What is a retainer?
A retainer is advance payment that reserves your future availability — common with lawyers, agencies, and consultants. The client pays upfront (say $3,000/month), you draw down hours against it, and unused time is handled per your agreement. Unlike a deposit, it's for ongoing access, not one job.
In practice
A marketing agency holds a $2,500/month retainer; in March the client uses 18 of 25 covered hours. The April invoice shows the retainer renewed, with the 7 unused hours carried over per the contract.
Bill retainers cleanly
Recurring-style invoicing with clear line items for retainer drawdowns.
Create an invoice — freeFrequently asked questions
What's the difference between a retainer and a deposit?
A deposit is part-payment for a specific job; a retainer buys ongoing availability over time. Deposits apply to one invoice; retainers renew.
What happens to unused retainer hours?
Whatever your agreement says: use-it-or-lose-it, rollover with a cap, or refund. Decide before the first payment, not at renewal time.
Should retainer work be invoiced monthly?
Yes — invoice the retainer itself monthly, and show hours used vs. remaining. Transparency is what gets retainers renewed.