CORE AGENCY WORK
Retainer Protocols
Consistent, flexible and dedicated support to address your needs. This page provides a digestable version of the legal terms on Schedule E for Retainer operations.
Our work is planned and structured through a Quarterly Business Plan (QBP). This plan is agreed at the initial pre-contract meeting, and then at quarterly review meetings every 3 months.
AT A GLANCE GUIDE
The below dropdown sections contain brief summaries of key plan elements.
• RETAINER OVERVIEW
- Purpose: Dedicated services to achieve client goals each month.
- Monthly Fee/Credits: Starting £150 for 150 credits monthly. Upgrade increments + £50
- Billing Date: Auto monthly charge: 12th-15th
- Initial Commitment: 90 days (3 monthly payments) 14 day grace period to cancel*
- Default Terms:
- ❌ Cancellation: After 14 day grace period - 90 day notice**
- 🔽 Downgrade: 30 day notice (max x2 times over 12 month peroid)
- 🔼 Upgrade: 30 day notice (can be expedited)
- Default credit usage: Credits don’t rollover, utilised each month on the default QBP
*See Schedule E - 9.1.3 Grace Period – Conditions and Limitation
**Cancellation/Termination reduces to 60 days after a specific number of active retainer months (per the terms of your contract)
🗓️ KEY OPERATING DATES
- 🗓️ 7th (each month): Submit new override 'Priority/Emergency' work requests by this date for the highest chance of month completion.
- 🗓️ 15th (each month): After this, new requests may not be finished by month-end.
- 🗓️ End of Quarter (3rd Month, 6th Month, 9th Month etc from your plan start): QBP review meeting, setting the work for the next month.
- 🗓️ Month 6+: Retainer 'break' (as per your contract terms) available
↣ WORKFLOW
- ↣ Day 0: New fresh credits → Credit usage for Quarterly Business Plan by default
- ↣ By 7th: Override requests → Submit in portal by 7th (simple revisions more flexible)
- ↣ Approx 15th → Monthly fee charged
- ↣ End of month → View work summary in the portal
- ↣ Every 3 months → Quarterly Business Review (up to 1 hour, complimentary)
⏰ SCENARIO 1: Override QBP (Emergency or Priority work)
- How to initiate: Submit request in client portal*
- Options for 'emergency' work:
- (A) Assign up to x2 future months' credits (overrides QBP)
- (B) Pay separately with your retainer discount (QBP untouched)
- (C) Upgrade your plan for the applicable months (QBP additions)
- Priority work can be added to the added to the next month's schedule.
*As per Schedule E Section 5.1.2: There. is a limit of x1 (one) Priority Request per calendar month
📝 SCENARIO 2: Override QBP for small revisions
💡 ‘Revision requests’ (i.e small Brizy Cloud amends) are not subject to the x1 limit, but subject to capacity, credits available and other terms in Schedule E Section 5.3
- How to initiate: Submit request in client portal
- Options for the request:
- (A) Assign up to x1 future months' credits (overrides QBP)
- (B) Pay separately with your retainer discount (QBP untouched)
- (C) Upgrade your plan for the applicable months (QBP additions)
- Additional option only for revisions (D) Debit from the next QBP up to 50% of x1 month value to avoid current QBP disruption.
✴ STANDARD PERKS
Your specific retainer perks are designated in section 1.0.3 of your contract. Below are default perks retainer clients enjoy:
- ✴ BREAKS: Opportunity to apply for a retainer 'break' (refund) where no work is done from Month 6 (specific terms in your contract)
- ✴ PRIORITY SUPPORT: Retainer clients have the priority support, meaning all capacity caluations prioritise them first
- ✴ DISCOUNT: All work requested outside of the credit allowance has the highest discount (specific terms in your contract)
- ✴ BUNDLES: Exclusive bundles (worth over £1k RRP) of premium software licensing and other perks. (specific terms in your contract)
RETAINER PERKS
Retainer clients enjoy these perks as added value for our partnership.
What are 'bundles'?
Retainer bundles designate premium tools (and other perks) that we use to support your business goals. Currently 'bundles' are focused on online tools, but this could expand in the future when we learn what our clients value.
Bundles are exclusive to retainer clients with an active plan and are separate from our Web & Marketing monthly plans.
Where can I view my bundles?
The bundles that apply to your retainer will be specified in point 1.0.3 of your contract. We will shortly add general information about bundles to client portals.
What are the cost of bundles for retainer clients?
Bundles are included in your plan at a significantly discounted rate compared to their normal monthly prices, some bundles may even be offered on a complimentary basis during offer peroids. The bundles that apply to your retainer and the costs will be specified in point 1.0.3 of your contract.
Your core retainer services (SEO, PPC, CRO, etc.) are separate from bundles and are not affected by bundle pricing changes.
What if happens if a bundle cost changes?
As our services and platform grow, and as third‑party tools become more expensive to maintain, some bundles may transition to optional paid add‑ons. If we ever make this change, we will give existing clients at least 30 days’ notice, along with the option to accept the new pricing, remove the bundle, or discuss alternatives.
Are the cost of bundles related/included in my retainer monthly fee?
Your core retainer services (SEO, PPC, CRO, etc.) are separate from bundles and are not affected by bundle pricing changes. In other words upgrading or downgrading your retainer without a contract renewal (after termination) does not not effect your bundle. If you choose to terminate your retainer and restart in the future the bundle you will be offered will be align with the latest offers at the time of renewal. Core service pricing is governed by the terms in your current contract.
ACCOUNT ACCESS & SECURITY
To effectively deliver our services, we may need access to your Google (and other) accounts. This sections explains how this works and answers any concerns you may have.
Our access is strictly for managing and measuring your marketing activity (for example: setting up campaigns, tracking conversions, and reviewing performance data).
Assigning access as a seperate user where possible
How we can securely access the Google accounts:
- Google Analytics – You can add our email address as a user with the appropriate permissions (e.g. Read & Analyze, Edit) rather than sharing your own password.
- Google Ads – In many cases, we request access to your Google Ads account via our manager account (MCC), or you can add our email as a user in your Google Ads account. This lets you keep control of ownership and remove our access at any time.
- Other Google services – Where similar “add user”, “invite user”, or “link account” options exist, we encourage you to use those instead of sharing your own login credentials.
For other specialist software we will walk with you on a case by case basic.
Authentication requests for our access - sending codes
Google usually asks for additional authentication requests (usually codes or alerts) when your account is being accessed from a new location.
We may already have been in touch via the portal to alert you we are logging in, in this case you can confirm you've receive the alert and accepted the request via a via a portal chat or using our WhatsApp Business chat if that is quicker.
Please send any codes you receive via the portal chat or using our WhatsApp Business chat.
For an overview of support communication methods see our support protocols page.
Our responsibility - what we do with your accounts to provide services
- We only use your access to perform the marketing and analytics tasks you have engaged us to do.
- We do not sell, rent, or use your account access for any other purpose.
- We store any credentials you provide to us with care and restrict access to them within our business.
Your responsibility - caring for accounts
As we are a digital marketing agency, not a security firm we do not manage or monitor your wider security posture, and we do not control how Google secures its own systems.
You remain responsible for:
- Managing your own Google account security (for example: device security, antivirus, updates, and safe browsing practices).
- Turning on and maintaining 2-step verification (2SV) / multi-factor authentication where appropriate.
- Responding to security alerts from Google (such as warnings about unsafe devices, missing 2SV, or unusual sign-in attempts).
- Deciding which team members and third parties have access to your Google accounts, and what level of access they have.
- Our role is limited to using the access you grant us to carry out digital marketing work. We do not review, audit, or guarantee the security of your devices, networks, or internal practices.
Important: separation of responsibilities and liability
- We take reasonable care with any client access details entrusted to us.
- However, you are responsible for the security of your own accounts, devices, and users, and for acting on security alerts and recommendations from Google or any other providers.
- Our engagement and legal terms include “no liability” provisions for security incidents, data breaches, or unauthorised access that arise from your systems, devices, users, or third parties outside our control.
This is covered in Schedule E point 10.5.3 and point 10.12.
Google security emails overview
We understand it may be concerning if you receive an email form Google with security recommendations.
As Google continues to tighten it's security measures, such emails are Google advising you about your organisation’s overall security configuration. These notices are not specific to our marketing activity and do not mean we are accessing your accounts in an unsafe way. They are prompts for you to review and improve your own security settings.
If you’re ever unsure whether an email from Google is genuine, or you need help understanding which access we require for our work, we’re happy to clarify what permissions we need and why. For any detailed security advice or investigation, we recommend you speak with a professional security provider.
Google security emails FAQ
Q: I received an email from Google saying my account was accessed from a new device or IP address. Should I be worried?
A: Not necessarily. Google sends these alerts whenever your account is accessed from a location, device, or IP address it hasn't seen before. Because we access your Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts from our own office network and systems, Google may flag this as "new" activity and send you an alert.
Q: Does this mean our agency did something wrong or accessed your account unsafely?
A: No. These alerts are part of Google's normal security monitoring. They don't indicate a breach or unauthorised access – they simply mean Google detected login activity from an unfamiliar source (in this case, likely us managing your campaigns or reviewing your analytics).
Q: What should I do if I see one of these alerts?
A: First, check the date and time in the alert. If it matches when we typically work on your account, you can safely confirm or dismiss the alert in Google's security centre. This teaches Google to recognise that access pattern as normal. If the date, time, or location seems suspicious or doesn't match our usual activity, let us know immediately so we can check our records.
Q: Can you investigate the alert for me?
A: We can confirm whether our team was accessing your account around the time of the alert, which may help you decide if it's safe to dismiss. However, we do not hold expertise in security investigations and as such for detailed investigation or security advice, please contact a professional security provider.
Q: Does this alert mean my account has been hacked?
A: Not automatically. However, if the alert shows a time, location, or device you don't recognise and that doesn't match our usual activity, it's worth investigating further. We recommend turning on or checking that 2‑step verification is enabled on your Google account, and reviewing which users and third parties (including us) have access. If you suspect unauthorised access, contact Google support or your IT team immediately.
The below table shows the differences between the Retainer Bundles and Web & Marketing monthly plans.
RETAINER BUNDLES
WEB & MARKETING PLANS
Agency use on behalf of clients.
In the background for client optimisation
Client direct use and management*
On demand operational/customer purposes
⚡ Strict usage, high processing costs
(i.e data analysis, reports, ai)
⚡ High usage, 'on demand'
(i.e book an appointment)
💷 Higher costs
💷 Lower costs
▪ Retainer clients only, very limited licenses
◾ Available to all clients, limited licenses
⚙️ Setup: Agency
⚙️ Maintained: Agency
⚙️ Setup: Agency or Client
⚙️ Maintained: Client*
⚙️ Setup cost:
Optional inclusion as part of retainer
⚙️ Setup cost:
Paid separately
*Some 'Web & Marketing' tools such as security monitoring tools may need to be setup and/or managed by the Agency but this is the exception, not the rule.
DETAILED Q&A
The below dropdown sections contain more detailed help to aid your understanding of Retainer operation.
🪙 Can I just stock up credits?
Here's why we don't sell individual credits outside your retainer: it would create complexity that ultimately costs you more money.
If we allowed à la carte credit purchases, we'd need to manage custom credit arrangements for multiple clients - which means higher overhead costs that get passed back to you in higher prices. Instead, we keep it simple and fair.
- Option 1: Upgrade your retainer
- Move to a higher monthly plan and get more credits every month going forward. This locks in better value per credit and gives you consistent capacity. Most clients who do this never look back because the compounding benefits are real.
- Option 2: Borrow from future months
- If you need extra work this month, you can assign up to 2 months of your future credits to cover it now. (Your next Quarterly Plan will adjust accordingly.) This gives you flexibility without disrupting your long-term relationship.
- Option 3: Pay seperately with your retainer discount
- For urgent work beyond your monthly credits, we can quote it separately and apply your retainer discount. It costs more than using monthly credits, but it's there if you need it.
Research has shown that clients who stay on retainers, upgrade strategically, and build long-term relationships get dramatically better results than clients who treat it transactionally.
The model only works if we can count on stable, predictable relationships. In return, you get better value, dedicated capacity, and results that compound over time. It's a genuine win-win.
🛟 Do we get unlimited help on all topics?
We want our clients to feel they are supported within our Retainer scope of areas. Although we can't offer 'unlimited help' for any one client we have put together Support Protocols so you are assisted as soon as possible.
To get fast support, try these options before reaching out:
- (1) Use the AI chatbot in your Client Portal – it can answer most general questions instantly.
- (2) Check our knowledge base on this website – common questions are answered there.
Still need help? You get up to 3 informal support interactions per calendar month.
We recommend sending in your quick questions through our the chat function on our portal and tagging us.
Once you've used your 3 interactions, additional support becomes formal work. You can request it using available monthly credits (if in-scope) or we'll provide a separate quote (if out-of-scope). Emergencies are exempt and handled separately.
This keeps communication flowing while protecting the quality of your retainer work.
⇥ How does the 'grace peroid' work with the '7th‑of‑Month Rule'?
The 'Grace Peroid' is the one time opportunity to exit after the inital 90 day commitment.
After your first 90 days, you have a one‑time 14‑day grace period where you can cancel your retainer without the usual 3 extra months of payments. However there is important critiera to note.
The below points summarise Schedule E Section 9.1.3 to ensure this is a 'no charge peroid'.
- 🗓️ One key date to remember: the 7th of the first month after your 90 days.
- ✅ If you approved a new Quarterly Plan but tell us by the 7th that you want to cancel, you can still use your grace period with no extra payment.
- ☑️ If you approve the plan and don’t tell us by the 7th, and we then start work, you’ll owe one month’s payment to cover that work. You still avoid the full 3‑month notice period—this just makes sure the work we’ve started is paid for.
Think of it this way:
- The grace period protects you from being locked into three extra months.
- The 7th‑of‑the‑month rule gives you a fair window to change your mind after approving the next quarter.
- Once that window passes and we’ve started work, one month’s fee fairly covers that month’s effort.
Tools FAQ
The below FAQ apply to both the tools within Web & Marketing monthly plans and Retainer Bundle plans.
- We do the heavy lifting of research, testing and communication when it comes to platform selection.
- Many platforms we utilise ourselves so we have 'skin in the game' and would not recommend a platform we wouldn't be happy to use ourselves.
- We only recommend platforms that we feel provide efficient and reliable functionality and are managed by financially savvy teams for longevity.
- The key terms are 'early investment', 'negotiated or early deals' and 'limited licenses'.
- Through considerable research/testing and a keen eye on developing Sass offerings, we vet then purchase/negotiate licenses with platforms we trust.
- As we invest in these platforms in earlier stages we secure multiple (but limited) licenses for significantly cut prices, sometimes even complimentary licenses as part of our investment/costs.
- As these platforms grow their prices rise, but our original arrangements generally lock the discounted price we can provide for our clients usage.
- Unless there is disruption to our original agreement or the platform is purchased/merged into a different provider, you can continue to use the tools as long as you are subscribed to a Web & Marketing plan and/or you are an active retainer customer.
- We make informed decisions for ourselves and clients in good faith, but cannot guarantee any platform will remain in business indefinitely. See Section 6 of Legal Schedule C for full conditions.
- If you unsubscribe or downgrade your plan, the relevant licenses will be removed and made available to new subscribers.
- You will have the option of resubscribing in the future to the same or similar plan. However as license availability is limited and plan structure can change, it's not guaranteed you will be able to resubscribe to a plan identical to your old plan in either structure or cost.
Use of the tool licenses inside these plans follows the legal terms in Section 6 in Schedule C and/or Section 8 in Schedule E, which will be incorporated into your contract by reference.
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