Invoices for Virtual Assistants: Hour Packages, Retainers, and Project Work

As a Virtual Assistant (VA), you often work with different billing models: hour packages, monthly retainers, or project-based flat rates. The right billing ensures predictable income.

The Specifics of VA Invoices

Virtual assistance has specific billing requirements:

• Flexible hours: Often no fixed schedule
• Various tasks: From admin to social media
• Remote work: Tools and software costs
• Multiple clients: Parallel support
• Retainer models: Monthly allowances

Billing Models for VAs

1. Hourly Billing

Classic model, especially for beginners.

Typical Hourly Rates by Specialization:

2. Hour Packages

Popular model with planning security for both sides.

Example Hour Packages:

Starter Package (5 hours/month):
5 hours × €45                          €225.00
Validity: 30 days from purchase

Business Package (10 hours/month):
10 hours × €42                         €420.00
(Savings: 7% vs. single hour)
Validity: 30 days from purchase

Premium Package (20 hours/month):
20 hours × €38                         €760.00
(Savings: 15% vs. single hour)
Priority support included
Validity: 30 days from purchase

3. Retainer (Monthly Flat Rate)

For regular collaboration with fixed scope.

Retainer Model:

Monthly Retainer "Office Management"     €890.00

Includes:
- Email management (Inbox Zero)
- Appointment coordination & calendar
- Travel bookings
- Document management
- Weekly reporting
- Up to 20 hours/month

Additional hours are billed at €50/hr
and invoiced separately.

Sample Invoice Hour Package

INVOICE No. 2025-VA-042

Client: StartUp Solutions GmbH
VAT ID: DE987654321

Service Period: October 2025

Item 1: VA Hour Package "Business"
10 hours Virtual Assistance
Hourly rate: €42.00
Package price:                           €420.00

Work completed:
- Email management: 3.5 hrs
- Supplier research: 2.0 hrs
- CRM data maintenance: 2.5 hrs
- Appointment coordination: 1.5 hrs
- Trade show travel booking: 0.5 hrs
───────────────────────────────────
Hours used: 10.0 hrs
Remaining: 0 hrs

Item 2: Additional Hours
2.5 hours × €50.00                       €125.00
(Package exceeded)
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Net amount:                              €545.00
plus 19% VAT:                            €103.55
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Total:                                   €648.55

Payable within 14 days.

Note: Unused hours expire at month end
and are not transferable.

Sample Invoice Retainer

INVOICE No. 2025-VA-043

Client: Coaching Practice Meyer
Service Period: November 2025

Item 1: Monthly Retainer
"Social Media Management"

Includes:
- Content planning (4 posts/week)
- Graphic creation with Canva
- Posting on Instagram & LinkedIn
- Community management (Mon-Fri)
- Monthly analytics report

Monthly fee:                             €780.00

Item 2: Additional Service
Christmas campaign creation
(5 additional posts + stories)
Fixed:                                   €150.00
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Net amount:                              €930.00
plus 19% VAT:                            €176.70
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Total:                                 €1,106.70

The retainer for December 2025 will be
invoiced separately on Dec 1, 2025.

Documenting Time Tracking

Transparent time tracking builds trust:

Invoice Attachment: Time Record October 2025

Date      | Task                       | Duration
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Oct 2     | Email management           | 1:30
Oct 3     | Appointment coordination   | 0:45
Oct 5     | Supplier research          | 2:00
Oct 8     | CRM data maintenance       | 1:15
Oct 10    | Email management           | 1:00
...
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Total:                                  | 12:30

Tools for Time Tracking:

• Toggl Track
• Clockify
• Harvest
• Notion
• Clever Invoice Time Tracking

Project-Based Billing

For clearly defined projects:

INVOICE for Project

Project: "CRM Migration"
Period: Oct 15 - Oct 30, 2025

Scope:
- Data export from old system
- Cleaning and formatting
- Import into new CRM (HubSpot)
- Field mapping
- Testing and quality assurance
- Documentation

Records: 2,850 contacts

Project fee:                             €890.00
(Fixed price, no additional charges)
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Net amount:                              €890.00
plus 19% VAT:                            €169.10
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Total:                                 €1,059.10

Billing Tools and Software

Some VAs pass on tool costs:

Tool Cost Passthrough:

Item 3: Proportional Tool Costs
Canva Pro (client share)                  €12.99
Grammarly Premium (client share)           €8.33
Scheduling tool (client share)            €15.00
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Tool fee:                                 €36.32

Alternative: Include costs in hourly rate.

Common Mistakes in VA Invoices

1. No time records

Problem: Client questions hours Solution: Provide detailed time tracking

2. Package rules not defined

Problem: Dispute over unused hour expiration Solution: Clearly define validity and transferability

3. Additional hours not communicated in advance

Problem: Client surprised by extra costs Solution: Inform before exceeding

4. Tasks described too vaguely

Problem: Client doesn't understand value Solution: List specific activities

5. No service period

Problem: Confusion with retainers Solution: Always specify month/period

Prepayment and Payment Terms

VAs often work with prepayment:

Payment Terms on Invoice:

Hour Packages:
Payable before service begins.
Validity starts upon payment receipt.

Retainer:
Payable by the 1st of the service month.
If not paid by the 5th, collaboration
will be paused.

Projects:
50% deposit upon order,
50% upon completion.

Cancellation Terms for Retainers

Note on Invoice:

This retainer agreement automatically
renews for another month unless
terminated with 14 days notice
before month end.

Changes to scope can be agreed
for the following month.

VAT for VAs

Regularly taxable

VA services are subject to VAT (19%).

Small Business Regulation

Many VAs use the small business regulation:

No VAT shown according to § 19 UStG.

EU Clients

For business clients in the EU: Reverse charge

Reverse charge applies according to
§ 13b UStG.

Conclusion

As a VA, a transparent, professional invoice is your calling card. It shows clients the value of your work and builds trust.

Key points:

1. Time records - Provide detailed tracking
2. Package rules - Clarify validity and transferability
3. Retainer terms - Scope and cancellation notice
4. Additional hours - Communicate in advance, show separately
5. Prepayment - Standard for packages and retainers

With Clever Invoice, you create VA invoices in minutes - including time tracking and automatic package billing.