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Use a Newie subscription to collect a monthly fee for ongoing design, content, marketing or other creative work. The subscription can cover agreed deliverables, a block of time or continuing access to your team. This guide sets up the recurring payment and client joining instructions. Keep requests, time tracking, approvals and delivery in your project system; Newie does not turn those records into usage-based charges.

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Create the retainer subscription

  1. Open Sell → Services → New Service → Subscription and enter the retainer name.
  2. Enter the amount due each month and choose Monthly for Billing Period. Choose Unlimited for Number of Payments when billing should continue until ended.
  3. Set Billing Starts to On Purchase Date or the agreed future start. This sets when recurring payments begin.
  4. Describe the work included in Description. Explain whether the client is buying deliverables, time or access, and include any request, turnaround or revision limits that define the package.
  5. Add Terms of Service for conditions such as unused work or time, cancellation notice and additional work. You can include a link to your existing agreement in a custom term.
For a retainer with a minimum commitment that continues afterwards, keep Unlimited and put the commitment in the terms. A fixed Number of Payments ends billing after that many main-price payments. Decide whether to enable Customers can Cancel: that control permits self-cancellation even if the terms mention a minimum commitment.

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Charge for the initial work

If onboarding has a separate fixed charge, add a Setup Fee to the subscription. It is charged when the client checks out. A future Billing Starts delays recurring payments, while the Setup Fee remains due at purchase. If the initial work is a distinct project, such as a brand identity or website build, create a separate service for it. Then use the subscription for the ongoing work. Project Deposits and Milestone Payments covers that initial project’s payment options.

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Bring the client into the retainer

Add a Welcome Email with the first brief, asset request or instructions for accessing the project workspace. Arrange workspace access and account invitations through the tools you use for those tasks. Open the service preview to confirm the amount due at checkout, any Setup Fee and the first recurring date. Turn on Available for Sale and save, then use … → Share Link to share checkout. For a new client buying the same retainer at a different fee or start date, choose … → Custom price or start date and share the custom link. Different work or terms need a service that describes that arrangement. The resulting subscription appears in Subscribers. If billing starts later, it appears as Upcoming. Your configured Welcome Email still goes out after checkout.

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Adjust the retainer as the work changes

Open Subscribers, find the client and select the subscription you want to change.
  • A new monthly fee: Use … → Edit Pricing to set the price and when it takes effect. Changing the standard service price only affects new purchases.
  • A move to another retainer: Use Switch Service to move the existing subscriber, then review the new payment schedule.
  • A temporary break: Use … → Pause and select the dates. The preview shows when billing will resume.
  • The retainer is ending: Use … → Schedule Cancel for an agreed end date and check any invoices already overdue.
Price separately agreed extra work as a One-Off Purchase when it sits outside the retainer. For missed retainer payments, Auto-Retry and Overdue Assistant can handle recovery and customer follow-up. Last updated: 2026-09-11