Estimating and invoicing software for consultants.
Send an engagement estimate with your terms attached, get it accepted online, take a deposit, bill the retainer each month, and give every client a portal to see what they owe.
14-day refund for new accounts. Cancel anytime.
Scope it, get it signed, then bill it
Consulting work usually starts with a proposal and a set of terms, not a quick price. PayPolka treats the estimate as that document: line out the engagement, attach the full scope of work, and send a link the client signs. Acceptance records who signed, when, and that they agreed to your terms — so the engagement starts on a clear footing.
From there, billing follows the shape of the work: a deposit to begin, a final balance on delivery, or a monthly retainer that bills the same fee on a schedule. The full breakdown of deposit, progress, and final billing is in the invoicing guide.
Just the billing layer
PayPolka does estimates, invoices, payments, a client portal, and a sales-tax and receivables summary — and stops there. It isn't a CRM, a bookkeeping suite, or a proposal-design tool. For a lot of independent consultants, that's the point: a clean way to quote, bill, and get paid without onboarding a platform. Up to three users are included, so a partner or an assistant can work in the same account at no extra cost.
From engagement letter to retainer to paid
Engagement terms, acknowledged
Publish your terms once and every estimate carries them. When a client accepts online with a typed signature, they acknowledge those terms — and you can attach the proposal or scope of work as files on the estimate.
Deposit up front, balance on delivery
Bill a deposit from the accepted estimate to start the engagement, then send the final balance when the work ships. Both are tracked against the estimate, so the remaining amount is always clear.
Recurring retainers, on your terms
Set up a monthly or quarterly retainer and PayPolka generates a draft invoice each cycle for you to review and send. It never auto-sends or auto-charges — you stay in control of every bill that goes out.
A client portal they actually use
Each client gets a portal showing their invoices, what they've paid, and their outstanding balance, and you can email a statement to the primary contact. Fewer 'can you resend that invoice?' emails.
An invoice with a Stripe payment link — the deposit, the retainer, or the final balance.
Questions, answered.
Can clients accept my terms online?
Yes. If you publish your terms, your estimates state that acceptance confirms them, and the client accepts with a typed signature that captures their name, a timestamp, and IP address. You can also attach the full proposal or engagement letter to the estimate as files.
Can I bill a deposit and then a final balance?
Yes. From an accepted estimate you can bill a deposit (percentage or fixed amount) up front and a final-balance invoice at the end — or invoice progress in between. Each one is tracked against the estimate so the totals reconcile.
How do recurring retainers work — do they charge automatically?
No. A recurring schedule generates a draft invoice each cycle (monthly, quarterly, or yearly). You review it and send it yourself; nothing is emailed and no card is charged without you. It's a time-saver, not auto-pilot billing.
What does the client portal show?
It's a private page where a client sees their invoices, what they've paid, and their outstanding balance. You can also send a client statement — opening balance, invoices issued, payments received, and closing balance — to the primary contact.
How do clients pay?
Credit/debit card, ACH, and Cash App Pay through your own Stripe account, plus cash or check you record yourself. No markup on Stripe's fees, and you can optionally pass the processing fee to the client.
Will my $5 price increase after beta?
No. Sign up during beta and you keep $5/month for as long as you stay subscribed — it never rises to the $9 standard rate, which applies only to accounts created after beta. PayPolka is US-only and bills in USD.
From engagement letter to paid.
Start for $5/month during beta and lock that rate in for life. Connect your own Stripe account and send your first engagement estimate today.
14-day refund for new accounts. Cancel anytime.