Retainer agreements, and renewals you see coming
Show the monthly fee and term in the agreement, take the first month on signing, and bulk-send renewal offers before the expiry date.
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A QuoteCloud retainer agreement shows monthly fees as repeating charges and its term, with levels of support as a single choice and the first month paid on signing. Expiry dates and the Expiring Soon filter show which retainers end soon, and bulk send (Essentials and up) sends personalised renewal offers. QuoteCloud does not bill monthly fees or renew agreements automatically.
The documents list of a fictional consulting firm, Ashcombe Partners, filtered to Expiring Soon: four retainer agreements expire in the next 60 days. Halberd Engineering's board advisory retainer expires on Saturday 7 November, in 16 days, shown in red; Pennant Foods, Kerrow Logistics and Silvan Care follow in 39, 47 and 53 days. All four are accepted.
A retainer agreement in four pages
Ashcombe's 12-month growth advisory retainer for Orrin Marine Supplies, page by page, as Jess Kowal read and signed it.
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Ashcombe PartnersRetainer agreement AP-R-0318 Sample · fictional business
Retainer agreement
Growth advisory retainer
A partner on call for Orrin's next 12 months of growth: a monthly strategy session, advisory days and a review of each board pack.
Cover
A partner on call for a year
What the retainer is for, who it's prepared for and the date the offer ends, from the firm's retainer template.
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Ashcombe PartnersRetainer agreement AP-R-0318 Sample · fictional business
Choose your level of support
Level of support
Three levels, one choice
Core, Growth and Board side by side as a single choice, each with what's included. Jess chose Growth at $13,500 a month plus tax.
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Ashcombe PartnersRetainer agreement AP-R-0318 Sample · fictional business
Monthly fees · Growth
Service Each month Per month Strategy session with your partner 1 a month $4,800.00 Advisory days (principal) 3 days $7,200.00 Board pack review 1 a month $1,500.00 - Monthly
- $13,500.00
- Term
- 12 months · $162,000
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Monthly fees
The monthly fee, written down
Each part of the Growth level as a repeating charge, the monthly total and the 12 months of the term. Shown in the agreement; invoiced by the firm.
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Ashcombe PartnersRetainer agreement AP-R-0318 Sample · fictional business
Term & conditions
Starts1 Nov 2026Expires31 Oct 2027- Monthly feesThe monthly fee is invoiced by Ashcombe at the start of each month. The first month is paid when you sign.
- Unused daysAdvisory days not used in a month can be carried forward one month.
- ChangesEither party can propose a change of level; it takes effect from the next month once both sign the revised agreement.
- End of termThe agreement ends on its expiry date. Any renewal is a new agreement you sign.
Accept the retainer
Jess Kowal · Managing director
Signed online · Wed 21 Oct, 4:05 pm
First month, paid on signing (100%)
$14,850.00
Paid via PayPalPay with card or PayPal
Certificate of authenticity and audit trail attached
Term & signature
A start, an end, and a signature
1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027, how unused days and changes of level work, and an end of term that is just that. Jess signed and paid the first month through PayPal.
Signing and NDAs
Monthly fees in the agreement, the first month paid on signing
The agreement shows each month's fees as repeating charges beside the 12-month term, so the client signs for a level and a price, not a vague 'advisory support'.
When Jess signed, the first month, $14,850.00 including tax, was paid through PayPal. Months two to twelve are invoiced by Ashcombe from its own accounting system: QuoteCloud shows the monthly fee, it doesn't bill it.
- Repeating charges with a period label, beside one-off rows
- The first month as a payment on signing, through Stripe or PayPal
- Levels of support as a single choice the client makes
Price tables and payments: Essentials and up
Fixed fee, day rate, retainer & value pricingMonthly fees · Growth
| Service | Each month | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy session with your partner | 1 a month | $4,800.00 |
| Advisory days (principal) | 3 days | $7,200.00 |
| Board pack review | 1 a month | $1,500.00 |
- Monthly
- $13,500.00
- Term
- 12 months · $162,000
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Paid on signing
| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| First month | $13,500 | ||
Growth retainer · November 2026Months 2–12 invoiced by Ashcombe
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1 month | $13,500 | $13,500.00 |
- Subtotal
- $13,500.00
- Tax (10%)
- $1,350.00
- Total
- $14,850.00
- Plus, monthly
- $0.00/mo
- First month, paid on signing (100%)
- $14,850.00
Accept the retainer
Jess Kowal · Managing director
Signed online · Wed 21 Oct, 4:05 pm
First month, paid on signing (100%)
$14,850.00
Paid via PayPalPay with card or PayPal
Certificate of authenticity and audit trail attached
Renewal offers to every retainer client in one send
Filter to the retainers ending before 31 December, then bulk-send one renewal template as a personalised copy to each client. Each copy is its own agreement, which that client reads, chooses a level in and signs.
Halberd has already signed at the Board level. Pennant opened theirs on Tuesday and Kerrow left a comment. Silvan's offer hasn't been opened yet, so that's the call to make this week.
- Bulk send: Essentials and up, with volume-based costs
- Status per client: sent, opened, accepted
- Each renewal is a new agreement the client signs
- Halberd Engineeringboard@halberd.example.com AcceptedSigned the Board level
- Pennant Foodsceo@pennant.example.com OpenedOpened on Tuesday
- Kerrow Logisticsmd@kerrow.example.com OpenedLeft a comment
- Silvan Carechair@silvan.example.com Sent
- Sent
- 4
- Opened
- 3
- Accepted
- 1
Put your retainers on one list with an expiry date
Free for 14 days, no credit card required. Send us your current retainer agreement and we'll convert it into a template during the trial.
Honest by design
Nothing renews by itself, and nothing is billed by us
A retainer in QuoteCloud ends on its expiry date. Renewing it is a decision your partner makes and a new agreement your client signs, so the level of support is always written down and agreed by both sides.
Where retainers slip, and what changes
Retainers are a firm's steadiest revenue. These are the jobs around them that QuoteCloud makes visible.
Renewing a quarter's retainers in five steps
The team's own routine, using QuoteCloud's expiry dates, bulk send and eSignatures.
Filter
Open the dashboard on Expiring Soon to list the retainers that end this quarter.
Decide the level
Review each client's year and decide whether to offer the same level, more or less.
Prepare the offer
Update your renewal template with next year's levels, fees and dates.
Bulk-send
Send a personalised copy to each client in one go (Essentials and up).
Signed, first month paid
Each client chooses a level, signs and pays the first month. One that doesn't simply ends on its expiry date.
Retainer and renewal questions
Does QuoteCloud bill the monthly retainer fee?
No. A retainer agreement shows the monthly fee as a repeating charge with its term, so the client signs for it, and the first month can be paid on signing through Stripe or PayPal. Later months are invoiced by you from your own accounting system. QuoteCloud does not set up recurring billing, instalments or payment reminders.
Do retainer agreements renew automatically?
No. Each agreement has an expiry date and ends on it. To renew, you send a new agreement, on its own or bulk-sent to several clients, and the client signs it. That keeps the level of support and the fee agreed in writing every year.
How do I see which retainers are about to expire?
Give each agreement an expiry date, then use the Expiring Soon filter on the documents list to see the ones ending soon, with the days left. Expiry dates and the filter are on the Essentials plan and above. The list shows the client, the reference and the expiry date, so you can plan renewal offers weeks ahead.
Can I send renewal offers to many clients at once?
Yes. Bulk send, on the Essentials plan and above, sends one template as a personalised copy to each client in a list, and shows each copy as sent, opened or accepted. Bulk send has volume-based costs. Each client signs their own copy.
Can a client change their retainer level during the term?
Yes, by signing a revised agreement. Revise Last Version creates a new version and keeps the earlier one, and version history is on the Business plan. Your terms can say when a new level starts, for example from the next month.
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Every retainer signed, and every renewal seen coming
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