The Relay Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Relay in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Relay
The Insider’s Guide
Online business banking with bill pay, cards and expenses
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among spend and bill pay tools, read from Relay’s own pages.
Made by Relay · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Relay’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Relay’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 64 of the 76 other spend and bill pay tools we grade
Relay is a financial technology company that offers online business checking and savings accounts, Visa debit and credit cards, bill pay, expense tracking and invoicing in one account. Banking services are provided by Thread Bank, Member FDIC. Every plan allows unlimited users, with higher plans adding approval rules, automation and better savings rates.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Relay, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You open a business bank account, which takes setup and verification.
- 1
Best for business banking for a small team with several accounts
Relay is a business banking account with cards, bill pay, expense tracking and invoicing, and the free Starter plan allows unlimited users.
- 2
Paid plans start at $30 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $30 per month.
- 3
There is a free plan
Starter plan: $0 a month, with 20 checking accounts, cards with spend controls, invoicing and QuickBooks and Xero integration.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Checking and savings accounts
Open up to 20 checking accounts (50 on Scale) and high-yield savings accounts, with deposits auto-transferred by rule.
- 6
Debit and credit cards
Visa debit and credit cards with spend limits and roles, up to 50 debit cards per cardholder per checking account.
- 7
Expense tracking
Receipt capture and upload reminders, expenses categorized as they happen, and sync to accounting software.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 64 of 76
That is against the other spend and bill pay tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Relay you would be making money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Relay at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $30 per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day trial of the Grow or Scale plan
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Relay
- Category
- Spend & Bill Pay
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.8 on the App Store, 3,801 ratings
The report card
Best for business banking for a small team with several accounts
Relay is a business banking account with cards, bill pay, expense tracking and invoicing, and the free Starter plan allows unlimited users. It isn't an FDIC-insured bank, approvals and better savings rates start on the $30 Grow plan, and transfers carry fees on every plan.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Starter is $0, and Grow is $30 a month and Scale $90. The $0 plan covers the core, so the paid plans are an upgrade, not a toll. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Starter is free outright, with 20 checking accounts, cards with spend controls, invoicing and QuickBooks and Xero sync. A 14-day trial of Grow or Scale is also offered. |
| Features | C | Checking and savings, debit and credit cards, expense tracking, bill pay and invoicing. Spend approval requests and bookkeeping automation start on Grow. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You open a business bank account, which takes setup and verification. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks Online and Xero. No desktop app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Relay is for
- Fits if you run a small business and want several checking accounts with cards under one login
- Works for teams that want a savings rate and cash back, and will pay for Grow
Who it is not for
- Tight if you stay on Starter: it earns less on savings and lacks spend approval requests
- Pricey if you want automation, as Scale is $90 a month
- Watch out: transaction fees apply on every plan, for example $25 for SWIFT wires on Starter
- Watch out: Relay isn't an FDIC-insured bank, as banking comes from Thread Bank
- Watch out: pay-by-bank invoice collection costs 1%, 0.75% or 0.5% depending on plan, capped at $10
Good to know
Good for
- Small businesses that want banking, cards and bill pay in one account
- Owners who split money across several accounts, such as tax and payroll
- Teams that need many users without paying per seat
Worth knowing
- Relay is not an FDIC-insured bank; banking services come from Thread Bank, Member FDIC.
- Transaction fees apply on every plan: for example SWIFT international wires are $25 on Starter, $22 on Grow and $20 on Scale.
- Pay-by-bank invoice collection costs 1%, 0.75% or 0.5% of the amount on Starter, Grow and Scale, capped at $10.
- Savings APY and card cash back differ by plan and are variable, so the $0 Starter plan earns less than the paid plans.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$30
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Relay has a free plan. Paid plans start at $30 per month.
Starter
$0
20 checking accounts, 1.19% APY on savings and 1% cash back on credit cards, as of 9/17/2026. Same-day ACH is $1 and domestic wires are $8.
Grow
$30
per month
Adds spend approval requests, batch vendor payments, bookkeeping automation and recurring invoices. 1.87% APY and 1.25% cash back. Same-day ACH is $0.50 and domestic wires are $5.
Scale
$90
per month
Shown as $90, down from $120, no end date given. 50 checking accounts, bill payment automation, cash flow forecasts, 3.21% APY, 1.5% cash back and no fee for same-day ACH.
The free plan
Starter plan: $0 a month, with 20 checking accounts, cards with spend controls, invoicing and QuickBooks and Xero integration.
Trying it first
14-day trial of the Grow or Scale plan
Read from relayfi.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Online business banking with bill pay, cards and expenses. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: invoicing, bookkeeping, expense tracking, bill pay, company cards.
Checking and savings, debit and credit cards, expense tracking, bill pay and invoicing.
- Checking and savings accounts
- Open up to 20 checking accounts (50 on Scale) and high-yield savings accounts, with deposits auto-transferred by rule.
- Debit and credit cards
- Visa debit and credit cards with spend limits and roles, up to 50 debit cards per cardholder per checking account.
- Expense tracking
- Receipt capture and upload reminders, expenses categorized as they happen, and sync to accounting software.
- Bill pay
- Upload bills, assign tasks, set multi-step approval rules and pay vendors by ACH or wire.
- Invoicing
- Create and track invoices, send payment links and automated follow-ups, and collect by card, bank payment or wire.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
Relay is made by Relay.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
64/76
Other spend and bill pay tools it is graded above
Relay's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 64 of the 76 other spend and bill pay tools we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 71 of 76) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $30 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 28 of the 36 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 15 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 77 spend and bill pay tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Relay’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 61 of 76
- AFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 76
- CFeaturesAbove 4 of 76
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 76
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 18 of 76
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 39 spend and bill pay tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Relay is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Relay you would be making money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 64 of the 76 other spend and bill pay tools we grade. It costs $360 a year.
What you could make
- Expense tracking and invoicing: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner.
- Cards issued through a bank.
- Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Relay’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Mercury, Novo, BILL, Ramp and Brex
The 5 tools Relay is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Mercury
Free plan · from $29.90/mo
Business banking with cards, expenses, bill pay and invoicing.
- Only Relay lists an Android app.
- Mercury also covers payroll.
- 3.0GPA
Novo
Free
Free business checking with invoicing, bill pay and debit cards.
- Relay also covers bookkeeping.
- 2.6GPA
BILL
Free plan · from $49/mo
Bill pay, invoicing and free company cards for small businesses.
- Relay also covers bookkeeping.
- 3.6GPA
Ramp
Free plan · from $15/mo
Corporate cards, expenses, travel and bill pay, with a free plan.
- Relay also covers bookkeeping.
- Ramp also covers reports.
- 3.6GPA
Brex
Free plan · from $12/mo
Corporate cards, expenses, bill pay and travel for growing companies.
- Relay also covers invoicing and bookkeeping.
- Brex also covers reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Relay free?
Relay has a free plan. Starter plan: $0 a month, with 20 checking accounts, cards with spend controls, invoicing and QuickBooks and Xero integration.
How much does Relay cost?
Relay lists 3 plans. Starter: $0.
What platforms does Relay work on?
Relay is available on Web, iOS and Android.
How is Relay rated?
Relay's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3,801 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does Relay have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Relay is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Relay have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Relay is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Relay open source?
Relay is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
What does Relay integrate with?
Relay's listing names QuickBooks Online and Xero. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Relay have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day trial of the Grow or Scale plan.
Who makes Relay?
Relay is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Relay?
The closest alternatives to Relay in our directory are Mercury, Novo, BILL, Ramp and Brex.
How does Relay compare with other spend and bill pay tools?
Relay's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 64 of the 76 other spend and bill pay tools we grade, and level with 4.
Is Relay good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Relay B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $30 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 28 of the 36 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Relay?
To replace Relay you would be making money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Relay’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Relay's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Relay. Prices change, so check relayfi.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Relay, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/relay
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Relay: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/relay
Know someone choosing between spend and bill pay tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/relay/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded spend and bill pay tools after Relay, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Spend & Bill Pay Insider's GuideEvery one of the 77 spend and bill pay tools we grade, compared
- Brex Insider's GuideCorporate cards, expenses, bill pay and travel for growing companies3.6 GPA
- Ramp Insider's GuideCorporate cards, expenses, travel and bill pay, with a free plan3.6 GPA
- Airwallex Insider's GuideMulti-currency business accounts, cards, bill pay and expenses3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Relay’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Relay is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Relay. Prices and plans change: check relayfi.com before you buy.