Set up a monthly retainer invoice once
Updated · 3 min read
Retainers are the best kind of freelance income: predictable, and no pitching every month. The invoicing should be just as predictable.
Agree on the basics first
Write these down with the client before the first invoice goes out.
- The amount and currency
- What the retainer covers, and what counts as extra work
- When you invoice (for example, the 1st of every month)
- Payment terms (for example, due in 14 days)
Don't copy last month's invoice
Duplicating an old invoice by hand is how dates, numbers and amounts go wrong. Set the invoice up once as a template (client, line items, terms), then put that template on a schedule: how often it repeats, when it starts, and optionally when it ends.
In Mintvo a recurring invoice can repeat weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly. Each one gets the next invoice number and fresh dates automatically.
Bill extra work separately
When a retainer client asks for something outside the agreement, send a separate invoice, or a quote first. Keeping it apart from the retainer keeps both clear.
Questions
- Can I change the amount of a recurring invoice later?
- Yes. Edit the template behind the schedule and the next invoice uses the new amount. Invoices already created stay as they were.
- Can I stop a recurring invoice?
- Yes. Pause or end the schedule at any time; no more invoices are created after that.