Invoice templates

AI agency invoice template

Build and maintenance-retainer line items, with usage/API costs itemized separately from the management fee.

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Invoice

AI Agency Invoice

Automata Works

billing@brightlinestudio.com

Invoice

Invoice #: INV-2026-014

Issue date: September 30, 2026 | Due date: September 30, 2026

Total due

$13,000

Card, ACH, wire or stablecoin

From / Bill to

Automata Works / OpsPilot

From / Bill to

Automata Works / OpsPilot

DescriptionQtyAmount
AI discovery and use-case mapping1$2,500
Agent workflow build1$6,000
CRM/API integration1$3,000
Monthly monitoring retainer1$1,500

Payment methods

Card, ACH, wire transfer or USDC.

Subtotal$13,000
Total due$13,000

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.

One account for proposals, agreements, invoices, client payments and contractor payouts.

Get Started

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