{"compare":false,"blog":false,"article":false,"page":{"title":"Retainer management software for agencies","lead":"Retainer management software keeps each monthly client agreement in one place: the fee, what is delivered each month, the hours it takes, the invoice and the renewal date. In PLYNTUM a client carries a monthly fee, which creates expected payments, and monthly deliverables, which create tasks. From Core, recurring invoices and a client portal are added, and from Scale, renewal workflows. It does not track included hours, overage or rollover.","sections":[{"heading":"Where retainers lose money","html":"<p>A <a href=\"{{route:glossary/retainer}}\">retainer</a> is priced on an assumption: this much work for this fee. The assumption erodes quietly. Twelve posts become fifteen, a monthly report grows a second section, and “quick” asks arrive in chat. The fee stays the same. By renewal, the client is getting more than they pay for and nobody has the numbers to say so.</p>"},{"heading":"What to track on every retainer","html":"<ul><li><strong>The fee</strong> and the date it is due each month.</li><li><strong>The deliverables:</strong> how many of each, and the time each should take.</li><li><strong>The hours actually worked</strong> for the client that month.</li><li><strong>The invoice and the payment</strong>, so an unpaid month is visible before the next one starts.</li><li><strong>The renewal date</strong>, early enough to reprice.</li></ul>"},{"heading":"How it works in PLYNTUM","html":"<ul><li><strong>Monthly fee on the client.</strong> On every plan, you set a client’s monthly retainer fee, and PLYNTUM creates an expected payment for each month, so receivables show what is due.</li><li><strong>Deliverables create tasks.</strong> List the monthly deliverables with a quantity and an estimated time each, for example 12 posts at 2 hours. PLYNTUM creates that month’s tasks for you.</li><li><strong>Hours against the retainer.</strong> Time logged on those tasks is recorded against the client’s retainer, and with it the cost of the work.</li><li><strong>Recurring invoices (Core).</strong> Set up an invoice template once: lines, VAT, currency, a monthly day between 1 and 28 and a lead time. PLYNTUM creates the invoice record on schedule and notifies you in the app. It does not email the invoice automatically.</li><li><strong>Client portal (Core).</strong> A private, read-only link shows the client their active retainer, deliverables, projects, recent invoices, payments and the amount unpaid. See the <a href=\"{{route:platform/client-portal}}\">client portal</a>.</li><li><strong>Renewals (Scale).</strong> Renewal tasks are created 90, 60 and 30 days before the renewal date, with a renewal calendar and a pricing worksheet.</li></ul><p>See <a href=\"{{route:solutions/marketing-agencies}}\">marketing agency software</a> and <a href=\"{{route:solutions/seo-agencies}}\">SEO agency software</a> for how agencies use this, and <a href=\"{{route:platform/finance}}\">project budgets and profitability</a> for the money side.</p>"},{"heading":"A retainer month, worked through","html":"<p>An example. A social media retainer costs $4,000 a month. The deliverables are 12 posts at 2 hours, 4 ad sets at 3 hours and one monthly report at 4 hours: 40 estimated hours. In October the team logs 52 hours on the client’s tasks, because the client asked for three extra posts and a longer report.</p><ul><li>Estimated cost at a $38 average hourly cost: 40 × $38 = $1,520.</li><li>Actual cost: 52 × $38 = $1,976. With $150 of stock images, $2,126.</li><li>Margin: ($4,000 − $2,126) ÷ $4,000 = 47%, against 58% at the planned 40 hours with the same expenses.</li><li>Effective rate: $4,000 ÷ 52 = $76.92 an hour, against $100 planned.</li></ul><p>The three extra posts are 6 hours of work. Agree them with the client, add them as their own tasks, and either bill them on the next invoice or change the deliverables at renewal. The <a href=\"{{route:templates/retainer-agreement}}\">retainer agreement template</a> has clauses for extra work.</p>"},{"heading":"What PLYNTUM does not do for retainers","html":"<ul><li><strong>No hour bank.</strong> PLYNTUM does not track included hours, overage or rollover. You compare hours with the fee yourself and decide what to bill.</li><li><strong>No automatic sending.</strong> Recurring invoices are created on schedule, but you send them.</li><li><strong>No proposals or e-signature.</strong> Retainer proposals and contracts live outside PLYNTUM for now; proposals are planned with the CRM.</li><li><strong>Not accounting software.</strong> Revenue recognition, tax filing and bookkeeping stay with your accountant.</li></ul>"},{"heading":"What it costs","html":"<p>The fee and deliverables are on every plan, from Launch at $55 a month for up to 5 members. Recurring invoices and the client portal need Core, $150 a month for up to 10 members ($120 billed annually). Renewal workflows need Scale, $450 a month for up to 25 ($360 billed annually). Signing up starts a 7-day Launch trial with no card. See <a href=\"{{route:pricing}}\">pricing</a>.</p>"}]},"faq":[["Can PLYNTUM track a bank of retainer hours?","No. It records the hours worked against the retainer and the deliverables’ estimated time, but it has no included-hours balance, overage or rollover."],["Does PLYNTUM send retainer invoices automatically?","No. From Core it creates them automatically on a fixed monthly day and notifies you in the app; sending is a manual step."],["Can clients see their retainer?","From Core, through a private read-only portal link showing the retainer, deliverables, invoices, payments and balance. You can revoke the link at any time."],["Which plan has renewal reminders?","Scale and above: renewal tasks at 90, 60 and 30 days, a renewal calendar and a pricing worksheet."],["Is there a retainer contract template?","Yes, a free Word retainer agreement template with clauses for deliverables, included hours, rollover and overage. Those terms live in the contract; PLYNTUM does not track an hour balance."]]}