How your Catlips retainer works
A plain‑English guide for clients.
Short version
- You pay monthly in advance. Hours per month: Kitten 16 / Mouser 20 / Tiger 24.
- No roll‑over of unused hours. Extra hours need written approval and are billed at the plan’s extra‑hour rate.
- Cancel or reduce with 1 month’s notice. If you cancel a higher plan after starting, we “true‑up”: you pay the difference between what you paid and what you’d have paid on a lower plan for the same time. Mid‑month is prorated. Cancel within 14 days of the start date = no fee.
- Editable source files aren’t included. Ask before we start. Source‑file fee starts at 100% of the project fee.
- We work with kindness. We are anti‑racist and LGBTQ+ inclusive. We don’t work with people/organisations acting against these values.
- Confidentiality: we keep non‑public info private. Final deliverables are yours after payment. We may show the work in our portfolio unless you opt out in writing before we start.
- Law & courts: England and Wales. This page is a guide; your signed agreement is the binding version.
Plans and hours
| Plan | Hours / month | 1–2 months | 3–9 months | 10+ months | Extra hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitten | 16 | £1,280 | £1,120 | £960 | £75/hour |
| Mouser | 20 | £1,600 | £1,400 | £1,200 | £65/hour |
| Tiger | 24 | £1,920 | £1,680 | £1,440 | £55/hour |
What’s included
- Design for print and digital (posters, flyers, social, ads) plus simple motion/video edits.
- Brand assets & templates, presentations, typesetting, artwork edits.
- 1‑hour monthly planning call. Meetings, research, admin and amends all count towards your hours.
How billing works
- We invoice monthly in advance. Work starts after payment lands.
- If payment is late, we may pause work and charge interest (BoE base rate + 4% p.a.) or a £50 late fee (whichever is higher).
- Extra hours need written approval and are billed at your plan’s extra‑hour rate.
Cancelling or reducing your plan
Give 1 month’s notice. If you cancel a higher plan after work has started, we do a fair “true‑up”.
How we calculate the true‑up
- Choose the lower plan you would have used from day one (Kitten or Mouser).
- Work out what you actually paid at the higher plan for the time used.
- Work out what you would have paid at the lower plan for the same time (using the tier that applies to that length).
- Cancellation fee = amount paid at higher plan − amount due at the lower plan.
- If cancelling mid‑month, we prorate both plans by days used.
- 14‑day grace: cancel within 14 days of the start date → no fee.
Example: Tiger → Kitten after 2 full months
- Tiger (1–2 months): £1,920/month; Kitten (1–2 months): £1,280/month
- Paid at Tiger: 2 × £1,920 = £3,840
- Would have paid at Kitten: 2 × £1,280 = £2,560
- Cancellation fee = £1,280
Example: Tiger → Mouser after 2 full months
- Tiger (1–2 months): £1,920/month; Mouser (1–2 months): £1,600/month
- Paid at Tiger: 2 × £1,920 = £3,840
- Would have paid at Mouser: 2 × £1,600 = £3,200
- Cancellation fee = £640
Example: Mouser → Kitten, mid‑month (prorated)
- Assume a 30‑day month and 18 days of work delivered.
- Mouser (1–2 months): £1,600 → £53.33/day; Kitten (1–2 months): £1,280 → £42.67/day
- Mouser for 18 days: 18 × £53.33 = £959.94
- Kitten for 18 days: 18 × £42.67 = £768.06
- Cancellation fee ≈ £191.88 (rounded to the nearest penny on invoice)
Editable source files
- Final deliverables (PDF/PNG/JPG) are included and yours after payment.
- Working/source files (Affinity/Illustrator/InDesign/After Effects) are not included.
- If you need source files, please ask before we start and agree it in writing. The fee starts at 100% of the project fee and varies by complexity and licensing. Files are released once that fee is paid.
- Fonts and paid stock aren’t transferred unless agreed. You must hold any required licences.
Kindness & inclusivity
We work with kindness, respect and plain speaking. We are anti‑racist and LGBTQ+ inclusive. We will not work with people or organisations acting against these values. We may end the contract immediately (no refund) if anyone is abusive, threatening or discriminatory towards us or our collaborators.