Sellers’ Common Questions

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Full Terms of Service
Please read our complete Terms of Service here.

What is 199Jobs?

199Jobs is the Philippines marketplace where you can sell your services quickly and easily.

You can sell services such as article writing, virtual assistance, graphic design, technical support and more.

We are mainly a community of online Filipino workers.

Why P199?

All jobs start at P199. We did this so that it’s easy for you to attract buyers by giving them an exact and affordable price.

Of course, there are opportunities available to earn more than P199. You can offer an add-on service to your basic 199 job/s. These are bundled services like quicker delivery, extra services, and/or multiple orders.

In the future, we will give our Premium Sellers the feature to post jobs priced at more than P199.

Isn’t the price too low?

At first glance, it does look low, right? But since you’re offering a service, you can actually offer just a tiny part of what you do so that the price is worth it to both you and the buyer.

For example, you can offer basic designs if you’re a graphic artist, or just 200 words for an article if you’re a writer. Then the buyer can do multiple purchases of P199 for more complex designs or longer articles.

The trick here is to offer a job that will be of great value to buyers; and at the same time, it will be something you’ll enjoy doing without breaking a sweat.

Can I really make money with just doing P199 jobs?

Absolutely! If you can do 10 of those jobs a week for a few hours, you get a cool P2000 (less fees, of course). Not bad for some quick work on the side, right? If you really, really, REALLY love your work, then you could start doing it full-time.

How can I earn using 199Jobs?

You earn by posting the jobs and services you can do. It’s a bit like posting in other buy and sell websites but instead of selling products, you are actually selling your skills and expertise.

• If you are a freelancer, either part-time or full-time, post the skills you already do well and promote your jobs to attract buyers.
• If you want to earn doing something you love doing that you can’t do in work, post your jobs and make money while getting at it.

How can I charge more than P199?

Sure! Edit your job and include an add-on. It’s at the end of the form, you can’t miss it. Then upsell it to the buyer by sending a direct link once you’ve agreed on the scope of work.

What can I sell in 199Jobs?

You can offer any type of service that can be delivered online. We prohibit selling any type of digital goods such as software, digital actions (likes, followers, visits, views, clicks, adds, etc.), music, images and ebooks. The only exception is if you can prove that you are the original creator of these works. We also prohibit any and all services deemed illegal and unethical like hacking websites and creating revenge sites.

How do I post jobs?

1) First, register on the site either using your email address or via Facebook Connect.

2) Create your first job by clicking here. Make sure to add as much detail in your job post as possible. Buyers prefer sellers who tell them upfront everything they need to know about what you’re offering.

3) Once your job is posted, then you’re done for now! While waiting for someone to buy your job, make sure to fill out your profile. Buyers also look at your profiles to help them decide if they’ll buy from you or not. Provide samples of your past work as well as your past experiences doing work related to your job posts.

4) When someone messages you or buys your job, make sure to reply as quickly as you can. Once a buyer knows he can trust you to reply quickly, you can be sure he’ll buy from you again in the future.

5) Don’t be afraid ask questions. Buyers appreciate it if you want to know more about them since it shows you want to get the job done right.

6) Once you complete the job, send it to the buyer and mark the job as completed. Once the buyer accepts your work, the payment will be credited to your account.

How do I edit my job?

Go to My Account > My Jobs, then click Edit Job under the job you want to edit.

My new job isn’t showing up. Help!

Some of our site’s pages don’t update in real time to help our servers work more efficiently. Don’t worry, the job is available and that job will show up within the next 24 hours.

Try hitting Ctrl + Shift + R to do a Force Refresh of your job page and see if the changes show up. If not, just give it a day to reflect on the site.

Why aren’t the edits I made on my job showing up?

Job pages don’t update in real time to help our servers work more efficiently. Don’t worry, the edits are saved and they will show up within the next 24 hours.

Try hitting Ctrl + Shift + R to do a Force Refresh of your job page and see if the changes show up. If not, just give it a day to reflect on the site.

NOTE: Sharing the jobs + addons link to your buyer will show them your updated job with addons. They can purchase it without problems, so go ahead and send that link to them.

How can I customize my order with add-ons?

Please go to My Account > My Jobs, then click on “Edit Job” for the job which needs a new add-on. Scroll down to the bottom and add or change the add-on to the one requested by the buyer.

How do I get more add-ons?

You get one bonus add-on after your first sale, and another after your third sale.

How will the buyer pay me?

Buyers actually pay through the site and we transfer the payment to you once the work is successfully completed. Since we’ll be handling the payout to you, you don’t need to talk about money matters with the client. No nagging for down payments, no worrying about delays in deposits and no handing out personal information.

How can I make sure I get paid by the buyer?

This won’t be a problem since buyers will need to pay first before the job is started. You won’t get the payments right away though, but we already have the payment in our system, ready to send to you. You’ll have to complete the job and send in your work first before the payment is credited to your account.

In case the buyer hasn’t paid for the job yet, we’ll let you know in the conversation you’re having with them. We also make it clear that work doesn’t start if he hasn’t paid yet.

How much are the site fees?

For every job, we charge a 20% fee on the final payment (or roughly P40 for a P199 job). The fee is used to pay for transaction fees, site maintenance and helping sellers get buyers for their jobs.

How do I get a better rate? How can I improve my seller rank / seller rate?

Simply put, get more orders. When you start out, your rate is the same as everyone else’s: 20%.

Every month, we give outstanding sellers better rates depending on how much they sold last month.

Here’s the current rate table we use:

• Sell P6,000 or more last month >> get 10% rate this month
• Sell P3,000 to P5,999 last month >> get 15% rate this month
• Sell P2,999 and below last month >> get 20% rate this month

Mini Rates FAQ

• Use the order date to check the rate that applies, not the completed date or delivered date.
• If the order was completed this month, but was ordered last month, last month’s rate will be the one used for the order
• Count the total sales for the month (including site fees) to get the rate. Do not base it on your user balance.
• Rates only change every month end. It does not change even if your total sales exceeds the requirement during the month.

Since the rate changes each month, make sure to maintain your sales this month to enjoy a better rate next month.

How come I got less than P199 for my latest order?

We charge a 20% fee to cover the costs of keeping the site up, promoting your jobs and getting buyers to the site. It’s roughly P40 for a P199 job.

Can I ask my buyer to shoulder the fee so I can receive the payment without any deductions?

Here’s our suggestion: adjust your job and offer so that the fee is already built into your job. That might mean doing less work but the buyer can always order extra to compensate.

Speaking of extra, another suggestion is to just send the link to your job plus an addon to cover the extra work. That might be a better solution, actually. Click here to learn how to do that.

The buyer bought my job but it was the wrong amount. What should I do?

Cancel the job and send the correct job + addons link to the buyer. Yes, this is perfectly alright to do.

I just received a Custom Order. What is it?

A Custom Order relieves you from the hassle of editing your job every time a buyer wants some custom work done. Just agree on a price and the buyer will place the order with the needed details.

Only sellers who are Rank 3 and up can get Custom Orders. If you want to turn off this feature, please go to your job and uncheck the custom order box at the bottom of the Edit Job page.

The buyer is asking me to work and they will send the payment later. What should I do?

Tell the buyer politely how the site works, and that you can only start working once they place an order. Under no circumstances should you work before an order is place to ensure that you get paid and don’t get “scammed”. If you are having issues with the buyer in this regard, please tell us or ask the buyer to contact us for clarifications.

How do I know that someone has bought my job?

We’ll send an email to you when someone buys your job. If you added a mobile number, we will also notify you via SMS.

How can buyers contact me?

First, you can talk to the buyer through the Order Chat once they have bought your job. Another way is by replying to the Requests posted by buyers, which you can see in your Todos.

Please note that messaging outside 199jobs is strictly prohibited and can get you banned. And it’s super creepy as well, so don’t do it!

Also, please guide the buyer into closing the transaction by clicking Order Now in your job post. If you need help doing that, we’d be glad to assist. If they encourage you to take the transaction outside of 199Jobs, please report the buyer to us.

Should I post my contact info?

Never share your email, phone number, Skype and other contact info anywhere on the site. It’s not allowed. We want everyone to be both safe and accountable so please do all your messaging through the site.

Should I share my bank details with the buyer?

Do not share any payment info like bank details or remittance accounts anywhere on the site. Your account will receive penalties and sanctions if you do so.

What do I do when I get an order?

Contact the buyer as soon as possible to tell him that you’re starting work (and maybe thank them for buying as well). Ask for anything extra you need to start doing the work.

How do I send files to the buyer?

Send a message to the buyer using the conversation for that order, attaching any and all files the buyer needs (see below).

You can also upload the files using Send.FireFox.com, Transfer.sh or File.io, then send the link instead.

What does the “Mark as Delivered” button do?

Once you’ve finished the work for the buyer, attach the output in the order chat then click this so that the buyer knows that you’re already done with the order. This often goes hand in hand with sending files to the buyer.

Clicking “Mark as Delivered” turns on the “Mark as Completed” button for the buyer. At the other side of the order, once the buyer clicks that button, you’ll receive the payment for the order into your account. This means that you should a) click on “Mark as Delivered” once you’re done with the work and b) remind the buyer to click “Mark as Completed” so you get paid!

NOTE: Again, make sure you’ve actually delivered the work when clicking Mark as Delivered. We cannot process any cashout if you have undelivered work. Remember to attach the output in the thread for easy reference.

The buyer hasn’t messaged me since I delivered the order. What should I do?

Not to worry, you’ll still get paid. Most buyers are busy and some do forget to mark orders as complete when they receive your work. If it is not marked as complete after one week from your buyer’s last action (either PM or chat message), please let us know.

I got a buyer request. Is this just for me or does everyone get it?

Everyone gets that todo if a buyer posts a Request that matches one of the jobs you can do. It’s not personal but it is an invitation for you to reach out to the buyer and message them so you can help them out. Just click on the todo to message them.

The todo will remain active as long as the buyer still needs someone to do the work.

TIP: Read our guide where we show you How To Turn Requests into Orders!

I can’t offer my job to a buyer request, why?

You can only offer jobs that match the buyer’s request. For example, you cannot offer admin jobs to writing requests.

I saw the term “ready to order” in my request. What does that mean?

When a request has “ready to order”, it means that the buyer has enough Store Credits to cover the budget for that request. It shows that the buyer is ready to pay for good work. We also highlight these types of requests so that you can prioritize them in your todos.

How do I remove a request in the todos?

Hover on the todo (or tap and hold if on mobile). Then, click on the X at the upper right corner. The Request disappears after a day so don’t worry about it cluttering your todos.

I was replying to a buyer request but it’s now deactivated. Why was it deactivated?

Requests are deactivated either by the buyer or automatically by the system after a certain number of days. Unfortunately, the specific reason for deactivation isn’t something can share.

If you’ve already been messaging with that buyer, feel free to continue conversing with them to close the deal.

How can I cash out my earnings?

You can cash out by going to the Cash Out page in your account dashboard. Just enter the details required for your preferred mode of payment. Note that the minimum cash out is P500.

We can send your earnings via PayPal and through bank deposits for selected banks. Note that any fees incurred for these services will be charged to you. Our preferred cash out methods are BPI and PayPal.

We will send you an email once the cash out is processed.

Note: Make sure all info in the cash out is correct since you cannot cancel it.

When will I receive my cash out?

You will get your cash out 5 business days after you send your cash out request to us. Please note that if you cash out prior to a weekend or holiday, it will take longer to process your request since those are not counted as business days.

Why is there a minimum cashout?

While we would like to have a lower cash out, even zero if possible, it’s not possible to do that feasibly. If you look at other sites, we actually have one of the lowest minimum amounts since some only let you get funds after 14 days or after you reach a few thousand pesos in sales.

The cash out is also there to encourage you to sell more, since we want all the sellers to be able to make a worthy sideline out of the site.

What are Payments pending?

These are payments you will get once the order is completed. Once the buyer clicks on Mark as Complete on their side, it will move from Payments pending to Payments received.

How do I sell more?

Start by promoting your jobs in your website, in online groups, on social media and across the web!

Next, keep coming back everyday and respond to Requests from buyers. Make sure to do these things when you reply:
1. Read the request very carefully. Learn about what the buyer really needs to get done.
2. Talk about how your set of skills can help with the buyer’s request.
3. Make sure you quote a reasonable price and delivery time for the project.
4. Stay online after replying so that you can respond quickly if they message back.
5. Lastly, don’t forget to ask the buyer to click on your job so they can see your work samples, feedback and ratings.

If the buyers view you as someone who knows your stuff, they’ll immediately see that anything you offer will always be top notch. So keep on leveling up and learning new skills. YouTube and Google are all you need to succeed! Tackle a new and exciting project that will push you to achieve. Who knows, you might even be able to use that as your sample in your job!

Another way to sell more is to be different. Can you offer something for free to your first few customers, like a guide or consultation? Are you someone who can go above and beyond what’s required for the job? Do you have a special system for getting work done that makes you faster, better or easier to work with versus other people? Of course, stay professional when doing all these things.

Lastly, you can upsell and offer an add-on service on top of your basic P199 job.

How long until I get customers?

That would depend on the kind of jobs you offer. From what we’ve seen, social media, SEO and content creation jobs (writing, design, website development) are the most popular jobs.

If your job falls into any of these categories, you can bet that you’ll get customers more quickly versus offering specialized services.

What is upselling?

Upselling is offering services beyond the basic service you’ve listed under your P199 job.

It can range from super fast delivery to doing additional work so that the buyer gets a more complete project out of the job. The benefit of upselling, aside from earning more, is that you’re able to offer a more complete service to buyers who need them. Create an add-on to take advantage of this extra way to earn.

How can I make a buyer purchase my job with the add-ons already included?

NEW METHOD!
1. Go to your job post.
2. Click on the add-ons needed and choose the number of orders.
3. Copy the URL and send that to the buyer. Tell them to click it, then to click Order Now to buy.

Previous method:
1. Go to My Account > My Jobs.
2. Look for the job you want to sell to the buyer.
3. Click on Share Job Links.
4. Check off the add-ons you want to offer with the job.
5. Click on the text box and copy the link.
6. Paste the link to a new message to that buyer. Tell them to click it, then to click Order Now to buy.

How is the average delivery day computed? How can I maintain it?

The average days in your job is computed by getting your average delivery time for your latest orders. This delivery time is the time between the start of the order and when you deliver the actual output.

While you can edit your job to show longer delivery days, you cannot edit it to show a number lower than the average. ex. Your actual average delivery is 7 days. You put 3 days delivery when you edit your job. The job will show 7 days. Your actual average delivery is 1 day. You put 3 days delivery when you edit your job. The job will show 3 days.

If you have a another deadline agreed upon with the buyer, whether it’s longer or shorter than your job’s delivery days, that agreement overrides your job’s average. If you don’t want the longer duration to affect your average, feel free to ask the buyer to order from another one of your jobs (or make a new job for them).

Any tips on how I can offer my skills for P199?

1) If you have access to a specialized tool or software, you can use the work that you do with that and offer it as a job. For example, if you have a software that helps improve site rankings in search engines, you can offer a site ranking improvement job that just takes you a couple of minutes to do.

2) Split the big projects you usually do into smaller chunks. If you do video editing, you can offer a few minutes of basic video editing for P199 and just upsell your add-on if they need something more.

3) Combine two skills and offer that as a job. If you do financial analysis in your day job and you love writing, you can offer to do financial articles as a job on the side.

4) Offer teasers. For example, you could offer quick ebook covers for children’s books for P199. Knowing those types of books, they’ll need more illustrations and you’ll probably get hired for a bigger job soon enough.

What kind of jobs are NOT allowed?

1. Business opportunities
2. Commission-based work
3. Offline errands (jobs that require physical meetups)
4. Jobs which can be seen as unethical or illegal
5. Selling of digital goods (including likes, email lists, accounts, etc)

Basically, anything that does not ensure payment for sellers.

What if someone offers to pay outside 199Jobs?

You should tell them to course payments via 199Jobs, since transacting outside the site is not allowed. It’s easier for everyone actually, and you get the benefit of sure payments through our system.

Why should I go through 199Jobs instead of just talking directly to the buyer?

1) Sure payments. We ensure you get paid once you deliver the work. Less headaches too, since we handle the transactions for you. No more money talk, just wait for your cash to come in and that’s that.

2) Secure info. You won’t have to share personal info like IDs, email addresses, and bank accounts.

3) Trust. By putting in mechanisms in place to show how well you work, we help buyers trust you more. Feedback, badges, and proof of work all help buyers realize that you’re someone they can trust and work well with.

4) Less work. Working online involves more than just doing what you posted on your job. It also involves marketing, customer support, maintaining a website, and implementing security measures. We do all that for you so you can concentrate on doing what you do best.

Also, transacting outside the site is really not allowed.

How are jobs ranked? How can I make my job appear higher in the listings?

If you want to push your job up the listings, you’ll need to be more active in the site. That means answer buyer requests often, replying to buyers in a timely manner, etc. Getting orders and good feedback also helps.

On the other hand, your jobs will drop down the listings if you don’t use the site as often, get cancellations or get negative feedback.

The good thing is this isn’t set in stone. As long as you do good work and help buyers often, you’ll rise up the listings in no time.

What happens if the buyer doesn’t like my work?

The best thing to do is to ask what needs to be changed and just fix it, especially if it’s a minor change. This is up to you of course, but if you feel that you’ve given your best and gave the buyer everything you said in the job (and granted all his other requests), then you can politely refuse to do any more additional work unless they order again.

Most buyers are reasonable enough that this doesn’t happen. If it does though and you’re having a hard time resolving the issue, contact us and we’ll help mediate in the dispute.

My buyer is accusing me of something, how do I get help?

If you’ve tried calmly discussing it with the buyer and that didn’t work, reach out to us and maybe we can help out. Take note that we might be obliged to pass along the dispute to the authorities if warranted.

I’m on Vacation Mode. What does that mean?

This means that all your current jobs are deactivated. Scroll to the bottom of My Jobs to toggle Vacation Mode. This will reactivate all your job posts.

My messages disappeared in my Inbox. Help!

There was a problem processing your Inbox. The quick fix is to click Show More Messages. Or click here.

This will reset the Inbox so you can see the rest of your messages.

Can I receive alerts using a second email address?

Yes! Just go to My Account > Profile and add the additional email. After verifying that you own it, you’ll receive alerts through that email as well.

Can I change my username?

Sorry, you can’t.

Can I cancel my account?

Yes, just deactivate all your jobs in My Account > My Jobs. Accounts that have been dormant for a year are automatically canceled.

Who can we talk to for questions?

Ask us through our contact form here.

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