Automated recurring billing for retainer agreements

Purpose

1. Automate creation and sending of recurring invoices for client retainer agreements, ensuring timely, error-free billing and secure online payments.

2. Automates updating of payment status and reconciliation directly in accounting ledgers and CRM.

3. Reduces manual intervention by automating notifications, retries for failed payments, and reporting billing cycle performance.

4. Automator configures customized cycles (e.g., monthly, quarterly) for varied client contracts.

5. Automated reconciliation and payment reminders for overdue accounts for improved cash flow management.

Trigger Conditions

1. Retainer agreement approval and activation in CRM or contract management system.

2. Arrival of scheduled billing date (monthly, quarterly, or pre-set intervals).

3. Payment confirmation, failure, or expiry event from payment processor.

4. Change in client scope or contract value prompting updated billing.

5. Manual override or cancellation from administrator for pausing automation.

Platform Variants

1. Stripe

• Feature/Setting: Automate recurring invoices via “Subscription Schedule API”; configure payment retries and webhook for event listening.

2. QuickBooks Online

• Feature/Setting: Use Recurring Invoices (SalesReceipts API); automate client sync and payment matching.

3. Xero

• Feature/Setting: Automate repeating invoices using “Invoices API”; link with payment services for updates.

4. FreshBooks

• Feature/Setting: Automate “Recurring Profiles” setup; Scheduled Invoice API for billing cycle automation.

5. Zoho Books

• Feature/Setting: Enable “Auto-Renewal” under Retainer Invoices; set notifications and API triggers.

6. PayPal

• Feature/Setting: Automate via “Subscriptions API”; configure IPN webhook for payment status automation.

7. Square

• Feature/Setting: Automate “Recurring Invoices”; schedule and monitor automatic payment collections.

8. Wave

• Feature/Setting: Setup Recurring Invoices with pre-authorized payments and auto reminders.

9. Chargify

• Feature/Setting: Use “Subscriptions API” for billing cycles; automate dunning for failed payments.

10. Recurly

• Feature/Setting: Automate invoices with “Recurring Billing API”; subscribe to webhook events.

11. Bill.com

• Feature/Setting: Automate invoice creation and recurring payment reminders.

12. GoCardless

• Feature/Setting: Use Mandate and Payments API for direct debit automation on retainer schedules.

13. Braintree

• Feature/Setting: Automate billing via “Subscriptions API”; setup webhooks for automatic payment follow-up.

14. Chargebee

• Feature/Setting: Automate “Subscriptions and Recurring Billing API”; integrate with accounting software.

15. SAP Concur Invoice

• Feature/Setting: Automated invoice processing using the Invoice API; configure schedule triggers.

16. Oracle NetSuite

• Feature/Setting: Recurring billing via Suitescript or Scheduled Billing module automation.

17. Zoho Subscriptions

• Feature/Setting: Automate new subscriptions and renewals via “Subscriptions API”.

18. Intuit Payments

• Feature/Setting: Automate charges and notifications via “Payments API”; sync with QuickBooks.

19. Invoicely

• Feature/Setting: Automate Recurring Invoice scheduling and send approved payment links.

20. Sage Intacct

• Feature/Setting: Schedule billing recurring entries; automate reconciliation to ledgers.

21. Stripe (Webhooks)

• Feature/Setting: Configure webhook event automation for invoice.created, invoice.payment_succeeded, invoice.payment_failed.

22. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance

• Feature/Setting: Schedule recurring invoice jobs; automate posting and payment status update.

Benefits

1. Automates timely invoicing, reducing late payments and manual errors.

2. Automation sustains predictable cash flow through on-time retainers.

3. Automator provides auditable, structured billing logs.

4. Automates follow-up on failed/overdue payments, minimizing revenue leakage.

5. Automatedly updates CRM and accounting, reducing hours of admin.

6. Enables scaling of consulting practice without added overhead.

7. Improves client experience through consistent, professional automated communications.

8. Enhances reporting accuracy for forecasting with automated data capture.