Retainers and monthly hours
Consulting billing software
Consulting billing software for advisors paid on retainer and by the hour. Retainer clients sign up online and pay automatically every month, hours beyond the retainer go out on a month-end invoice with net 30 terms, and late payers are reminded while you keep working.
A short tour of the screens this page describes. It is filmed with our demo pest control company, and every trade runs on the same screens.
- From $19/month
- 14-day free trial
- Same-day US support
“We run every customer conversation through Smarfle. Texts, emails and reminders are in one place, our customers love paying with Apple Pay, and when we are busy or closed the text bot answers new leads for us.”
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Retainers on autopay
An advisory retainer is a monthly service at your fee. The client activates it online, the fee is collected on schedule, and their finance team receives a receipt for every charge.
Recurring plansHours over the retainer
Time logged beyond the retainer scope is billed on a month-end invoice from the engagement, with each billable entry as a line you can review first.
Time trackingNet 30 receivables
Corporate clients pay on net 30, and aging totals compare what is current with what has drifted past 30 or 60 days.
InvoicingPolite persistence
Late invoices are chased automatically in the two weeks after their due date, so you never have to send the awkward second email yourself.
Automatic emailsFinance teams copied
The executive sponsor and the accounts payable inbox both receive every invoice, so approval and payment happen in parallel.
Client recordsConsultant billing software features
What it does
- Monthly retainer subscriptionsActivated in the portal
- Month-end hourly invoicesFrom logged time
- Receivables agingCurrent, 31 to 60, older
- Automatic overdue follow-upEmail and text
What it doesn't do
- Retainer hour drawdownTrack scope yourself
- Rollover of unused hoursAgree it in your contract
- Multi-currency billingUS dollars only
- QuickBooks syncCSV export
Smarfle vs HubSpot for consulting billing
| Smarfle | HubSpot | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Solo $19, 1 user | Free CRM, or Starter $20 |
| Mid plan | Starter $99, 5 users | Professional from $890 |
| Payment links and auto-charge saved cards | Yes | Yes |
| Deal pipelines and sales forecasting | Limited | Yes |
| Self-serve signup with no sales call | Yes | Yes |
Consulting billing pricing
Every plan includes retainers, hourly invoicing and reminders; an independent consultant needs only Solo.
Starter
Small teams adding tools and growth
$99/mo
- Up to 5 users (1 owner + 4 techs)
- Up to 2,000 clients
Most Popular
Professional
Growing service businesses
$199/mo
- Up to 10 users
- Up to 5,000 clients
SMS, email, AI, and voice are billed pay-as-you-go. See every plan and usage rate →
What consultants ask about retainer billing
Is there billing software for consultants on retainer?
Can a retainer client pay automatically?
Does it draw hours down from a retainer?
Can I bill extra hours monthly?
Are late invoices followed up?
Can AP and the sponsor both get invoices?
Can I bill in other currencies?
Can I see unpaid invoices by age?
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