Invoice template · For virtual assistants
Invoice template for virtual assistants.
A virtual assistant invoice should list each task category or hour bucket separately (admin, scheduling, email management, research, social media), the hours per category, the agreed hourly or package rate, the billing period, and any subscription or retainer reference. Inbill's Modern template gives this the clean, organised aesthetic that small business owners and executives expect from their VA.
Recommended template
Modern — why it fits
A clean, professional layout that signals "remote business operator" rather than casual freelancer — most VAs invoice executives and small business owners who want the document to look as organised as the work itself.
Open this template in InbillWhy invoicing matters for virtual assistants
Virtual assistants live or die by client trust, and the invoice is one of the most concrete trust signals you send each month. Unlike a designer who delivers a visible artefact or a developer who ships code, a VA's work is mostly invisible — the executive saw the calendar stay clean, the inbox stay manageable, the social posts go up on time, but they don't have a single "deliverable" to point at. That makes the invoice doubly important: it has to make the work visible. The most common errors are billing one big number for "VA services, June" (which feels like a black box), forgetting to itemise hours by task category (so the executive can't see where their money went), and not setting up a recurring invoice schedule (so each month becomes a separate manual task). Inbill's Modern template gives the document the clean, professional look that matches the way most VAs want to be perceived, and the recurring-invoice feature handles monthly retainers on autopilot — same date each month, same line items, same total, until the engagement ends or the scope changes.
What goes on the invoice
Typical line items for virtual assistants.
| Line item | Unit | Typical 2026 USD |
|---|---|---|
| General admin & scheduling (per hour) | per hour | $18–$75 |
| Email / inbox management (per hour) | per hour | $22–$85 |
| Specialised support (bookkeeping, social, research) | per hour | $30–$125 |
| Executive assistant tier (senior, full-stack) | per hour | $40–$175 |
| Monthly retainer — 20-hour package | per month | $400–$1.8k |
| Monthly retainer — 40-hour package | per month | $750–$3.5k |
| Project / one-off task block (5 hours) | per block | $100–$500 |
| Software / subscription pass-through | at cost | — |
On rates
How much should virtual assistants charge?
Virtual assistant rates in 2026 spread across one of the widest ranges in remote work — entry-level VAs in low-cost markets bill $15–$25/hour, while executive assistants with calendar/inbox/travel ownership in US/UK markets charge $60–$175/hour. The dominant pricing model is monthly retainer packages (10, 20, or 40 hours/month) because both sides prefer the predictability — the executive knows the cost is fixed, the VA knows the income is recurring. The trap most VAs fall into is offering uncapped "as needed" billing — the work bleeds beyond the agreed hours and either the VA absorbs it (eating margin) or the executive resents the surprise. Cap retainer hours, bill overage at a higher rate (typically 25–50% above your retainer hour rate), and put both numbers on the invoice so the executive sees the discount they get for staying within their package.
How to send the invoice
Sending your first invoice as a virtual assistant.
- 01
Pick the Modern template
Open Inbill, choose Modern. The clean layout signals professional operator and reads well on the executive's phone or in their AP team's inbox.
- 02
Name the billing period clearly in the project field
Write "Retainer — May 2026" or "Hours: 2026-05-01 to 2026-05-31." Removes any ambiguity about what month an invoice covers, especially when it lands a few days into the next month.
- 03
Itemise hours by task category
Don't bundle 20 hours into "VA services." Show "Inbox management — 8 hr, Calendar & travel — 6 hr, Social posts — 4 hr, Research — 2 hr." The executive sees what their money bought and is less likely to ask "what did you actually do?"
- 04
Set up the monthly recurring schedule
Inbill's recurring invoice feature auto-issues the invoice on the same calendar date each month. Set it once when the engagement starts; never miss an invoice again.
- 05
Add a one-line scope reminder in Notes
Write "Includes 20 hours/month. Overage billed at $X/hour. Net 7." The reminder lives directly under the line items where the executive will see it before approving payment.
Frequently asked
Virtual assistant invoice questions, answered.
Should a virtual assistant charge per hour or per package?
Monthly retainer packages (10, 20, or 40 hours/month) for ongoing relationships — both sides get the predictability they want. Hourly for one-off projects, trial periods, or clients who genuinely have unpredictable needs. The strongest combination is a monthly retainer at the bulk rate PLUS overage hours billed at a 25–50% premium when the work goes beyond the cap. This rewards the client for staying within their package and protects you from scope creep.
How much should a virtual assistant charge in 2026?
Entry-level VAs in low-cost markets charge $15–$30/hour. Mid-level VAs with 2-5 years experience in US/UK markets charge $30–$75/hour. Executive assistants and specialised VAs (bookkeeping, social media management, research) charge $60–$175/hour. Monthly retainer packages typically work out 10–25% below the equivalent hourly rate — the discount is the price of recurring income for you and predictable cost for the client. Match your rate to your speciality and market, then increase it once a year for existing clients with 30 days notice.
How should a VA handle overage hours on a retainer?
Cap retainer hours at the agreed number and bill overage as a separate line item at a higher rate. For example: "Retainer — 20 hours @ $35/hr — $700. Overage hours — 4 @ $45/hr — $180." The executive sees both the package value and the cost of going over, which protects the retainer model. Spell out the overage rate in the engagement letter AND on every invoice; the second-time-it-happens conversation is easier when the line is already there.
Should virtual assistants invoice in advance or in arrears for retainers?
Invoice in advance — issue the invoice on the 1st of the month for that month's work. This protects you against a client who decides mid-month to disengage and disappear, and it forces the conversation about renewal at the right moment. The market norm is invoice on the 1st, payment due Net 7 or Net 14, work delivered through the month. Inbill's recurring invoice feature can be set to auto-issue on the 1st each month.
How does a VA invoice for software and tool pass-throughs?
List each tool subscription as a separate line item at cost — Calendly, Loom, Notion, ChatGPT, Buffer, whatever the client uses that you pay for in their name. Don't mark these up; they're a service to the client, not a profit centre. If you use shared tools across multiple clients (e.g. your own ChatGPT or Notion), don't bill any one client for them — that's your overhead. Pass-throughs are only for tools you bought specifically for that engagement.
Adjacent work
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