

Buyers FAQ

Buyers - Payments FAQ

Buyers - Projects FAQ

Providers FAQ

Providers - Receiving Payment FAQ

Providers - Bidding on Projects FAQ

Terms and Conditions FAQ

Troubleshooting FAQ

Buyers FAQ

How does TakeACoder work for Buyers?

After signing up for FREE, you can post a project by providing all necessary information: the project details, the budget you want to invest, etc. First project is for Free. You can post as many projects as you want. But in order to prevent posting of fake projects, TakeACoder takes a refundable fee of 3$ for each posted project. You will be returned such fee once the bidding period is over, provided that you do not cancel the project before bidding period ends – fee will not be reimbursated if you do.TakeACoder is very similar to an auction. Once your project is posted, you will start getting bids from providers within a few minutes. After selecting a provider, you will be provided with his contact information, such as email address or IM account. Then you will finally be able to start working on your project with him. It's easy, isn't it? Stop spending time and money trying to find a professional: let professionals from around the world find you for a change!

Why should I use TakeACoder for my projects?

TakeACoder saves your time and money. There is no point in searching the web and the classifieds for professionals when they can find you on TakeACoder.

How much does TakeACoder cost for a Buyer?

Joining TakeACoder is free! First project posted is for Free. After first project you will be charged a small commission fee only on closed (different from canceled) projects equal to 2% or $3 (whichever is greater). Premium Members do not pay this commission fee for projects lower than 2500$. A project will be classified as featured against the payment of a $10 fee. No charges apply for featured projects lower than 2500$. Example: if a Premium Member selects a software coder who has bid $2000 on the project, no fee will be taken; if he were not a Premium member, 2% of the selected bid would be taken from his account.

The 3$ fee will be fully refunded once the bidding period is over, whether you have selected a provider or not. However TakeACoder will not reimbursate it if you cancel your project before the bidding period ends. Remember you must have enough funds in your TakeACoder's  wallet to post a project. Before posting a project you should deposit some money in your wallet. It is not possible to post projects with no funds in your wallet.

How much does TakeACoder cost for a VIP Buyer?

For only $ 5/mo. VIP Members have some exclusive benefits:

a) No Fee: a VIP Member shall not pay any project fees (within a limit of 2500$ for each project. Over this limit normal fees will be applied to the total sum.)

b) More Exposure: a VIP icon will be displayed next to your nickname to indicate your status as a VIP Member. This way, everybody will know immediately that you are a VIP Member.

How can I communicate with the Freelancer?

You can send 'private messages' (PM) to a specific provider. When posting a private message, the intended Provider and you are the only ones who can read it. You shall never give a provider your contact information in privates messages: your account will be closed and your funds frozen by TakeACoder.

How can I send a private message?

From the project page, click on the 'Send a Message' button next to the username of the provider you want to communicate with. A new window will open from which you will be able to send a message to the provider.

Where can I find the message board?

Click on the 'Message Board' link above the list of bids on the project page. A new window will open from which you will be able to post a public message that anybody can read.

How can I change my account password?

After logging in, click on the 'Modify Login Info' link. This will take you to a separate screen where you will enter your new password. Make sure you retype the password correctly in the appropriate box and then click the 'Save new password' key at the bottom of the screen.

Buyers - Payments FAQ

How do I pay a provider?
When you have to pay a provider your best choice is to take advantage of our safe Escrowpay payment system which protects both buyers and provider and is FREE of charge. To send a payment, all you have to do is log in, click on the Escrowpay payment link (in the payments area, near the Balance), enter the provider's username and the amount you wish to put in the Escrowpay account. Once the project is completed to your full satisfaction you can release the funds by going to the 'Payment Transaction' area and cliking on the 'Finish Payment' link in the 'Outgoing Escrowpay Payments' table.

Should I deposit money if I have none in my wallet?

Money should be deposited as soon as possible in order to start working with TakeACoder. For your and our security, TakeACoder doesn't accept balances below 0$ (debts). If you need to make a payment through TakeACoder  you must deposit enough money in your wallet first.

How do I add money to my account?

To add money, log in, click on 'Payment Transactions' and then 'Deposit Money'. You can deposit money from Paypal. You can also use your credit card through  Paypal.

Can I withdraw money from my account?

Yes, money can be withdrawn whenever you want as long as you are logged in. Click on 'Payment Transactions' and then 'Withdraw Money' to withdraw money from your PayPal account. You must  withdraw a minimum amount of 20$ for each withdrawal. All withdrawals are processed manually fastly.

Can money be transferred between users not involved in any project or to another one of my accounts?

No. Money can only be transferred from one account to another to pay for a project once it is completed.

Is any fee applied for transferring money to another TakeACoder account?

No, there is no transfer fee when sending payment to another TakeACoder account.

What is the minimum amount I can transfer to a provider's account?

There is no minimum amount.

How does the Escrowpay payment system work?

The Escrowpay system protects buyers' investments by giving them a better chance to have their projects completed on time. Funds in the Escrowpay account are released upon completion of the project. If the parts agree to cancel the project amicably before completion, it is possible to cancel the Escrowpay payment: the money will be automatically transferred from the Escrowpay account back to the Buyer's account. If the parts don't cancel a project amicably or the buyer is not satisfied with the provider's work, buyer and provider will have 90 days to come to an agreement. If the parts don't come to an agreement within 90 days, the buyer will be automatically refunded his money. TakeACoder will not provide for any arbitration.

When does the project fee have to be paid?
You do not have to pay project fees directly, as they are automatically taken from your account. However taking such fee must not result in a negative balance, so you should make sure you have enough money in your account wallet or deposit some in advance if you don't. You can not have a negative balance (below zero).You can not obtain contact information about the selected provider and you can not start working with him until your fee is paid. If you violate any of these conditions, this may result in your account suspension.

Buyers - Projects FAQ

How do I open a new project?
Click on the 'Post Project' link on the header to land on the New Project page. Select up to three job types and then give a description of the project. You may attach a file if you want (1 mb max uploading). Fill in the rest of the fields and then click on 'Submit Project'.

How do I close, cancel or extend my project?
Log in to your account, click on the 'Buyer Activity' link and choose the applicable option. A menu will be displayed for you to make changes or close a project by selecting a provider. You are also given the possibility to extend your project duration up to 7 days more.

Why must I fill the 'Days open for bidding' field in?

Providers need to know how much time is available for bidding before project ends. This gives everyone a guideline to work within. However, you can extend the bidding time of your project any time.

What is a budget range?

The budget range is an approximate estimate of how much you are willing to pay for a specific project. You definite your budget range by choosing a minimum and a maximum spending limits. This is necessary because it helps providers deciding on how much to bid.

Can I re-open a closed project?

No. You need to post a new project.

What does it mean that a project is frozen?

A project is frozen when the bidding period expires. When the project is frozen, it's your time to either select a provider or extend the bidding time. Project will continue to be frozen until the selected provider accepts (or rejects) your project.

What would happen if for any reason the project failed?

TakeACoder only gets you in touch with outsourcers from all over the world. It is not responsible for any project's failure. TakeACoder will not provide for arbitration between the parts, who should find a solution by themselves.

Providers FAQ

How does TakeACoder work for providers?

Providers can view posted projects and choose which one(s) to bid on according to their qualifications. Bidding is free. A provider can also give buyers information about the type of work he can do. When the bidding period ends the buyer selects the winning provider, who can begin to work, complete the job, and get paid!

What benefit do I get from using TakeACoder?

Finding clients can sometimes be difficult, especially if you are just starting out or in traditionally slow times of the year. TakeACoder is advertised all over the Internet, attracting many potential clients who may require your programming services. You have nothing to lose and and everything to gain by joining TakeACoder.

What are the Seller Profiles and the Sample Portfolio Area?

The Seller Profile and the Sample Portfolio are two free services TakeACoder offers you after registering. You can use them to publish a presentation of your company, samples of your work, your experience. It's a great opportunity to show what you can do to buyers all over the world.

How much does it cost to join TakeACoder?

Signing up is free. You will only be charged a small commission for every project that you win. The commission is equal to 5% of your bid. Posting a bid to a project is FREE !

How much does it cost to become a VIP Provider?

VIP Providers pay a $5 monthly fee. Upgrading to VIP membership gets you some exclusive benefits:

a)No commission charged for winning projects: a VIP provider saves money!

b)More Exposure: as a VIP Provider your bids will be displayed on top of the projects' bid list. This way, buyers immediately see your bid. Your bid will also be highlighted in a special color and a VIP symbol will be displayed next to your nickname.

How can I communicate with a buyer?

You can send the buyer a private message. Privates messages are meant to be read only by the buyer and you.

How can I stop receiving e-mail notifications of new projects?
Log in to your account and click on the 'Edit Account Info' link. If the e-mail notification box is ticked off, uncheck it to stop receiving e-mail notifications.

Can I be refunded the project fee if the project fails?
TakeACoder is only in charge for getting you in touch with buyers from all over the world. It is not responsible for any project failure.

What is a private message and how can I send one?

Private messages are a direct line between a buyer and a provider to discuss the details of a project. Private messages cannot be seen by other providers. You can send a private message by clicking on 'Private message to (buyer username)' on the project page.

Can I change my account password?

Yes, you can change your password at any time. Log in to your account and go to the 'Modify Login Info': you will be given the option to change your password immediately.

Providers - Receiving Payment FAQ

How does the Escrowpay system for payments work?

The Escrowpay system is a great way to ensure safe payments for the work you provide a buyer with.

How much is the commission for each project?

The commission is 5% of the bid amount. VIP Providers pay no commissions.

Should I have money in my account?

Once you have been selected as the winning provider of a project by the buyer, you will need to have money in your account to pay the commission.

How can I add money to my account?
Go to the 'My Account' area, click on the 'Payment Transactions' link where you will be given the option of depositing money. Money can be deposited via Credit Card, PayPal.

Can I withdraw money from my account?

Of course. In the 'My Account' area, click on the 'withdraw money' link in the ''Payment Transactions'' section and money will be deposited into your PayPal account. Please note you cannot withdraw less than $20 at a time.

Can money be transferred between users not involved in any project or to another one of my accounts?

No. Money can only be transferred from one account to another to pay for a project once it is completed.

If I don't invoice the buyer for the total bid amount, can I receive a partial refund of the commission charge?

No. TakeACoder stores a project as soon as it is closed by the buyer, therefore you will be charged according to the bid amount.

When do you collect the project fee?
Project fees are automatically taken from your account, however taking such fees must not result in a negative balance, so you should make sure you have enough money in your account wallet or deposit some in advance if you don't. You can not have a negative balance (below zero).You can not obtain contact information about the selected provider and you can not start working with him until your fee is paid.

Providers - Bidding on Projects FAQ

How do I place a bid on a project?
Click the 'Place Bid' link on the project page. You will be redirected to the bid page, where you can enter the bid amount, provide an estimated time for the project completion and add details of your bid (optional). When placing a bid, you can choose to be notified via e-mail when lower bids are placed on the same project by checking the corresponding box. Posting a bid is Free !

Can I change a bid I have already placed on a project?

Yes, you can change your bid by clicking the place bid button again. The buyer will see your latest bid.

Can I cancel a bid I have already placed?

Yes, you can cancel your bid by going to the ‘My Account' area, clicking the 'provider activity' link and then the 'Retract your bid' button.

Can I ask a question about a posted project?

If you need to ask a buyer a question to get any details about the project, you can post a message either on the public or the private message board. You can access these boards by clicking on one of the corresponding text links on the project page.

Can I estimate the cost of a project when bidding?

You shouldn't estimate the cost of a project and post it as a bid.You could end up bidding yourself too high, or on the other end, you could put in a lot of work and not be receiving adequate compensation. When you place a bid, you enter into a legal binding contract and you would be required to perform the work for the amount you have bid. If you require more information to make an accurate bid, you can use the public and private message boards.

Terms and Conditions FAQ

Can I provide my contact information?

No. We get buyers and providers in touch with each other for very small fees. Exchanging of contact information is therefore not allowed. Your account will be suspended and your funds frozen if you do.

What kind of projects is it not allowed to post?

Projects requiring illegal softwares, illegal hacking or spamming tools are strictly forbidden. It is also forbidden to post projects for purposes of advertising products, services or websites.

What happens if I violate the terms?

Your account will be temporarily suspended for minor violations. Repeated offenses or more serious violations can result in cancellation or banning of your account.

What if I commit a violation without knowing it?

Upon registering with TakeACoder, it is your responsibility to read and understand the terms and conditions of this site. You must accept them in order to successfully sign up. Ignorance of the conditions is no excuse.