Virtual Assistant Invoicing App (2026)
VA work gets paid properly when the retainer bills in advance and the hours used are visible on the invoice — loose hourly billing means re-selling yourself every month and eating the quiet weeks. ShowTheReceipts ($15/mo) bills a 10, 20, or 40-hour block automatically each month against a card on file, shows hours used against the block, and itemizes overage, rush, and pass-through costs.
How we picked
Entry-plan prices as published in 2026, taken from each vendor's own pricing page or a recent third-party summary. Judged on the solo VA's billing workflow — prepaid hour blocks billed in advance, hours used shown on the invoice, overage and out-of-hours rates, and pass-through costs — not on agency staffing, multi-seat team management, or full double-entry accounting for a firm with payroll.
| Software | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| ShowTheReceipts That's us | $15/mo | Solo VAs: prepaid hour blocks billed in advance, hours-used lines, overage and rush rates, card on file |
| FreshBooks | $21/mo+ | Invoicing bundled with small-business accounting |
| Harvest | Free / $13.75/seat/mo | Time tracking that converts to invoices |
| Bonsai | $25/mo+ | Contracts and proposals alongside invoices |
| Wave | Free / $16/mo+ | Basic free invoicing with paid payment features |
Loose hourly is the trap
Billing hourly in arrears means you carry the quiet weeks and chase the busy ones. The prepaid block fixes both at once.
1. ShowTheReceipts — $15/mo
10 / 20 / 40-hour blocks billed in advance on a card or ACH on file, hours used shown on the invoice, overage at your hourly rate, rush and out-of-hours uplift, subscriptions and ad spend passed through at cost, stated late fee with automatic chasing.
2. FreshBooks — $21/mo+
Invoicing bundled with small-business accounting features.
3. Harvest — Free / $13.75/seat/mo
Time tracking that converts logged hours into invoices.
4. Bonsai — $25/mo+
Contracts and proposals sitting alongside invoicing.
5. Wave — Free / $16/mo+
Basic free invoicing, with payment features paid.
The lines a VA invoice needs
- Retainer / hour block — reserved, billed in advance
- Hours used and remaining — against the block
- Overage hours — at the hourly rate
- Rush / out-of-hours — 1.25–1.5× uplift
- Project work — flat, outside the retainer
- Pass-throughs — subscriptions, ad spend, at cost
- Late fee — stated, after the due date
Scope drift is the quiet killer
Inbox and calendar becomes reporting, then bookkeeping, then support. Name what the block covers on the invoice and bill anything new as project work until you decide it belongs.
Frequently asked questions
Can it bill a monthly retainer automatically?
Yes — the hour block bills in advance each month against a card or ACH on file, so the capacity is paid for before the work starts. That single change is what turns loose hourly VA income into a floor you can plan around.
Can the invoice show hours used and remaining?
The hours used against the block go on the invoice as their own line — '18 of 20 hours used.' It ends the two arguments VAs have most: whether the retainer earned its keep, and whether the overage was real.
How do I bill out-of-hours or rush work?
As a separate line at 1.25–1.5× your base rate, saved so it applies the same way every time. Without a stated rate, a 9pm 'quick favour' becomes the default working relationship inside a month.
Do I need accounting software as a solo VA?
Not to get paid. A solo VA needs retainers billed in advance, hours shown on the invoice, overage and rush rates, and automatic follow-up on late payers — double-entry accounting starts mattering once there's payroll and a bookkeeper.