Relay is a business banking platform designed for small business owners, freelancers, and their bookkeepers. Its defining feature is the ability to open multiple checking accounts and issue multiple debit cards from a single business relationship, without monthly fees or minimum balances.
The product is commonly used by businesses following cash-management systems that require separating funds into distinct accounts by purpose — such as the Profit First methodology.
What the product is structurally
Relay is not a bank. Deposits are held at Thread Bank, a member of the FDIC. Standard insurance applies up to $250,000 per depositor per institution. Relay handles the technology interface, account management, and customer experience.
The account structure is the most distinctive aspect of the product. A single business can open up to 20 individual checking accounts. Each account holds a separate balance and can be named to correspond to a budget category, project, or business function.
Relay also supports up to 50 physical and virtual debit cards per business. Each card can be assigned spending limits and linked to a specific checking account. This structure supports granular control over employee spending without a formal corporate card program.
How it works in practice
Checking accounts are opened through Relay’s digital application and are each assigned a unique account and routing number. These can be used for ACH transfers, incoming wires, and check deposits.
Outgoing ACH and domestic wire transfers are initiated through the Relay dashboard. External bank transfers allow businesses to move funds from accounts at other institutions. Balances can be moved between the business’s own Relay accounts instantly, without delay.
Relay provides bookkeeper and accountant access through a read-only or read-write permission model. Finance professionals can log into a shared view of the business’s accounts without requiring the business owner to share login credentials.
Savings accounts with a competitive interest rate are available on Relay Pro, the paid tier. At the standard tier, checking accounts do not earn interest.
Fees and pricing mechanics
The standard Relay account is free. There are no monthly maintenance fees, no minimum balance requirements, and no fees for ACH transfers or incoming wires. Outgoing domestic wires carry a per-transaction fee, typically around $5 as of 2026.
Relay Pro is priced at $30 per month and unlocks higher-yield savings accounts, priority customer support, and additional operational features such as faster payment processing.
Physical debit card replacements and expedited card shipping may carry fees. International card usage is supported, and foreign transaction fees apply at the standard passthrough rate from the card network.
Limits, eligibility, and availability
Relay is available to U.S.-registered businesses. Eligible entities include sole proprietorships, LLCs, S-corps, and C-corps. The application requires an EIN, formation documents, and beneficial ownership information.
Wire and ACH transfer limits apply and are configured at account defaults. Limits can be adjusted after review. Businesses that routinely send high-value wire transfers should verify their specific limits before depending on the account for those transactions.
The service does not provide business credit products. There is no corporate charge card, no line of credit, and no business term loan. Relay is solely a deposit and payment infrastructure product.
Tradeoffs, risks, or limitations
Relay does not offer credit or lending products. Businesses that need a corporate card, overdraft protection, or a line of credit must maintain a separate relationship with another financial institution.
The interest rate on checking balances is zero at the standard tier. For businesses with significant cash reserves, an alternative platform with yield on operating balances may generate meaningful returns by comparison.
The platform is built for small businesses and sole proprietors. Companies with complex payroll, international payables, or multi-entity structures may find Relay’s feature set insufficient without supplementary tools.
As with all non-bank fintech platforms, Relay’s continuity depends on its partnership with Thread Bank. Deposits are FDIC-insured, but the technology layer introduces a dependency on Relay’s operational status for access and transactions.
See also: Bluevine Review, Mercury Review
