All About Paying Filipino VAs

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Paying your Filipino virtual assistant doesn’t have to be problematic. All you need to know about paying your VA in the Philippines can be summed up in 8 simple rules.

1. Don’t pre-pay for work

It might seem like seem like pre paying for work is the ultimate sign of trust. But don’t do it. If someone asks for pre-payment it’s often a scam and it’s dangerous. Trust has to be earned and it has to go both ways. Your Filipino virtual assistant has to show that they’re trustworthy.

I know some might say that pre-paying is what your VA is asking as a sign of goodwill, an assurance that they would be paid on time. If it’s assurance they want, there’s another way to do it. Pay your VA weekly for the first few weeks.

2. Paying weekly at first

Why pay weekly? Because there are a lot of people who have taken advantage of Filipino virtual assistants and their (mostly) non-confrontational nature. We’ve heard complaints of VAs who have worked for 6 months straight without payment, simply because they were too afraid to talk to their employers about money.

So to assure your VA that you’re a legitimate employer (without having to pre-pay for work), offer to pay them weekly for the first few weeks. It’s win-win for both sides. It allows both you and your VA to work on trusting each other. If either one fails to fulfill their obligations, it would be easier for everyone to walk away.

3. Paying bi-weekly or monthly

Which is better? Paying bi-weekly or monthly? It really depends on what you and your virtual assistant would agree on. I prefer monthly because it’s more convenient for me. Some prefer bi-weekly because they’re more used to it. Regardless of which method you choose, it’s best that you’re very clear about when your virtual assistant can expect to be paid.

4. Paying on time

You may think paying you virtual assistant a day late is no big deal but for them it’s nerve wracking. Most virtual assistants are family breadwinners. That means they schedule all payments (utilities, rent, food, school tuition) around their payday. So we start to panic when payment is late. It’s not like we can ask our family not to get groceries for today because we didn’t get paid.

So please, be clear on when your VA can expect to be paid and pay them on time.

5. The 13th month

The 13th month is a benefit Filipino employees receive usually around December. This is a cash bonus that allows Filipinos to have a bit of extra money for the holidays. Most employers usually include the 13th month bonus in the computation of salaries, in order to budget and pay for it by the end of the year.

6. Normal salary amounts

There’s a lot of debate surrounding whether there should be a standard rate for virtual assistants. And my answer to that it depends. It really depends on the task you want them to do, their experience, and skill level. We do have a salary guide but it’s best if you and your VA talk it out and negotiate.

7. Easypay

 

 

EasyPay is our inhouse payment system. We created this system to help employers and virtual assistants who are having problems with 3rd party sites. EasyPay allows you to keep track of payments and your VA to keep track of their invoices. You can integrate it with your current payment system, like PayPal and Payoneer. It offers a favorable exchange rate and we have fewer and lower fees compared to other systems. But I think the greatest thing about our system is we’re connected with the largest bank in the Philippines. So no matter where your VA is, he or she will get their salary.

Make your life and payment easier by signing up for an EasyPay account or link your current payment system to EasyPay. It’s free to use with your Onlinejobs.ph account.

8. Paypal, Payoneer and other options

 

EasyPay isn’t available in all countries. So PayPal and other payment systems like Payoneer, RemitHome.com, Xoom.com, emoneygram.com, westernunion.com, transferwise.com are a quick and secure way to send money to everywhere in the world.

Paying your virtual assistant doesn’t have to be a pain. With a lot of communication and a bit of common sense, your payment issues will become a thing of the past.

Julia Sta RomanaAbout Julia Jasmine M. Sta Romana

Julia has been working for OnlineJobs.ph since 2012, first as a writer and now as its social media manager and content development specialist. She also founded the Davao Virtual Assistants Association, the biggest VA association in Davao City.

She’s a full-time wife and mom and volunteers her time as an internet rights advocate.

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Comments

  1. Immanuel Caralde says

    How do i edit the things onlinejobs.ph can use when connecting to my fb account in order to increase my id proof?

    Reply

      • Andrew Remolona says

        How can I edit the permissions / info I provide when connecting my FB account? I already tried the link that appears on my profile but it did not work.

        Reply

        • says

          ID Proof is about providing lots of information to help determine your identity. If you only provide a small amount of honest information, then you’ll have a low ID trust score.

          Make sure that you have everything filled out…..facebook url, government id, picture, skill descriptions, etc. The more information that you provide, the easier it is for an employer to determine that you are who you say you are. Your ID proof score will be higher too.

          After updating your profile, the ID Proof score does not get updated right away, but will be automatically rechecked by the site in a day or so.

          Reply

  2. Rick Hyne says

    I am looking for some guidance. I am in search of a well rounded person to perform bookkeeper and cloud based record keeping functions, together with answering the phone etc.

    I searched the database and seen many with degrees as public accountants as an example. It would be nice to have an accountant, but bookkeeping is only about 30% of the work. Is is beneath people with degrees to do work a lessor qualified person could do such as record keeping?

    Reply

    • Erlie Balanay says

      Hi, Rick!
      I am an accountant and I also do bookkeeping for some employers here in onlinejobs.ph. Bookkeeping is indeed part of Accounting and most bookkeepers are accountants. A bookkeeper may not be an accountant or an accounting graduate as long as he or she is knowledgeable of basic accounting entries and recording of transactions. In the Philippines, there is no degree specifically for bookkeeping only. That is why most accountants do the bookkeeping even if they are degree holders or masteral graduates. In case you are still looking for a bookkeeper, please get in touch with me through online jobs.ph. Thank you.

      Reply

  3. Catherine says

    Am i entitled to a 13th month pay? I have been working with this company since last year as their virtual assistant. I receive my salary every end of the month. Please let me know if i am entitled to this 13th month.

    Reply

    • Vic says

      Hello Hope,

      Same with me.. I did everything I can to increase my ID Proof. Exams, IDs, Profile.. you name it. It didn’t do much until I contacted support@onlinejobs.ph. We had a couple of emails going back and forth before I reached an ID Proof of 90. Still not a 100 but better than being just 50.

      Good luck!

      Reply

  6. Dominador Eugenio says

    Hi!
    I am a Filipino with a dual Canadian citizenship living here in Canada.
    Am I eligible to work online as virtual assistant?
    Thank you.

    Dominador

    Reply

  9. Patrick del Rosario says

    Let’s not encourage hiring designers with a minimum of $400, srsly… Creatives deserve a hell of a lot more!

    Reply

  11. maria says

    How can i edit the SALARY part? The amount displayed in my profile is way too high. I tried countless times, but it is not letting me remove the salary display part.

    Reply

    • says

      ID Proof is about providing lots of information to help determine your identity. If you only provide a small amount of honest information, then you’ll have a low ID trust score.

      Make sure that you have everything filled out…..facebook url, government id, picture, skill descriptions, etc. The more information that you provide, the easier it is for an employer to determine that you are who you say you are. Your ID proof score will be higher too.

      After updating your profile, the ID Proof score does not get updated right away, but will be automatically rechecked by the site in a day or so.

      Reply

  15. Maricar says

    Hi!
    I’ve been trying to finish my DISC Test but each time I finish and click on NEXT, it says it cannot open the server. Is there something that I need to change? Is there a specific browser for this? I’ve done & placed a screenshot of the result of the IQ as well as the English test, by the way.
    Likewise, I need to change part of my profile data but can’t seem to get into it.
    Your help is very much appreciated. Thanks in advanced.

    Reply

  16. tet says

    Hi, can i link my paypal account to easypay? everytime i try to access easypay, it redirected me to payoneer.

    Reply

  21. Frances Farah G. Biason says

    Hi Ms Julia. I am a working mom and I am in Search of a part time job online to help my husband with our finances. It’s my 1st time to try registering last night. I did not have my Id with me and I could not find a good profile picture. I could not take a photo of me that time since I was not dressed properly. I also mistakable press the wrong amount of salary. I also would like to do the different tests but I couldn’t seem to find the button to start the exams. Can you help me with these?
    Thank you so much.

    Reply

    • says

      Hi Frances,

      You can still edit your profile. Just login to your account. Once you are logged in, just scroll down until you see the “Edit Profile” button. That will allow you to make changes in your profile.

      Reply

  23. Renzel says

    Hi I don’t have a national ID needed for easypay account set-up. what ID can be accepted for it. Don’t have a passport and a license too.

    Reply

  26. Algerwin Garcia says

    I be finishing our first month by this week and we have a good communication but i would like to have a contract with him about incentives, pays and bonuses but i don’t know how to draft that contract. if anyone could give me a sample contract with their clients i would greatly appreciate it so that i could draft mine. thanks

    Reply

  28. yeka2019 says

    Hi julia,

    I am in need of a VA that would help me do my keynote address/ speech.
    Can you please help or refer me to somebody capable of doing it? and if it is possible what would be the rate for one time service?

    Reply

  29. Erlie Balanay says

    Hi Yeka,
    I am interested to write a keynote address for you. Can I ask for some details?
    Who is your audience and what is the topic/theme of the keynote address? How long do intend it to be (estimated length/pages)? When do you need it? You can reach check my profile here at online jobs. Here’s my email ad, balanayerlie@gmail.com. Thank you.

    Reply

  30. emily t. magayam says

    Hi, Julia,

    After taking the exam and displaying the test results in my profile and after connecting my Facebook account also, the words ” have you taken the exam yet”? and “connect your facebook” will still show in my account?

    Reply

  32. John Signe says

    Wow, this list is so awesome and helpful, It’s given me so many more ideas of services I could offer. Thank you SO much for sharing it!

    Reply

    • mario says

      Like you, I am also an advocate of outsourcing and working with all different types of virtual assistants to provide a much better and efficient method of fulfilling tasks for our clients.

      Reply

  34. steve myers says

    I understand the 13th month as well as benefits, I lived in Cavite for 3 years, was married to a Pinay, been there 27 times over 15 years, however, I am hiring contractors for a reason; No employees. No benefits. No tax problems, no business licenses or “fees to pay”. The benefits of working from home, i.e. no clothes to buy for the office, no transport to pay, hours saved daily going to and from the office, no food to buy from vendors, 40 hr work week not 70, 5 days a week not 6, more sleep, family emergency availability, etc. have monetary value that far exceeds an additional 1 months pay. If I do the business I am thinking of doing, it is only possible because of the “normal wage” Filipinos charge for this service. I will be able to pay them that fair wage, long term, full time. But they are contractors…not employees. The only reason they would be working for me is the LOW cost that is passed on to the people that hire me to provide them with this service at a LOW rate, otherwise they will hire local and have fewer concerns. So I can hire perhaps up to 500 workers in the Philippines because their Normal Wage is a benefit to the people that hire me to provide this service cheaper than they can hire locally. It’s a win win win for everyone. BUT, again…they are contractors. If I have to add on an additional month of wage that will increase the monthly charge to the end employer of my company. NOTE I make allot less than the Philippino workers do. I make money on volume, not much on each individual worker.

    Reply

  35. Erica Grace Villanueva says

    How to report scammers here in onlinejobs? I have undergone training for 2 days as Lead Generation VA with no pay and presently doing online test as Web Researcher? How to report them if ever the other interviewer will not pay me?

    Reply

  37. Mae says

    I have a question. I am currently on my student visa here on Australia and when I am creating my profile, my address and contact details are needed. Can I put my Australian contact no. and Philippines address?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    • says

      Hi Richard,

      We don’t have a webpage that describes Payoneer and EasyPay except this one -> http://www.onlinejobs.ph/easypay
      It is only a step-by-step guide in paying a worker thru EasyPay

      There are NO transaction or withdrawing fees with Payoneer
      Normally Payoneer has a 1 percent fee on all transactions that a worker receives
      However, if you pay through the EasyPay portal, these fees are all waived

      Reply

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