A 15-employee company processes roughly 2-3 visa-related transactions (renewals, amendments) per month and is deciding between a monthly PRO retainer and paying per task.
The Walkthrough
- Estimate monthly transaction volume realistically
Look back at the last 6-12 months of actual visa renewals, amendments and related paperwork to get a realistic average, not just a guess. - Calculate the pay-per-task total at this volume
Multiply the estimated 2-3 monthly transactions by the per-task fee to see what pay-per-task pricing would cost across a full year at this volume. - Compare against the monthly retainer cost
A fixed monthly retainer covers unlimited or capped transactions — compare its annual cost directly against the pay-per-task annual estimate. - Check what happens in a high-volume month
If hiring picks up and 5-6 transactions happen in a single month, see how each pricing model handles the spike — retainers often absorb this better than pay-per-task. - Factor in response time and service quality, not just price
The cheaper option on paper isn't always better if it comes with slower turnaround — weigh cost against how quickly transactions get processed too.
The Takeaway
At 2-3 transactions a month, the crossover point between retainer and pay-per-task depends heavily on how consistent that volume is — a company with steady, predictable transactions often does better with pay-per-task, while one expecting growth or hiring spikes tends to find a retainer's predictability worth the premium.
Try It With Your Own Numbers
This example used specific figures to make the process concrete, but the same steps apply whatever your actual numbers are. Run the PRO Services Cost Estimator with your own details — free, in under a minute, no sign-up required.