GD Accounting Glossary
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Retainer

A recurring fee for ongoing availability or a set amount of work each period. The backbone of predictable revenue.

A retainer is an ongoing arrangement where a client pays a set fee each period for defined services or guaranteed availability. Agencies, consultants, and IT providers live on them.

Retainers turn lumpy project income into predictable revenue, which transforms cash-flow planning. Pair them with recurring invoices and the billing runs itself.

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