Virtual assistant work is broad by design. In a single week you might clear a founder's inbox, book flights, chase three late invoices on their behalf, update a CRM, and draft social posts. The client values the relief, but at invoice time they see a number of hours and wonder where they went. VA invoices get questioned less when they show the work grouped into a few categories the client recognizes, and when the package, overage and rollover rules are printed on every invoice.
This template is built for the package model most VAs use: hours bought in advance each month, overage billed in arrears, and occasional purchases reimbursed at cost.
TL;DR
The virtual assistant invoice template bills the coming month's hour package in advance, adds last month's overage hours, summarizes hours by task category, lists reimbursed purchases at cost, and states the rollover rule, with a [TAX RATE]% placeholder. Send it on the same day each month. The single most useful line is the hours summary showing package, used, overage and rollover, because it answers the client's main question before they ask.
What's inside
- Header and bill-to — your details and the client's billing entity.
- Package block — package size, monthly fee, period covered, rollover rule.
- Hours summary — last month's package hours, hours used, overage, hours rolled over.
- Hours by category — inbox, calendar, travel, customer support, admin, social media, bookkeeping prep.
- Overage line — extra hours at the agreed rate.
- Reimbursable purchases — tools, subscriptions or items bought on the client's behalf, with receipts.
- Totals and payment terms — tax placeholder, due date, methods.
When to use it
Use it for monthly VA packages, executive assistance, online business management, customer support coverage and social media scheduling work billed by the hour. It also works if you subcontract for an agency and bill them monthly.
For pure pay-as-you-go hours without a package, an hourly invoice with a full time log is simpler. Set the ground rules for packages, response times and access in a virtual assistant agreement before the first invoice.
How VA packages are usually structured
Common package sizes run from 10 to 40 hours a month, with the hourly equivalent dropping slightly as the package grows. Payment is typically in advance, so you are not funding the client's admin. Overage is billed at the package rate or a modest ad hoc premium, and many VAs ask clients to approve overage beyond a set number of hours.
Rollover rules vary. A strict "use it or lose it" rule keeps your schedule predictable. A limited rollover, such as up to a quarter of the package for one month only, feels fairer to clients in quiet months. Either works if it is written down and printed on the invoice.
Line items VA clients query most
Unclear hours. "Admin, 12 hours" invites questions. "Inbox management 5.0, calendar and travel 3.5, CRM updates 2.0, vendor follow-ups 1.5" does not.
Overage without warning. If you are going to go over the package, tell the client when you reach about 80% of it, and ask whether to continue, pause or reprioritize.
Purchases. Software subscriptions, gifts, office supplies or travel booked on your card need receipts and a clear "at cost" label. Agree a spending limit in writing.
Minimum increments. Many VAs track in 15-minute increments. State it so a 10-minute task billed as 0.25 hours is expected.
Customize it in your COLO workspace
In COLO you can track time with a start/stop timer or manual entries against client tasks, mark tasks billable or non-billable, and create an invoice from tracked time for overage. Invoices support line items, tax rates, discounts and partial payments, and you can email the invoice or download a PDF. See Invoicing and Payments.
A project budget set to the package size gives you an in-app warning at 80% and stops billable timers at 100%, with options to request a contract update, continue as non-billable or pause. Clients pay by card through Stripe or by PayPal from the client portal.
Common mistakes
- Billing the package in arrears. You end up extending credit to every client.
- No rollover rule. Clients assume unused hours bank forever.
- One line for all hours. Group by category.
- Surprise overage. Warn before you cross the package.
- Purchases mixed into hours. Keep reimbursements separate and receipted.
FAQ
Q: How do virtual assistants usually bill?
Most VAs sell monthly packages of hours paid in advance, plus overage billed in arrears at the package rate or a slightly higher ad hoc rate. Some bill purely hourly for smaller clients.
Q: Do unused package hours roll over?
That depends on your agreement. Many VAs allow a limited rollover, such as up to 20% of the package for one month, or none at all. State the rule on the invoice so the client sees it every month.
Q: Should I itemize every task?
Group tasks by category such as inbox, calendar, client support and bookkeeping prep, with hours per category. Keep the full task log, such as a timesheet, available on request.
Q: How do I bill purchases I made for the client?
List them as reimbursable expenses at cost with the receipt reference, separate from your hours. Agree in advance whether you will use your own card or the client's.
Q: When should a VA send the monthly invoice?
On the same date each month, typically the first, for the coming month's package, with any overage from the previous month added as a separate line.
Related
More for assistants on the virtual assistants page.