ubiqueContract, pay and protect your contractors in 200 countries
Country-specific agreements, one monthly payment run in 100 currencies, and a risk score on every contractor so you know who should really be an employee. £29 per contractor per month.
No minimum. Cancel per contractor at any time.
A contractor agreement that holds up in the contractor's country
A US-style independent contractor agreement is not enforceable in Brazil, and it reads like an employment contract in Spain. Ubique generates the agreement for the country the contractor lives in, with the clauses local courts expect: scope of services, deliverables, the contractor's freedom to organise their work, their own equipment, no exclusivity unless you really need it.
- Templates for 200 countries, reviewed by local counsel and updated when the law changes
- Fixed-price, milestone or time-based engagements
- IP assignment and confidentiality clauses adapted to local enforceability
- E-signature, with the signed copy stored in the document vault
- Your own template, if you prefer, checked against the local list of red flags
Contractor onboarding
The contractor uploads ID, tax forms (W-8BEN, W-9 and local equivalents), bank details and their business registration where the country requires one. You see a complete file before the first payment.
Invoicing
Contractors submit invoices in the dashboard, or Ubique generates them from the agreed rate and approved timesheets. You approve, we pay. Line items are exported to your accounting system.
Conversion when it is time
When a contractor becomes a full-time team member, convert them to an EOR employee in the same record. Inês Ferreira did it in an afternoon in Portugal. How conversion works.
One approval, one debit, 200 countries
You approve a payment run once a month, or as often as you like. Ubique debits your account once, in your currency, and pays every contractor in theirs. Bank transfer, local payment rails where they exist, and the exchange rate shown before you approve, not after.
- 100 currencies, with local rails in the main markets so contractors receive the full amount
- Payouts in one to three business days from approval
- Contractors can hold their balance and withdraw when the rate suits them
- Automatic remittance and self-billing invoices for your accounts payable
- Exports to Xero, QuickBooks and NetSuite through integrations
What a payment run looks like
| Contractor | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | Argentina | USD 4,800 |
| Designer | Nigeria | NGN 2,350,000 |
| Data analyst | Poland | PLN 14,200 |
| Copywriter | Mexico | MXN 38,000 |
| Debited from you, in GBP | £10,412 | |
Illustrative amounts. Rates and the FX margin are shown in the dashboard before approval.
Know which contractors are really employees, before a regulator tells you
Every contractor gets a risk score at onboarding and every quarter after. It uses the tests local courts and tax authorities actually apply, not a generic checklist.
Independent
Several clients, own tools, controls own hours, invoices for outcomes, registered business where required. Carry on. We re-score quarterly.
Watch
Mostly one client, fixed hours, uses your systems, has been engaged over a year. We list the specific factors and what would move the score, such as a fixed-term scope or a second client.
Convert
Looks like an employee to a local court: manager, team, performance reviews, exclusive, indefinite. We recommend converting to an EOR employee and show the cost difference.
The same questionnaire is available free, without an account: Misclassification Risk Check.
Protection if a contractor is reclassified as an employee
Reclassification claims happen. A contractor leaves on bad terms and files with the labour court. A tax audit decides that your "consultant" was an employee for three years. Ubique Shield covers the financial consequences, so a wrong call does not become a six-figure surprise.
What it covers
- Back-dated employer social contributions and payroll taxes assessed by the authority
- Statutory penalties and interest tied to the reclassification
- Legal defence costs with local counsel, from the first letter
- Severance and notice awarded on the basis that the contractor was an employee
Limits and conditions
- Cover applies per contractor, from the date Shield is activated, not retroactively
- The contractor must have passed the misclassification risk check at low or medium risk, and must be re-scored each quarter. High-risk contractors are not eligible
- Capped per claim and per customer per year; caps are stated in your order form and depend on country and contractor volume
- Excludes claims arising from facts you withheld in the questionnaire, and from engagements you changed materially without updating the record
Ubique Shield is a contractual indemnity provided by Ubique Group Limited, backed by insurance. It is not an insurance policy sold to you, and it does not replace legal advice. Full terms are in the terms of service.
How to activate it
Run the risk check on the contractor. If the score is low or medium, Shield appears as an option on their record. Activate it, and it is included in the £29 monthly fee for that contractor from the next billing date.
Why we gate it
A protection that pays out regardless of risk would make everyone reckless, including us. Gating Shield on the risk check keeps the price at £29 and keeps the incentive where it belongs: on getting the classification right.
If a claim arrives
Forward the letter in the dashboard within ten business days. Ubique's local legal team or partner counsel takes the file, keeps you informed and handles settlement discussions with your approval.
Common questions
What does £29 per contractor per month include?
The agreement, onboarding, invoicing, the payment run (excluding the FX margin, shown before approval), quarterly risk scoring, document storage and Ubique Shield for eligible contractors. There is no setup fee and no minimum number of contractors.
Do contractors pay anything?
No. Contractors receive the amount you approve, less any bank fee on their side for exotic currencies, which we show them in advance. They can withdraw to a local bank account or hold a balance.
Can we pay contractors in crypto or through third-party wallets?
No. Ubique pays to bank accounts and regulated local payment rails only. This keeps every payment traceable for your auditors and for the contractor's tax return.
Does Ubique handle contractor tax?
Contractors are responsible for their own tax. Ubique collects the forms you need (W-8BEN, W-9, local equivalents), issues year-end statements where the country requires them, and generates invoices that satisfy local invoicing rules. We do not withhold tax from contractor payments unless local law makes you withhold, in which case we do it and tell you.
What happens when a contractor should become an employee?
You convert them to an EOR employee in the same record. Ubique generates the employment contract, calculates the new employer cost and sets a start date. Shield continues to cover the contractor period. See converting contractors to employees.
Score your contractors this week
Bring your contractor list. We show you the risk, the cost to convert and what Shield would cover.