How to schedule monthly retainer invoices
Retainer clients pay the same amount every month, yet the invoice still has to be created and sent each time. A recurring schedule in Business Hub creates the invoice on the same day each month and can send it to the client automatically.
What you need
- A Business Hub account on a plan that includes recurring invoices.
- The client saved as a customer, with their email or WhatsApp number.
- The monthly retainer amount and what it covers.
Step-by-step
- Open Recurring Invoices and create a scheduleGive it a name you will recognise, such as "Acme - monthly SEO retainer", and choose the customer.
- Add the retainer as a line itemDescribe what the retainer covers, set the quantity to 1 and enter the monthly price. Add notes and payment terms if you use them.
- Set the frequency to monthlyChoose monthly with an interval of 1. For a quarterly retainer choose monthly with an interval of 3.
- Pick the start date and due daysThe start date is when the first invoice is created, and each following one comes a month later. Set due days to give the client time to pay, for example 7 or 14.
- Decide when it endsLeave it open for an ongoing retainer, set an end date, or set a maximum number of invoices for a fixed-length contract such as 12 months.
- Turn on automatic sendingSwitch on email and, if your plan includes it, WhatsApp, so each invoice goes to the client as soon as it is created. Every invoice carries a Pay now button for the accounts you added in Get Paid.
Tips
- Start the schedule on the day the client agreed to be billed, such as the 1st of the month, so every invoice lands on the same date.
- Pause the schedule if a client puts work on hold, and resume it later without setting it up again.
- Need an invoice early for a client? Use Generate Now; the schedule carries on as normal.