Ad agencies juggle retainers, billable hours, and media costs. Everhour turns tracked work into client-ready invoices.
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Use this page to prepare invoices for advertising work such as paid marketing communications, media planning, creative production, direct marketing, research, public relations, and interactive media. The goal is a clean bill that matches the client agreement, not a generic receipt. Agency invoices commonly combine service fees, pass-through costs, campaign deliverables, payment terms, and project references in one client-facing document.
Ad agencies often bill through retainers, hourly work, fixed project fees, subscription or value-based pricing, or performance-based terms. Each model changes the invoice structure. A monthly retainer needs the covered month and agreed scope. An hourly campaign build needs tracked billable time and rates. A performance invoice needs the contract KPI and measurement period, so the client can connect the charge to the agreed result.
Hourly agency invoices usually start with billable hours multiplied by a blended rate or specialist rates. A sample line can read: "Paid search campaign setup, strategist and media buyer time, 18.5 hours at $150." Fixed project invoices work better when they follow milestones, such as discovery, creative concepts, production, launch, and reporting. Retainer invoices should state the covered period and whether the fee includes a monthly hour allowance.
Performance-based billing needs extra discipline because the amount depends on a measured result. Name the metric, date range, and source agreed in the contract. Reimbursable costs deserve separate lines when the agreement treats them differently from agency fees. Media spend, production vendors, stock assets, travel, or research panels should not disappear inside one vague service line when the client expects cost visibility.
Agency invoices move faster when account, creative, and finance teams can recognize the work without opening a separate deck. Include the client name, invoice number, issue date, due date, campaign or project name, purchase order if used, service period, line-item descriptions, quantities or hours, rates, fees, discounts, taxes if applicable, and payment terms. Net 30 means full payment is due within 30 days.
Ad assets sometimes need identifiers alongside the creative title and delivery channel. AD-ID codes identify advertising assets and connect metadata such as title, length, and product information. Standard-definition ads use 11-character codes, while high-definition or 3D ads use 12-character codes. Adding the correct code helps clients match billing to spots, versions, trafficking records, and approval notes when a campaign has many deliverables.
A one-off invoice tool is enough for a small fixed-fee project, a single retainer bill, or a quick pass-through expense invoice. It works well when the amount is already approved, the scope is simple, and the client only needs a polished PDF with standard terms. The invoice still needs clear line items, service dates, payment instructions, and any state or local sales tax treatment that applies.
A managed workflow becomes necessary when billable time, expenses, approvals, and accounting handoff repeat every month. Everhour Billing & Invoicing converts tracked billable time and expenses into invoices, calculates amounts from rates while excluding non-billable tasks, supports client defaults and invoice customization, and exports invoices to QuickBooks Online, Xero, or FreshBooks with invoice status synced back to Everhour.
This content is for general information only, may not be fully up to date, and is provided without any warranty or liability.
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The client agreement controls the invoice model. Hourly billing fits variable work and depends on tracked billable time and rates. Retainers fit ongoing services with a defined monthly fee or capped involvement. Project fees fit defined milestones. Performance billing requires the contract KPI, measurement period, and result source on the invoice.
Separate them when the agreement treats third-party costs differently from agency service fees. Media costs, production vendors, research panels, and other reimbursable expenses need their own lines when the client reviews margins, pass-through charges, or approvals separately. Blending them into one service fee creates review friction.
A United States ad agency invoice does not use a national VAT or GST invoice regime. The United States uses state and local sales and use tax rules. Taxability depends on the state, local jurisdiction, nexus, service type, and place of sale, so the invoice should reflect the applicable state-level treatment.
Include AD-ID codes when the invoice relates to specific advertising assets and the client uses those identifiers for review, trafficking, or reconciliation. Standard-definition ads use 11-character AD-ID codes, while high-definition or 3D ads use 12-character codes. The code should sit near the asset title, campaign, or delivery line.
Use the payment terms in the client agreement. Net 30 means the full amount is due within 30 days. Early-payment terms such as 1%/10 net 30 give a 1% discount when payment is made within 10 days, with the full balance otherwise due in 30 days.
Everhour Billing & Invoicing turns tracked billable time and expenses into invoices for client work. It calculates invoice amounts from rates, billable time, and billable expenses while excluding non-billable tasks, then exports invoices to QuickBooks Online, Xero, or FreshBooks with status details synced back.
Everhour reporting can show billable time, non-billable time, billable amount, cost, invoice status, and project details in configurable reports. Agency teams can group data by client, project, task, person, or date before finance turns approved work into a client invoice.
Convert approved agency time and expenses into client invoices with Everhour Billing & Invoicing, then export drafts to QuickBooks Online, Xero, or FreshBooks for a cleaner billing handoff.
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