Reviews & Ratings
Building reputation, earning verified badges, and becoming top-rated
On This Page
How Reviews Work
PayHeld's review system helps build trust and transparency in the freelance marketplace. Reviews can only be left after a project is successfully completed and payment is made, ensuring authentic feedback.
Review Requirements
- Project must be marked as COMPLETED
- Payment must be successfully processed through payment protection
- Review must be submitted within 7 days of project completion
- Minimum review length: 20 characters
Why the 7-Day Window?
The 7-day review window ensures feedback is timely and relevant while memories are fresh. This prevents delayed reviews that may not accurately reflect the project experience.
Rating Scale
Verified Purchase Badge
The Verified Purchase badge appears on reviews from clients who have successfully completed payment through PayHeld's payment protection system. This badge guarantees the review is from an actual paying client, not a fake review.
What Does "Verified Purchase" Mean?
This badge confirms that:
- The client paid for the project through PayHeld payment protection
- Payment was successfully completed (not refunded or disputed)
- The reviewer actually worked with the freelancer
Why It Matters
The Verified Purchase badge helps you identify genuine reviews from real clients. Unlike other platforms where anyone can leave a review, PayHeld ensures every review with this badge represents an actual business transaction.
Top Rated Badge
The Top Rated badge is PayHeld's highest honor for freelancers. It represents consistent excellence in quality, communication, and client satisfaction. This badge is automatically awarded and updated daily based on performance metrics.
How to Earn Top Rated Status
Top Rated Benefits
Increased Visibility
Top Rated freelancers appear higher in search results and get featured in the directory
Client Trust
The badge signals excellence and reliability, attracting higher-quality clients
Higher Rates
Top Rated status justifies premium pricing and attracts clients willing to pay for quality
Quick Match Priority
Get prioritized in Quick Match AI recommendations for relevant projects
Maintaining Top Rated Status
The Top Rated badge is re-evaluated daily. If your metrics fall below the requirements, the badge will be automatically removed. Stay active, deliver quality work, and maintain excellent client communication to keep your Top Rated status.
Building Your Reputation
Building a strong reputation on PayHeld takes time and consistent effort. Here are proven strategies to earn excellent reviews and grow your freelance business.
Review Guidelines
To maintain the integrity of PayHeld's review system, we have strict guidelines that all reviews must follow. Violations may result in review removal or account restrictions.
Prohibited Content
- • Personal attacks, harassment, or discriminatory language
- • Offensive, profane, or inappropriate content
- • Spam, promotional content, or external links
- • False or misleading information
- • Reviews posted by the freelancer themselves (self-reviews)
- • Incentivized reviews (paid for or offered in exchange for benefits)
- • Reviews from people who didn't actually work with the freelancer
What Makes a Good Review
- • Specific examples of what the freelancer did well (or poorly)
- • Honest, balanced feedback about the experience
- • Comments on communication, quality, and timeliness
- • Helpful information for other potential clients
- • Professional tone, even when providing critical feedback
- • Sufficient detail (minimum 20 characters, but longer is better)
Review Validation System
PayHeld uses advanced validation to prevent fake reviews and ensure authenticity. Every review goes through multiple automated checks before being published.
Validation Checks
Reviews Pending Manual Review
If a review triggers 3 or more validation flags, it will be held for manual review by our team. The review won't appear publicly until approved. Reviews are typically reviewed within 24-48 hours.
Auto-rejection: Reviews that fail critical checks (no payment record, self-review detection, duplicate attempt) are automatically rejected and won't be published.
Responding to Reviews
Freelancers can respond to reviews to provide additional context, thank clients, or professionally address concerns. Your response appears publicly below the review.
Best Practices for Responses
For Positive Reviews
"Thank you so much, [Client Name]! It was a pleasure working with you on this project. I'm glad the [specific deliverable] met your expectations. Looking forward to potential future collaborations!"
For Constructive Criticism
"Thank you for the feedback, [Client Name]. I appreciate you pointing out [specific issue]. I've since [steps taken to improve], and I'll ensure this doesn't happen in future projects. I value your input and the opportunity to learn and grow."
For Negative Reviews
- • Stay calm and professional, never defensive or hostile
- • Acknowledge the client's concerns without necessarily agreeing
- • Provide your perspective objectively and factually
- • Offer to resolve the issue if possible
- • Keep responses brief and focused on solutions
Avoid These Response Mistakes
- • Arguing with the client or becoming defensive
- • Sharing private project details or confidential information
- • Making personal attacks or unprofessional comments
- • Asking clients to change or remove their review
- • Writing overly long explanations or justifications
Troubleshooting
Need Help with Reviews?
If you have questions about reviews, ratings, or badges that aren't covered here, our support team is ready to help.