malt.fr

Repeated late payments and poor communication trust completely eroded

I moved to Malt after being assured the platform could meet the same payment reliability standards as alternatives like Upwork. Unfortunately, my experience over time has not matched those assurances.In 2025 alone, 25% of my payments were delayed, despite all work being completed on time and timesheets properly validated. These were not isolated incidents, and the delays occurred without clear justification or proactive communication.What makes this especially frustrating is the recurring pattern: • Repeated assurances that issues were “resolved” • The same payment problems reappearing months later • Vague, generic responses from support instead of concrete answers • Long periods of silence when payments were already overdueIn several cases, including the most recent one, support stopped responding for hours during business days without providing any concrete explanation or next step, despite the payment already being overdue.In the most recent case (payment due December 27), support initially stated that they were “prioritizing immediate checks” and would trigger the payout “straight away.” Hours and then days passed without release, followed by generic replies stating that the finance team was “looking into it.”What was particularly concerning was being told that delays are “expected,” even after the payment was already overdue. For a platform positioning itself as a reliable intermediary for freelancers, this seriously undermines confidence.As a freelancer, predictable cash flow is essential. Internal processes, end-of-year periods, or payment partners should not be passed onto freelancers once work has been delivered and validated.At this point, trust in the platform has been significantly damaged, not only due to repeated late payments, but also due to the lack of accountability and clear communication when issues arise.I’m sharing this experience so other freelancers can make an informed decision. If payment reliability and support transparency improve consistently over time, I would be open to revisiting this review in the future, but based on my experience so far, Malt has fallen well short of what was promised.Update – Payment still not resolvedFollowing my original review, Malt confirmed in writing that the payment was being “prioritized” and that immediate checks were underway to release the payout.Several hours later, and now days past the original payment deadline the payment remains unreleased. Support responses have been vague, repetitive, and without ownership, despite multiple follow-ups and clear confirmation that the work was completed and the timesheet validated.This reinforces the core issue described above: promises are made, but accountability and execution do not follow. What was initially framed as an exception has become an ongoing pattern, further eroding trust in the platform’s ability to handle freelancer payments reliably.Update (Jan 2):After previously confirming that this payment was being escalated and handled as urgent, support has now stated that there is no payment date and that they merely “expect an update next week.”This means the payment will be approximately 10 days past the agreed due date, with no concrete timeline, no accountability, and no resolution provided.At this stage, despite repeated follow-ups and written confirmations that the work was completed and validated, there is still no clarity on when—or if—the payment will be released. This reinforces the core issue described above: promises are made, but execution does not follow.Update January 9 2026Malt has since stated that payouts are calculated as 10 business days, despite both the dashboard and Help Center clearly stating “10 days” with no reference to business days, weekends, or bank holidays.For over 2 years, my payouts consistently followed 10 calendar days, exactly as displayed in the interface and communicated during onboarding. This interpretation was only introduced after a payment delay occurred.If Malt internally applies business days, this distinction must be clearly disclosed in advance. Retroactively redefining timelines undermines predictability and makes cash-flow planning unreliable for freelancers.The issue is not the length of the delay, but the contradiction between what is shown to users and how payments are later justified.

Date of experience: Dec 26, 2025