Virtual assistants are usually billing internationally, often in a currency that is not their own, frequently for clients who have never hired a VA before and have no idea what a normal arrangement looks like. Your invoice is doing a lot of work: it sets expectations, defines the scope, and quietly establishes that this is a professional service rather than casual help.
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Key takeaways
| Description | Period | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| VA retainer — 30 hours/month | 1–31 Oct 2026 | $900 |
| Additional hours (4.5 @ $35) | 1–31 Oct 2026 | $157.50 |
| Software costs (Canva Pro, client account) — at cost | $15 |
Retainers work better for both sides. You get predictable income and stop logging every fifteen minutes; the client gets guaranteed availability. Set it up as a recurring invoice issued on the same date monthly.
| Description | Hours | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inbox management and scheduling | 12.5 | $32 | $400 |
| Travel booking and itinerary — Berlin trip | 4.0 | $32 | $128 |
| CRM data cleanup and deduplication | 6.25 | $32 | $200 |
| Social media scheduling — 22 posts | 5.5 | $32 | $176 |
Group hours by task type, not by day. Nobody wants to read 31 daily entries, but everyone understands four categories.
Fixed monthly fee for a defined deliverable set — “inbox zero maintained daily, calendar managed, weekly report produced, up to 20 social posts scheduled.” Best for VAs who are fast; you are paid for the outcome rather than penalised for efficiency.
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For hourly work, keep a log and reference it: “Detailed time log available on request / attached (Toggl export, 1–31 Oct).” Most clients never ask. The ones who do are reassured immediately, and the offer itself signals that your hours are defensible.
This is the practical problem that defines VA invoicing. Four things to settle before the first invoice:
VA work drifts more than almost any other service, because the tasks are small and the requests feel trivial. The retainer overage line is your instrument here — showing “additional hours: 4.5” every month makes the drift visible without a difficult conversation. If overage is consistent for three months, that is not overage, it is a signal to renegotiate the retainer upward.
Retainer, once you have an established relationship. It stabilises income, cuts admin, and stops you being punished for getting faster at the work. Use hourly for new clients or irregular projects.
State the currency code explicitly, agree the payment rail and who pays the fees in advance, and include full payment details. Wise and Payoneer are usually cheaper than PayPal for cross-border work.
Bill the overage for two or three months so the pattern is documented, then propose a larger retainer at a slightly better hourly equivalent. Framed as a saving for them, it is an easy conversation.
Yes. The invoice records what is owed; the contract defines scope, confidentiality, notice period and what happens if either side wants out. For ongoing work, both matter.
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