Retainer invoices can now charge the client’s card on file automatically

A retainer is supposed to be the easy money in a consulting practice, and it was the one kind of invoice that still made the client do something every month: open the email, click through, type a card number. Every cycle was a small chance for the payment to slip.

How it works

• Editing a recurring invoice now has an "Automatic payments" toggle. Retainer agreements sent as proposals can carry the same setting, so a signed retainer arrives already set up.
• The client sees an "Automatic payments" card in their portal, agrees to a plain-English authorization, and saves a card through Stripe. A client paying a one-off invoice can also tick "keep this card" at checkout.
• When each period’s invoice is generated, it is charged to that card before anything is emailed. The client gets a receipt in your branding; you get the payment recorded, the ledger updated and a notification, with nothing to mark paid.
• If a card is declined, the client gets the normal pay-by-link email instead and you are told why. ConsultBase tries once more after three days, then leaves it to the link.