Tracking Usage
RetainerOps tracks how many hours a client has consumed against their retainer and alerts you when they're approaching or exceeding their limit.
How usage is calculated
Usage is the sum of all time entries logged for a client within the current usage cycle. When you log 2 hours against a client with a 20-hour monthly retainer, their usage moves from 0% to 10%.
Usage cycles
The usage cycle is set on the package tier and determines how often included hours reset. At the start of each new cycle, the usage counter resets to zero regardless of how many hours were consumed in the previous cycle.
- Monthly — resets on the 1st of each month
- Quarterly — resets at the start of each calendar quarter
- Weekly — resets every Monday
- Custom — resets based on the assignment's start date anniversary
Overage
When time entries for a cycle exceed the client's included hours, the excess is tracked as overage hours. Overage is visible on the client detail page and in reports.
The overage rate (from the package tier or per-client override) is used to calculate the overage billing amount. This figure appears on usage reports, which you can share directly with clients.
Usage alerts
RetainerOps highlights clients who have consumed 80% or more of their included hours in the current cycle. These clients appear with a warning indicator in the client list so you can proactively reach out about overages before the cycle ends.