Retainer engagements need different mechanics than fixed-scope projects: monthly hour quota, rollover rules, overage billing.
Configure the retainer
- Create the project, choose "Retainer" as the type.
- Set the monthly quota (e.g. 40 hours/month).
- Define rollover: do unused hours expire at month end, roll forward (capped at X), or get credited back?
- Define overage: client pre-approves up to N additional hours at the same rate? overage at a higher rate? client must approve in writing before exceeding?
Monthly reset
On the 1st of each month, the quota resets. The system creates a fresh invoice for the next month's retainer fee, due on day 1. Overage from the prior month appears as a separate line item.
Visibility for the client
The portal shows: "Hours used this month: 23 of 40. Estimated remaining: 17." Real-time consumption transparency prevents end-of-month surprises.
End of retainer
When the engagement winds down, the system reconciles: any positive balance (unused, non-rollover hours) is forfeited or credited to a future invoice depending on your default policy. Any negative balance (overage) is billed.
Tips
- Rollover policies should match what the contract says, exactly. If you offer 3-month rollover in the contract but the system caps at 1, you owe explanations every quarter.
- For high-trust clients, allow auto-overage with a soft cap (alert at 110%, hard-stop at 130%). For new clients, require sign-off on every overage hour.