Retainer
Agency glossary · Updated July 2026
Definition
A retainer is an ongoing agreement where a client pays an agency a fixed recurring fee, usually monthly, for an agreed scope of work or a set amount of capacity. It gives the agency predictable revenue and the client priority access, instead of billing project by project.
Why it matters
Retainers turn unpredictable project income into recurring revenue you can count on before the month starts, which funds payroll and lets you plan and hire ahead of demand.
Two common models
A scope-based retainer covers a defined set of deliverables each month; a capacity or hours-based retainer reserves a set number of hours. Either way, define what happens when the client goes over the agreed scope.
See it in AgencyKit
Frequently asked questions
A retainer is an ongoing agreement where a client pays a fixed recurring fee, usually monthly, for an agreed scope or amount of capacity. It gives the agency predictable recurring revenue and the client priority access, instead of one-off project billing.
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