⚠️This FAQ is specifically for clients: users looking to hire through Overpass. ⚠️
If you are using Overpass to find work for yourself, please refer to
Frequently Asked Questions (Contractors).
Table of Contents / Quick Links:
Overpass 101
Contractors & Contracts
Pricing & Billing
Interviews & Hiring
Getting to Work
Guidance & Best Practices
Overpass 101 - Start Here!
What is Overpass?
Overpass is an online marketplace and payment platform for freelance sales contractors. Business owners and managers use Overpass to interview, hire, and pay experienced sales talent.
How can Overpass help my business?
We make hiring easier by providing a pool of pre-vetted, qualified contractors, and automatically showing you the freelancers who best match your needs.
We make interviewing easier by making it simple to virtually meet with potential candidates, no matter where they're located.
We make paying your contractors easier by tracking your teams' hours, providing you with a weekly report and invoice, and handling all the details of payment processing.
Finally, we make it easier to maintain your team and navigate turnover. When you need to fill a vacancy, just bring a new freelancer into your existing setup.
How do I get started?
The first step is to create your free account at www.overpass.com. After you've enrolled, one of our Growth Consultants will contact you to learn more about your business, better understand your goals, and provide guidance through the hiring process.
Is there a minimum commitment period?
Individual contracts may be sent or cancelled at any time. Overpass seats are purchased on a month-by-month basis, and you may choose to renew or cancel at the end of every month. Reduce your effective monthly cost by 25% by prepaying for a 12-month subscription.
How long has Overpass existed? Where are you located?
Our story began in 2013, and we began working with our earliest clients in 2016. Our first office was located in Newark, NJ, and we've since expanded to Brooklyn, NY and Romania, plus we employ remote workers from all over the world!
Contractors & Contracts
What kind of contractors can I hire through Overpass?
The contractors available through our marketplace have a wide range of backgrounds, but all are guaranteed to have significant previous experience in phone work. Our platform includes sales reps, business development reps, appointment setters, customer support reps, virtual assistants, lead generation experts, recruiters, and more.
Specifically, we require all Overpass contractors to have at least two years of experience in outbound phone sales work, or at least four years of experience in phone support work.
Where are Overpass contractors located?
Our marketplace includes contractors from all over the world! We currently have active users in over 85 countries.
Do all Overpass contractors speak fluent English?
Yes, all freelancers are guaranteed to be fluent in English. We have many who are native English speakers, as well as others who learned English as a second language. When you create a job post, you may specify if a particular level of language fluency is required.
Can I hire a multilingual contractor?
Yes. Just specify in your job post if fluency in any additional languages will be needed for your position.
Do these contractors work for me, or for Overpass?
Overpass acts as a payment facilitator, but officially these contractors are freelance workers hired by your company. Our team helps with billing, onboarding, and technical support, but it is your responsibility to develop a professional relationship with your team, and ensure they have the resources and knowledge to effectively represent your company.
How will I find the right candidates for my team?
Once you create a job post, Overpass contractors are presented to you in three categories: Best Matches, Handpicked, and Applicants.
Best Matches contractors are a pool of candidates that our algorithm identifies as potential matches, taking into account your budget, desired background, and language fluency.
Handpicked contractors are manually chosen for you by our Growth Consultants, following a discussion of your goals and preferences. If your "Best Matches" list doesn't seem quite right, this is where we can suggest alternate options.
Applicants are the folks who have applied directly to your job post through the platform. Their background may not be exactly what you envisioned, but they are eager for a chance to prove themselves!
How long do Overpass contracts last?
Contracts are offered on an ongoing basis with no set end date. Both clients and contractors may choose to end the arrangement at any time.
When can I cancel a contract?
You have the ability to cancel a contract at any time, for any reason. Just like any professional relationship, we prefer that you give your contractors advance notice of this decision whenever possible. You are still responsible to pay any hours that have already been logged.
Be aware that canceling an individual contract does not cancel the associated seat, or your overall Overpass account.
Pricing & Billing
What does it cost to join Overpass?
It’s free to create an account, browse our marketplace, and interview potential contractors. You won’t be charged until one of our contractors has officially been hired by your company.
How much does it cost to hire a contractor?
There are two costs to Overpass: your contractor compensation, and your seat fees.
Contractor compensation is billed weekly. This figure is entirely dependent on how many contractors you've hired, how many hours they've worked that week, and their respective hourly rate(s).
For each hire, you also purchase a seat, which represents one contractor's access to your Overpass site. You need one seat for each member of your team -- think of them as physical seats around a conference table. However, should you decide to replace one contractor with another, the seat is vacated, and a replacement can fill the now-empty seat.
Each seat costs $240/month. Seats can be opened or closed on a monthly basis. We also offer a 25% discount for purchasing a 12-month subscription upfront ($2160 in total, which reduces your effective price to $180/month)
For a more extensive explanation of our pricing & options, please consult our Overpass Billing Explainer article.
What are the contractors' hourly rates?
Contractor rates range from $5/hour up to $35/hour, depending on their experience level, skills, and location.
Can I offer commissions?
Absolutely! Many clients incentivize good performance by offering commission bonuses for completed sales or appointments set. These can be manually added to your weekly invoices.
Can I offer a contract that’s 100% commission-based?
No. We’ve found that commission-only contracts are generally not successful, so we do require contracts to have an hourly rate. However, some contractors may be willing to accept a lower hourly rate if they also have the option to earn commissions.
How does Overpass facilitate contractor payment?
Our billing period runs from Monday - Sunday, and contractors are paid weekly.
Every Sunday at midnight you will receive an invoice detailing the hours your contractor(s) worked during the previous billing cycle. You are notified of new invoices via email, and can also access them via our site itself. You then have 48 hours (all day Monday and Tuesday) to make adjustments, add any potential commission bonuses, and approve the invoice.
If the invoice is not manually approved prior to Tuesday at 11:59 PM (Eastern time), it will be auto-approved. Regardless of whether the invoice is manually or automatically approved, we’ll charge your card on Wednesday, and process payments to your team on Thursday.
Are there any other costs to be aware of?
We apply a 3% processing fee to all credit/debit card transactions.
Does Overpass take out contractor taxes or provide tax forms?
As per the current U.S. Tax Code, Overpass is considered a “payment settlement entity.” Specific tax information for contractors depends on their location and citizenship status; more details can be found in our Frequently Asked Questions (Contractors) page.
As the employer of a freelance contractor, you do not have any tax obligations, although form W-9 is available to all clients upon request. Please email billing@overpass.com or utilize our Live Chat to request a W-9.
Interviews and Hiring
How does the interview process work?
When you find a contractor you’d like to interview, click the Interview button on their profile.
The first time you click Interview on a contractor's profile, you'll be asked to propose potential dates and times when you'll be available to speak with them. After the contractor selects their preferred time slot, you'll both receive a custom link to a virtual video meeting session.
Should you need to reschedule or follow-up after an interview, use the Company Chat tool in the site to contact the contractor.
The interview was great! How do I hire this contractor?
Following the interview, navigate to their profile and look for the Send Offer button. You’ll be asked to provide specific details about this role, including the pay rate and weekly schedule. Those details form the structure of the contract offer, which the contractor can then accept or decline.
Once a contract offer has been accepted, you will be charged your initial seat fee, which is prorated based on the time remaining in the month.
The interview was . . . just OK. Can I interview someone else?
Of course! You’re welcome to interview as many potential hires as you like at no cost. We want you to be completely comfortable before you decide to hire anyone.
Can I offer to pay a contractor less (or more) than their advertised rate?
Yes, although we recommend that you offer freelancers their preferred hourly rate whenever possible, as this forms a positive basis for your relationship. In certain cases, contractors may be inclined to accept a lower hourly rate, especially if you also offer a commission structure or some other perk.
Do I need to offer my contractor a minimum amount of hours per week?
For best results, contracts should be for at least 15 hours per week. Fewer hours makes it difficult for the contractors to get comfortable with their role.
Can I change the terms of a contract as time goes on?
Yes, contracts can be updated. Bear in mind that all changes must be accepted by the freelancer(s), and some updates may affect your contractor’s ability (or desire) to continue with the contract.
After an contractor accepts my offer, how soon can they begin?
Contractors are eager to start working, so it typically only takes a few days to get up to speed. While these contractors have experience in general sales, you will need to provide initial training regarding your business and your expectations for their role.
Do I have to train these contractors?
Yes. Contractors have prior experience with phone sales and with using Overpass, but not with the particulars of your business. You should schedule at least one training session with them prior to the campaign beginning, during which time you can educate them about your sales goals, your product, and also discuss any potential objections they may encounter. Additionally, we have a Training section within your workspace, where you can provide supplementary instructions or information.
Getting to Work
What software do contractors need to work?
All contractors begin their shift by logging into Overpass.com for time-tracking. After that, it will be your responsibility to provide them with any additional software (CRM, dialer, email, etc.) that their work will require.
What type of work can contractors perform?
Overpass is primarily a marketplace for phone sales, phone support, and virtual assistant workers, but you are welcome to assign different types of tasks to your team. Some Overpass contractors focus more on email work, market research, social media, or other fields entirely. Keep in mind that we vet these primarily contractors based on their phone skills, so not all contractors will be comfortable with all roles. If you expect that your job will require additional responsibilities, be sure to make that clear in your job post.
How does Overpass track a contractor’s paid hours?
At the beginning of each shift, employees log into Overpass to "clock in" and begin their session; at the end of their shift, they stop the clock. All hours are tracked throughout the week, and agents have the ability to make minor adjustments if any errors occur.
What should I do if I'm not satisfied with a contractor's performance?
First, talk to them! Overpass contractors want to do well, and generally appreciate guidance and constructive criticism. Before you decide to cancel a contract outright, make sure that person is clear on what is expected of them, and give them a fair chance to course-correct.
If that doesn't help, or if you're unable to get in touch with your contractor, let us know! We demand a high standard from our contractors, and if an freelancer has been irresponsible or non-responsive, we will investigate and (most likely) remove them from our marketplace.
Guidance & Best Practices
Do I need a certain type of computer or equipment to use Overpass?
No, any standard PC or Mac computer is fine. We recommend using the Google Chrome browser for best results.
What should I know before an interview?
You should have a good understanding of what this role will entail on a day to day basis. For example, will the contractor only be expected to make outbound calls, or will they also be receiving inbound calls? Will contractors be expected to write and receive emails, or only work over the phone? How many hours per week will they be expected to work?
Also, please only schedule interviews that you intend to complete -- it's very discouraging for contractors to receive an interview request, but not actually receive your call. If you need to reschedule, just reply back to the contractor to let them know ahead of time.
How can I set my contractor up for success?
Open and frequent communication is a major element of successful remote employment. Regularly checking in with your contractors to offer feedback, provide additional training, or allow them to ask questions is the best way to build trust and long-term success.
How does Overpass handle holidays, sick days, vacation, etc.?
As the employer, these decisions are up to you. You determine what days your team should be working on, and how much (if any) time off you would like to permit. Just make sure that you've clearly communicated those expectations to your team.
How can we get direct help if my contractors or I have trouble using Overpass?
Our Customer Success team is always happy to help troubleshoot technical issues or offer guidance.
During office hours (Monday - Friday, 9:00 - 5:00 Eastern time) you can reach us instantly by simply clicking the blue “chat” icon which appears in the lower corner of every Overpass page. We’re also reachable by phone at (347) 377-2439, or by emailing help@overpass.com.
If you need help outside office hours, we have a friendly “chat-bot” who can help resolve the most common problems, or just leave us a message and we’ll respond first thing the next day.
More questions about Overpass? Let's talk!
Email us at help@overpass.com, or message us through our live-chat channel
Updated October 2024