Marketing agency invoice
Invoice template for marketing agencies: monthly retainer, content production and media spend. Fill it in online, download Excel or Word, or print to PDF.
Templates by industry
- Monthly retainer
- Content production
- Media spend
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Confirm scope and quantities
Example: reconcile the approval and work record for "Monthly retainer" to establish the quantity for this invoice.
Record delivery and acceptance
Check completion for every line, including "Media spend". Deliver the activity log, results with reporting periods and data sources, and a list of next actions.
Send the billing record
Send the final charges, delivery reference and due date to the customer, then reconcile payment against the invoice number.
An agency invoice easily mixes money the agency earns with money it only passes on to advertising platforms, and clients, finance teams and auditors need to see the difference. This template has a line for the retainer, one for content made that month and one for media spend, ideally at the amount the platforms actually charged. With the period and campaign names on each line, the client can match the invoice to platform statements and the monthly report.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Monthly retainer, Content production, Media spend: record the quantities actually supplied and the service period.
- Monthly retainer
- Name the month and the scope it covers, such as channel management and one monthly report, and keep hours beyond the agreed allowance on a separate line.
- Content production
- Count the pieces delivered, for example eight social posts and one blog article, with the month they were approved, so the client can tie each to the content calendar.
- Media spend
- Enter what the platforms charged for the period, from their invoices or account statements, and say whether a management percentage is added or already in the retainer.
- Channels and activity volume
- List the accounts, sites or campaigns and the number of publishing, analysis or optimization tasks.
- Period and reporting basis
- Set the service period, comparison baseline, client-supplied data and report delivery date.
- Scope to agree
- Keep the agency fee and the media spend on separate lines, and state the reporting cycle and the measure of success.
Before sending
- Does “Monthly retainer” show the quantity actually supplied, not the quantity first quoted?
- Is “Content production” charged at the rate the customer agreed to, with any change approved?
- Is “Media spend” finished and accepted, or does it belong on a later invoice?
Show 3 more
- Identify whether media spend, paid tools and content production are included.
- Base acceptance on agreed work and reports without treating a ranking or revenue result as a guaranteed deliverable.
- Match completed work to the order or approval record, and confirm the payment due date and amounts already received.
Worked example with sample figures
The figures below are invented to show how the template adds up: 3 lines in USD, with an example tax rate of 8%.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | 2 × $1,500.00 | $3,000.00 |
| Content production | 4 × $80.00 | $320.00 |
| Media spend | 6 × $650.00 | $3,900.00 |
| Subtotal | $7,220.00 | |
| Sales tax (8%) | $577.60 | |
| Total | $7,797.60 | |
Net amount $7,220.00, sales tax $577.60, total payable $7,797.60.
What the document must show
The details an invoice has to show, and why each one matters, are set out in the guide below.
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Full requirements: How to write an invoice: a step-by-step example
Frequently asked questions
Should the client pay media spend directly to the platform?
Some clients keep the ad accounts in their own name and pay the platforms themselves, which keeps media spend off your invoice altogether. If you pay on their behalf, bill it at cost with the platform statement and agree when you will be repaid, because you are advancing the client's money.
How do I bill a month in which the budget was underspent?
Bill the actual spend, not the planned budget, and say in the notes whether the unspent amount rolls into next month or is returned. If the client prepaid the budget, show the remaining balance so it is not lost between months.
How is the sales tax worked out on this invoice?
The worked example above uses an example rate of 8%: $577.60 on a net amount of $7,220.00, for a total of $7,797.60. The editor recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a price or the country.
Can I download it as Excel, Word or PDF?
Yes. A PDF needs no account: fill in the template and use Print / PDF. The Excel and Word files download from this page with a free account, and the spreadsheet keeps its formulas, so changing a quantity updates the tax and the total.
Can I use it in another language or currency?
Yes. The document language can be set to any of 33 languages, and changing the country setting updates the currency, the date format and the tax rate.
Read next
Reading for the Marketing agency invoice: How to write an invoice: a step-by-step example and Credit note vs invoice (and credit memo): how to issue one. The VAT and GST calculator works out the tax line for you.