PR agency invoice template
PR agency invoice template: a monthly media relations retainer, press releases, a monitoring report and press event costs passed on at cost, line by line.
Templates by industry
- Monthly media relations retainer
- Press release, writing and distribution
- Media monitoring report
- Press event venue, passed on at cost
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Confirm scope and quantities
Example: reconcile the approval and work record for "Monthly media relations retainer" to establish the quantity for this invoice.
Record delivery and acceptance
Check completion for every line, including "Press event venue, passed on at cost". 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.
Public relations is paid in two ways at once. A retainer keeps the agency pitching stories, answering journalists and watching the coverage month after month, while a launch adds releases, press events and venue costs on top. This template keeps the retainer on one line, prices each release separately, bills the monitoring report for the month it covers and passes venue or catering costs through at cost, so the client's budget can tell fixed fees from campaign spend.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Monthly media relations retainer, Press release, writing and distribution, Media monitoring report, Press event venue, passed on at cost: record the quantities actually supplied and the service period.
- Monthly media relations retainer
- Name the month the retainer covers and keep the amount the same each month unless the agreement changed.
- Press release, writing and distribution
- Give each release its headline and send date; a second paid wire distribution is a cost of its own.
- Media monitoring report
- Say which outlets and period the report covers, and that it records coverage rather than promising it.
- Press event venue, passed on at cost
- Attach the venue's invoice and say who signed the booking.
- 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
- Separate the retainer from one-off releases and events, name the month of coverage reported, and pass third-party costs on with their receipts.
Before sending
- Does “Monthly media relations retainer” show the quantity actually supplied, not the quantity first quoted?
- Is “Press release, writing and distribution” charged at the rate the customer agreed to, with any change approved?
- Is “Media monitoring report” finished and accepted, or does it belong on a later invoice?
Show 4 more
- Does “Press event venue, passed on at cost” show the quantity actually supplied, not the quantity first quoted?
- 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: 4 lines in USD, with an example tax rate of 8%.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly media relations retainer | 1 × $2,500.00 | $2,500.00 |
| Press release, writing and distribution | 2 × $450.00 | $900.00 |
| Media monitoring report | 1 × $300.00 | $300.00 |
| Press event venue, passed on at cost | 1 × $680.00 | $680.00 |
| Subtotal | $4,380.00 | |
| Sales tax (8%) | $350.40 | |
| Total | $4,730.40 | |
Net amount $4,380.00, sales tax $350.40, total payable $4,730.40.
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
The client wants to pay only for articles that appeared. Can this invoice do that?
Only if that is what you agreed. Most retainers pay for the work of pitching, not for the coverage that results; if part of the fee depends on results, put it on a separate line with the agreed measure.
Should I invoice the press event before or after it happens?
Venue deposits are often due early. Invoice the venue cost when you pay it, naming the event date, and bill your own event work after the day.
How is the sales tax worked out on this invoice?
The worked example above uses an example rate of 8%: $350.40 on a net amount of $4,380.00, for a total of $4,730.40. The editor recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a price or the country.
Is this template free?
Yes. You can fill in this template and print it or save it as a PDF without an account, and there is no payment step and no watermark on the document. Saving it to your account and downloading Excel or Word files need a free account.
Can I add my logo and signature?
Yes. The From section of the editor has a place for your company logo and for a signature or seal image. Uploading a picture needs a free account, and a member can keep both in settings so that every new document starts with them.
Read next
Reading for the PR agency invoice template: 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.