Invoice templates
AI agency invoice template
Build and maintenance-retainer line items, with usage/API costs itemized separately from the management fee.
Preview
See the template as a client-facing document, then open the same starting point inside Hanko.
Context Applied AI
billing@example.com
AI implementation
INVOICE
#INV-2026-042
Amount due
$7240.00
Due October 1, 2026 · Northstar Group
Bill to
Northstar Group
Alex Morgan
Engagement details
What this is
An AI agency invoice bills the initial discovery-and-build phase separately from an ongoing maintenance retainer, and keeps usage or API costs itemized apart from the management fee so the retainer price stays stable.
When to use it
- Billing a discovery or agent-build milestone
- Invoicing a monthly monitoring and maintenance retainer
- Passing through model/API usage costs separately from the management fee
What to include
Build vs. maintenance
Kept as separate line items or separate invoices, since they're different scopes of work with different billing logic.
Usage cost pass-through
Itemized separately, whether billed at cost or with a markup.
Maintenance scope reference
A brief note on what the maintenance retainer covers, to avoid "one more automation" disputes.
Template text
Copy this into your own document, or open it directly as a branded starting point in Hanko. Bracketed text like [Client Name] is a placeholder to fill in.
Invoice
Invoice #: [INV-001]
Issue date: [Date] | Due date: [Date]
From / Bill to
[Your Agency Name] / [Client Company Name]
Line items (build)
Description Amount
AI Discovery & Use-Case Mapping $2,500
Agent/Workflow Build $6,000
CRM/API Integration $3,000
Recurring (maintenance)
Description Amount
Monthly Monitoring & Maintenance Retainer $1,500/month
Model/API usage (passed through at cost) $[amount]
Totals
Subtotal: $[amount]
Total due: $[amount]
Payment terms & methods
Due within [15] days of issue date.
Card, ACH, wire transfer [and stablecoin — USDC, if applicable].
How to customize it
- Bill the build phase and maintenance retainer as clearly separate items or separate invoices
- Itemize usage/API costs apart from the management fee so the retainer price stays predictable
- State what maintenance covers explicitly to prevent scope creep disguised as support requests
Common mistakes
- Treating ongoing monitoring as free support instead of billing a maintenance retainer
- Folding usage costs into the management fee, making the retainer price fluctuate unpredictably
- No stated definition of what counts as maintenance vs. a new automation
Frequently asked questions
Should AI maintenance be billed separately from the initial build?
Yes — the build is typically a fixed-price or milestone project; ongoing monitoring and maintenance should be a separate recurring retainer, stated explicitly.
How should usage/API costs be invoiced?
As a separate line item, passed through at cost or with a stated markup, so the retainer price stays stable even as usage varies month to month.
Running this whole industry's workflow
See how Hanko fits the complete client workflow for this industry, not just the invoice.
Other templates
Bill the build, then the maintenance retainer
Milestone invoices for the build, then a recurring invoice for ongoing maintenance — in Hanko.