Freelancers can join Zalow by invitation from an existing member or by submitting a “Join Now” form, which must be approved by the Zalow team. Once invited, you’ll create an account and complete the onboarding process. Onboarding begins with identity verification to ensure all members are real and trustworthy. You’ll then provide basic personal and professional information, which initiates a peer-review process to validate your experience, skills, and credibility.

To complete onboarding, you’ll need a government-issued ID and a working camera to complete identity verification and a liveness check via Stripe Identity. You’ll then be asked to provide your preferred name, location, a current resume, your LinkedIn profile URL, and your initial project category preferences.

After completing onboarding and submitting your profile for approval, a member of Zalow’s Advisory Council is assigned to conduct a peer-review of your experience and capabilities. This review may include a live interview of up to 30 minutes. Once the peer-review is complete, a recommendation is made to approve or deny your membership. If approved, you’ll be granted access to the Zalow platform.

Once approved, you’ll receive a welcome email with login instructions. Upon your first login, you’ll be prompted to complete your profile by adding details about your experience, skills, preferred work and project types, and fee expectations. You’ll also upload an avatar, create a headline, and write a short personal description to help your profile stand out to Clients. Before engaging in any project-related activities, you’ll need to:
1. Request a background check via the Settings → Security & Credentials menu (facilitated by Checkr).
2. Provide your banking information under Settings → Billing & Payments (managed by Stripe).

Your Trust Score is calculated based on multiple trust signals, including: identity verification; background check; peer-review of your experience and capabilities; completion of your profile; trust earned through your connected network; and at least three (3) recommendations from people you’ve previously worked with. You can request recommendations from existing Zalow members or external contacts by navigating to Settings → Request a Recommendation.

It depends on your employment agreement. Some employers restrict freelancing or require prior approval, especially if there’s a non-compete clause. To stay protected, review your contract, avoid working for competitors, keep your freelance work separate from your day job, and consult a legal professional if you’re unsure.

To give you confidence that funds are secured, Zalow collects up to 50% of the first week’s estimated hours or up to 25% of a fixed fee project budget in Stripe's escrow before work begins. Payments are processed via Stripe and typically disbursed within 5 business days after the Client approves your submitted hours or milestone.