The Tedium of Monthly Billing Runs
Billing retainer clients manually is an administrative chore. At the end of every month, account managers must check contract limits, calculate overage hours from timesheets, and build invoices from scratch. It is a slow process prone to errors, which delays your cash flow.
Automation speeds up this process. However, fully automated billing can be risky. If an invoice is dispatched automatically with incorrect overage hours, it causes billing disputes that damage client trust.
The Draft Queue Solution
A smart way to automate retainers is using a recurring draft queue. The system automatically generates the invoices on the scheduled date, includes base retainer fees, and pulls billable overages directly from the timesheet database.
Instead of sending the invoice immediately, the system places it in a draft queue. A manager reviews the draft, approves it with a single click, and dispatches it. This saves hours of manual creation while maintaining full review control.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a recurring invoice draft queue?
It is a system that automatically drafts invoices based on set schedules and places them in a queue for manual review before sending.
How do you handle billable overages on retainers?
The system tracks tracked hours against the project's monthly retainer limit and automatically adds excess hours as separate line items on the draft invoice.