Retainer Payments

An insured pays you a $2,500 retainer at engagement. Six months later the case wraps up and you generate the final invoice. If you forget to credit the retainer, you bill the full balance and the insured (or worse, their attorney) calls demanding to know why you double charged. Now you have a refund situation, an awkward email thread, and a small dent in your reputation. If you remember the retainer but apply it to the wrong party (carrier vs insured), the math is right but the books are wrong.

Tracking retainers in AwardLettr means the system applies them to the right invoice automatically based on who paid and who is being billed. The audit trail is there if there is ever a dispute. You stop carrying that "did I credit the retainer?" question around in your head for the whole life of the file.

Useful for any appraiser who takes upfront deposits. Most common on insured side work, attorney engagements, and any case where the scope is uncertain enough that the paying party wants to secure your services before the final fee is known.

What Retainers Are Used For

Some carriers, TPAs, or insureds pay a retainer at the start of an appraisal engagement. This is common when the scope of work is uncertain and they want to secure your services before the full fee is known. Retainers reduce the final invoice total when you bill for your completed work.

Adding a Retainer

How Retainers Affect Invoice Calculations

When you generate an invoice, AwardLettr checks for any retainers associated with the invoice recipient. The retainer amount is shown as a credit on the invoice and deducted from the total balance due.

Tracking Retainer Status

The Financials tab shows the current status of each retainer:

• Received — Retainer has been paid and is on file
• Applied — Retainer has been used on a generated invoice
• Partially Applied — Some of the retainer has been credited; a balance remains
• Refunded — Unused retainer was returned to the paying party