The Rummy principle of drawing and discarding with a view to melding appears in Chinese card games at least in the early 19th century and perhaps as early as the 18th century and is, in fact, the essence of Mah-jong.
DEFINITION of 'Retainer Fee'. An upfront cost incurred by an individual in order to ensure the services of a consultant, freelancer, etc. A retainer fee is paid most commonly to individual third-parties who have been engaged by the payer to perform a service for them or on their behalf.These fees are almost always paid upfront and only ensure the commitment of the receiver, but does not guarantee an outcome or final product.ommunity Property. The most common form of retainer fees apply to lawyers, who in most cases require those seeking services to provide an upfront retainer fee, for example $500.
If a client starts to send a lot of volume your way, retainer-based pricing can be advantageous, even if itâs at a lower hourly rate than your advertised price. A retainer is a fee paid for a pre-determined amount of time or work (usually within a month) and is often paid up-front.