Business Growth 3 min read Updated January 15, 2026
The Freelancer's Guide to Retainer Agreements (How to Get Monthly Income)
The worst part of freelancing is the "Feast or Famine" cycle. One month you are rich, the next you are eating ramen. The solution? Retainers.
What is a Retainer?
A retainer is a contract where a client pays you a set monthly fee to secure your availability or a specific set of deliverables.
Instead of: "I'll pay you $500 for this article."
Retainer: "I'll pay you $2,000/month for 4 articles."
Retainer: "I'll pay you $2,000/month for 4 articles."
Why clients love them
You might think clients want to pay as little as possible. But what they actually want is **reliability**.
- They don't have to look for a freelancer every time they need work.
- They know you understand their brand.
- They can budget for it.
How to sell a retainer
Never pitch a retainer to a new client. It's too risky for them.
Pitch it after a successful project.
The Script:
"I really enjoyed working on this project. Since you have ongoing needs for [Service], would you be interested in a monthly retainer? It would guarantee my availability and save you money compared to my hourly rate."Automating the Monthly Billing
The best part about retainers is that you don't have to create a new invoice every time. You just set it on autopilot.