Retainer management software for agencies

A retainer 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.

• The fee and the date it is due each month.
• The deliverables: how many of each, and the time each should take.
• The hours actually worked for the client that month.
• The invoice and the payment, so an unpaid month is visible before the next one starts.
• The renewal date, early enough to reprice.

• Monthly fee on the client. 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.
• Deliverables create tasks. 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.
• Hours against the retainer. Time logged on those tasks is recorded against the client’s retainer, and with it the cost of the work.
• Recurring invoices (Core). 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.
• Client portal (Core). A private, read-only link shows the client their active retainer, deliverables, projects, recent invoices, payments and the amount unpaid. See the client portal.
• Renewals (Scale). Renewal tasks are created 90, 60 and 30 days before the renewal date, with a renewal calendar and a pricing worksheet.

See marketing agency software and SEO agency software for how agencies use this, and project budgets and profitability for the money side.

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.

• Estimated cost at a $38 average hourly cost: 40 × $38 = $1,520.
• Actual cost: 52 × $38 = $1,976. With $150 of stock images, $2,126.
• Margin: ($4,000 − $2,126) ÷ $4,000 = 47%, against 58% at the planned 40 hours with the same expenses.
• Effective rate: $4,000 ÷ 52 = $76.92 an hour, against $100 planned.

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 retainer agreement template has clauses for extra work.

• No hour bank. PLYNTUM does not track included hours, overage or rollover. You compare hours with the fee yourself and decide what to bill.
• No automatic sending. Recurring invoices are created on schedule, but you send them.
• No proposals or e-signature. Retainer proposals and contracts live outside PLYNTUM for now; proposals are planned with the CRM.
• Not accounting software. Revenue recognition, tax filing and bookkeeping stay with your accountant.

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 pricing.