# Upwork's $50 hook for your first hire

> A sponsored deal that pays new Upwork clients $50 once they actually hire someone.
- Title: Upwork's $50 hook for your first hire · PCMAG | Shortify
- Summary: A sponsored deal that pays new Upwork clients $50 once they actually hire someone. Posting a job on Upwork costs nothing, and right now a first hire comes…
- Keywords: freelancing, upwork, side hustle, hiring, deals, technology, Upwork's, hook, first, hire, PCMAG
- Source: PCMAG — https://pcmag.com/deals/need-some-extra-help-get-50-after-your-first-upwork-hire-deal-sept-9
- Author: K. Thor Jensen
- Published: 2026-09-14T14:16:29+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: freelancing, upwork, side hustle, hiring, deals, technology
## Sponsored, but vetted
An advertiser paid for editorial consideration here. PCMag's take is that the offer still saves you money, so they wrote it up.

> An advertiser paid for editorial consideration of this deal.
## Nobody can do it all
Side hustles hit a wall fast. Graphic design, coding, bookkeeping, admin work, the jobs outside your skill set pile up and there is no budget for a full employee.
## Hiring eats your week
Checking references, reading portfolios, and haggling over rates can burn hours or weeks. Most new founders do not have a network of qualified people to call.
## How the platform works
Running since 2013, Upwork lets you post a job with required skills and a pay range, hourly or fixed price. Thousands of freelancers can bid on it.
## Signals that narrow the field
Verified profiles, client reviews, certification badges, and identity checks do the filtering for you. Business Plus surfaces the top 1% of talent in under six hours.

> Upwork's Business Plus service gives you access to the top 1% of talent in under six hours.
## Free to post
You can also restrict a listing to specific people and invite them to apply. Posting costs nothing. You pay a cut of the contract, starting at 3%, when you pay the freelancer.
## Most hires close in days
AI tools help tune your job posting from a few prompts, and the site is active enough that most clients hire within three days of posting.

> Most clients hire within three days of posting a job.
## The $50 kicker
For a limited time, new Upwork users who complete a hire, big or small, get a $50 gift card. Artists, programmers, and social media pros are already on there.
## Key takeaway

Posting a job on Upwork costs nothing, and right now a first hire comes with a $50 gift card back.