What is the Premier Provider Program? 

The Premier Provider Program is a merit-based membership developed for and limited to qualifying providers that meet the criteria listed below. Premier Providers receive a seal, differentiating themselves as delivering consistent quality and customer satisfaction. Premier providers also use fewer connects than non-Premier members to create proposals for Featured Postings.

To qualify for Premier status, a provider must meet the following criteria:  

• Active enrollment in a paid membership plan
• A minimum of 5 completed and reviewed projects (in any category)
• A minimum of 2 displayed verified credentials
• During the last 6 months, maintained a minimum of 90% positive feedback rating in the specific category
• In the last 6 months, completed at least 2 projects with feedback from 2 unique buyers in the specific category
• In the last 6 months, a minimum of 2 payments received from 2 unique buyers in the specific category through Elance Billing & Payment System
• No policy violations

Once qualified, a Premier Provider must maintain the following minimum performance criteria (checked on a monthly basis):

• Maintain a 90% feedback rating in the last six months in the specific category
• Receive an average of at least 1 payment per month over the last 3 months in the specific category through the Elance Billing & Payment System
• No policy violations 

Eligibility for the Premier Program is evaluated monthly to ensure quality standards are consistently achieved. If a provider fails to meet these standards, the provider will be automatically notified and their Premier status will be revoked at the beginning of their next billing cycle. In addition, should the provider's membership plan be downgraded to a free membership, Premier status will be removed. If the provider becomes eligible again in the future, they will be automatically notified and can upgrade their membership to Premier. Premier members can leave the Premier Provider program at any time, effective their next billing cycle.

If you are new to the Elance Provider network (you registered no more than 3 months ago) and have not completed any projects but you feel that you have external qualifications which warrant admission to the Premier program such as unique credentials or a stellar reputation built elsewhere, you may manually apply for the Premier Program for a non-refundable fee of $3. Please keep in mind that the manual application is intended exclusively for new providers on Elance as a fast-track into the program. In order to be considered, providers must have a paying membership, a completed profile, and 2 displayed verified credentials in order to apply. It is also highly recommended that providers have relevant skills tested. Maintenance criteria is waived for the first 90 days for those providers who apply and are accepted into the Premier Program.