What is a Retainer Client?
A retainer client pays you a fixed monthly fee for ongoing services. Instead of one-off projects, you have predictable monthly income.
Examples:
- Social media management: $500/month
- Website maintenance: $200/month
- Content writing: 4 articles × $150 = $600/month
- Virtual assistant: 20 hours × $15/hr = $300/month
Retainer clients are the dream for any freelancer. Predictable income. Less time selling. Deeper relationships.
But they create an invoicing challenge: you need to send the same invoice every single month.
The Problem with Manual Monthly Invoicing
Without a system, here's what happens:
- You finish the month's work
- Remember you need to invoice at 11pm
- Scramble to create the invoice
- Copy-paste from last month's Word doc
- Make a typo in the date
- Send a messy invoice
This is not professional. And it wastes your time.
**The solution: Recurring invoices.**
How Recurring Invoices Work on InvoiceLoo
InvoiceLoo (Pro plan, $5/month) has a dedicated Recurring Invoices feature.
Here's how to set it up:
Step 1: Go to Recurring Invoices
Dashboard → Recurring → New Recurring Invoice
Step 2: Fill in the Details
- **Title**: "Monthly Retainer — [Client Name]"
- **Client**: Select from your saved clients
- **Services**: Add your monthly services
- **Amount**: Monthly rate
- **Currency**: USD, PKR, INR, etc.
- **Frequency**: Weekly / Monthly / Quarterly / Yearly
Step 3: Set the Start Date
Choose when the first invoice should be generated.
Step 4: Save
That's it. Every month, InvoiceLoo shows you which recurring invoices are due. One click to generate the PDF and send to your client.
Recurring Invoice Frequencies
**Weekly** — For clients you bill weekly (some VA arrangements)
**Monthly** — Most common for retainers
- Social media management
- Content writing
- Website maintenance
- Consulting
**Quarterly** — For seasonal or project-based retainers
- SEO audits every 3 months
- Quarterly strategy reviews
**Yearly** — Annual contracts
- Domain and hosting management
- Annual brand refresh
What to Include in a Monthly Retainer Invoice
Be specific about what you delivered that month:
``` Monthly Social Media Management — March 2026
Content Creation (12 posts) $200 Scheduling and Publishing $50 Community Management (30 days) $80 Monthly Analytics Report $70 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Total: $400 ```
Even if the monthly fee is fixed, breaking it down shows the client what they're paying for and reduces cancellation risk.
How to Price a Freelance Retainer
Common pricing models:
Flat Monthly Fee
Simplest. Client pays a fixed amount regardless of hours. Best for: Predictable scope work (e.g., 4 articles/month)
Hourly Retainer
Client buys a block of hours. Unused hours may or may not roll over. Best for: Support/maintenance work with variable needs
Value-Based Retainer
Price based on the value you provide, not hours. Best for: High-impact work (SEO, ads management, consulting)
**Recommended starting price:** Take your hourly rate × estimated hours × 0.85 (slight discount for predictability).
Tips for Managing Retainer Clients
Always Use a Contract
A monthly retainer without a contract is risky. Include:
- Scope of work (what exactly is included)
- What's NOT included (and what it costs if needed)
- Cancellation notice period (30 days minimum)
- Payment terms
Send Invoices on the Same Day Every Month
Create a routine: the 1st of every month, or the last working day. Consistency is professional.
Track Hours Even for Flat-Fee Retainers
This protects you. If a client asks "what did you do this month?", you have data.
Review Rates Annually
Prices go up. Your rate should too. An annual review clause in your contract makes this easy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set up recurring invoices on InvoiceLoo free plan?
Recurring invoices are a Pro feature ($5/month). Unlimited recurring invoices are included.
Can I customize each recurring invoice before sending?
Yes. InvoiceLoo generates the invoice as a draft. You can edit before downloading/sending.
What if a client cancels mid-month?
Invoice for the work completed. Specify in your contract how partial month billing works.
How do I handle retainer invoices in different currencies?
InvoiceLoo supports 8 currencies. Each recurring invoice can have its own currency.
Stop Recreating Invoices Every Month
Set up recurring invoices once. Generate with one click every month. Look professional. Get paid predictably.
**Start with InvoiceLoo Pro — $5/month.**
👉 invoiceloo.com