Growth marketing retainer88% used
Marlowe Coffee Co.
- This cycle
- 26.5 of 30 h
- Amount
- $4.5k/mo
- Next
- Nov 1
5 h pending
Retainers that count the hours and bill every cycle.
Set up an hour bank, a fixed monthly fee or a prepaid deposit once. Workspace369 counts the hours, invoices every cycle and charges the card the client agreed to.
Start free trial
14-day free trial. Card required. After the trial: from $29/month. Renews automatically every month until you cancel. Cancel anytime in Settings → Billing.
Request a demo- 01
- Hour bank, fixed monthly and prepaid deposit retainers.
- 02
- Approved time draws the hour bank down, with pending time shown before it goes over.
- 03
- Clients accept the terms and turn on card autopay when they pay the first invoice.
What is retainer billing software?
Retainer billing software bills a client for ongoing work on a schedule, against an allowance agreed up front. In Workspace369 a retainer is an hour bank, a fixed monthly fee or a prepaid deposit; it invoices every cycle, counts approved time against the bank, and charges a card on autopay once the client accepts the terms.
Product reference
Reviewed October 21, 2026 by the Workspace369 Product Team. Availability can vary by plan, region, and workspace configuration.
Read the payment plans and retainers documentationWatch · 1:46
Set up retainers and recurring invoices in Workspace369
Set up retainers and recurring invoices in Workspace369: bill regular clients every cycle for an hour bank, a fixed scope or a set amount.
Read the transcript and chapter guide →Recorded in a demonstration workspace. Check current plans and settings for availability.
Log a month against a 30-hour bank.
Approved time draws the bank down. Time waiting for approval is shown too, so you see an overage coming before it lands on the invoice.
- Hours left is the bank minus approved time
- Pending time warns you before it goes over
- Extra hours bill at your support rate, or are tracked only
Approved time
Waiting for approval
Extra hours
This cycle · Oct 1 – Oct 319 days left
6 h left24 of 30 h approved · 8 h waiting for approval2 h over if pending time is approvedThat's $300.00 on the Nov 1 invoice
Sample hour bank: 30 h a month, extra hours at $150/h. Change the hours to see what the retainer shows.
A fixed fee that bills itself every month.
Set up a plan for hosting, maintenance or a subscription service, and the invoice repeats on its schedule. The plan shows the next invoice and what it has collected so far.
- Set it once
- The amount, how often it repeats and the day it bills.
- Autopay or a pay link
- Charge the client's saved card, or send a pay link with each invoice.
- Drafts if you want them
- Send each invoice automatically, or review the draft first.
- Every plan
- Recurring invoices are on every plan.
Three kinds of retainer, one setup.
A retainer is a billing plan with an allowance. Pick the kind that matches the deal, set the terms once, and the client agrees to them when they pay the first invoice.
- 01
Hour bank
A set number of hours each cycle for a set price. Extra hours bill at your support rate or are tracked only; unused hours expire or roll over up to a cap.
- 02
Fixed monthly
A set scope for a set price each cycle, with no hours to count.
- 03
Prepaid deposit
The client pays a deposit you draw down by applying it to invoices. When the balance drops below your threshold, a top-up invoice can go out automatically.
The client agrees to the terms when they pay.
The first invoice shows the retainer terms. The client ticks one box to accept them and turn on autopay, or pays only that invoice.
- Terms in plain words
- Hours included, price, extra and unused hours, all on the invoice.
- Notice before every charge
- The client is emailed 3 days before each automatic charge, 7 for yearly plans.
- Card autopay only
- Autopay charges a saved card. An invoice that doesn't accept cards is paid by hand from the invoice page.
- The client stays in control
- Manage autopay lets them change the card or turn autopay off.
Retainers & Recurring questions
What kinds of retainer can I set up?
Three: an hour bank (hours each cycle, extras billed), fixed monthly (a set scope for a set price) and a prepaid deposit (money held and drawn down). Only a prepaid deposit holds a balance you apply to invoices.
How are hours counted against an hour bank?
Approved time draws the bank down. Time waiting for approval shows separately, with a warning if approving it would go over. Extra hours bill at your support rate on the next invoice, or are tracked only.
How does card autopay work?
The client ticks one box when paying the first invoice to accept the terms and pay future invoices automatically. Autopay charges a card; without the box ticked, they pay that invoice only.
Will clients know before they are charged?
Yes. The client is emailed 3 days before every automatic charge, or 7 days before for yearly plans, and can manage autopay from a secure page.
Which plan includes retainers and recurring invoices?
Every plan includes all three retainer types, recurring invoices, saved payment methods and card autopay through your own Stripe account.
Recent updates
All release notes- More ways for clients to pay, and a redesigned invoice editorChoose which payment methods clients see through your Stripe account, override them on a single invoice, and edit invoices in a cleaner tabbed editor.
- Retainers that track every hour, and recurring invoices on autopayRun hour-bank, fixed monthly and prepaid retainers with a live hours meter, put repeat invoices on card autopay your clients agree to, and void unpaid invoices cleanly.
Set up your first retainer or recurring plan.
Start free and bring this workflow into the rest of your workspace.
14-day free trial. Card required. After the trial: from $29/month. Renews automatically every month until you cancel. Cancel anytime in Settings → Billing.
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