# Relay Business Checking — Relay Financial Technologies Inc.

**Monthly Fee:** Starter: No monthly fee · Grow: $30/mo · Scale: $90/mo (discounted from a $120/mo list price)
**Free Transactions:** Unlimited — no monthly cap or per-item fee
**Minimum Opening Deposit:** $0
**Entity Types Accepted:** LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Nonprofit
**FDIC Insured:** Yes — up to $250,000 per depositor per ownership category (extended up to $3,000,000 through Relay's program bank network). Deposits and the Relay Visa® Debit Card are issued by Thread Bank, Member FDIC.
**Availability:** All 50 U.S. states
**Apply:** https://bancadia.com/go/relay/business-checking

## Key Features

### Payment Rails
- Standard ACH transfers have no dedicated fee.
- Same-Day ACH is available for a per-transaction fee that varies by plan: $5.00 on Starter, $3.00 on Grow, and on Scale the first 10 transactions/month are free with a $1.00 fee per transaction thereafter.
- Outgoing domestic wire transfers cost $8.00 per wire on Starter and $5.00 per wire on Grow and Scale.
- Incoming wire transfers cost $5.00 per transaction on every plan (domestic and international are not distinguished).
- International wire transfers are available via two channels with plan-dependent pricing: SWIFT costs $25.00 (Starter), $22.00 (Grow), or $20.00 (Scale) per transfer; Relay's Local Network costs $5.00 (Starter), $3.00 (Grow), or $1.50 (Scale) per transfer. A general 1% international transaction fee may also apply for currency-converted transfers.
- Checks can be sent by mail (Relay prints and mails on the business's behalf) or written from a third-party checkbook — Relay does not issue its own checkbook.
- FedNow: Not supported on any plan.
- RTP Network (The Clearing House): Not supported on any plan. Real-time payments are available via Same-Day ACH (see above) as the fastest option.

### Online Banking
- Web dashboard and mobile app (iOS and Android) for managing checking accounts, cards, and payments. Mobile check deposit is supported: checks are photographed front and back, endorsed with the signature or business name plus "For mobile deposit only at Thread Bank," and typically settle within up to 7 business days. Only U.S.-issued checks are accepted.
- Role-based team member access lets business owners grant varying permission levels to employees, and dedicated accountant/bookkeeper logins can be added for external bookkeeping support.

### Fraud Protection
- Two-factor authentication and biometric security protect account logins, alongside data encryption and secure infrastructure. Debit card purchases are covered by Visa Zero Liability Protection.
- Each debit card has a default maximum daily card transaction limit of $7,000, but account owners can set custom daily and monthly spending limits (and ATM withdrawal limits) per cardholder.
- Positive Pay: Not available on any plan.
- ACH Debit Block: Not available on any plan.
- Overdraft/NSF fees: Not charged on any plan. Transactions attempted without sufficient available funds are returned rather than paid.

### Account Management
- Businesses can open multiple checking accounts under a single business relationship at no per-account fee: up to 20 on Starter and Grow, and up to 50 on Scale. Money can be distributed automatically between accounts using fixed dollar amounts or percentages.
- Relay Savings is a separate, optional interest-bearing sub-account offered alongside Relay Business Checking. Its interest rate is gated by subscription plan: Starter earns 1.11% APY, Grow earns 1.75% APY, and Scale earns 3.00% APY, variable, as of 5/1/2026. The checking account itself does not earn interest.
- Bill creation, intake, and management is included on every plan: bills can be captured and tracked for payment through Relay's dashboard.
- Multi-step bill approval rules are included on every plan, allowing bill payments to require sign-off from more than one team member before they are sent.
- Customizable bookkeeping automation, spend approval requests, and batch vendor payments are available on Grow and Scale (not Starter) — see Plans & Pricing below.
- Automated bill payment is exclusive to Scale, going beyond the multi-step approval rules included on every plan.

### Cards & ATM
- Relay Visa® Debit Card, issued by Thread Bank, Member FDIC, under license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Includes Visa Zero Liability Protection. Physical and virtual debit cards can both be issued (virtual cards instantly); up to 50 virtual/plastic debit cards can be issued per cardholder per checking account, with individual spending controls per employee card.
- Customizable cards with spend policies are available on every plan: individual debit cards can be issued with their own spend-policy rules for bill and expense payments.
- Fee-free cash withdrawals at over 55,000 Allpoint ATMs nationwide; cash deposits are also supported for free at participating Allpoint+ ATM locations (instant availability if deposited before 3:00 PM ET). Out-of-network ATM fees are not reimbursed by Relay. Physical debit cards carry a default $1,000 per-card ATM withdrawal limit.
- Relay also offers an optional business credit card (a separate credit product from Business Checking, up to 5 cards per cardholder per credit account) whose cash back rate is unlocked by the Business Checking subscription plan: Starter earns 1% cash back, Grow earns 1.25% cash back, and Scale earns 1.5% cash back.

### Platform Integrations
- Direct sync with QuickBooks Online and Xero, providing detailed banking data, standardized vendor data, and auto-categorization for card purchases, plus receipt capture and storage.
- Gusto payroll integration includes shortfall warnings to help ensure sufficient funds are available before payroll runs.
- Plaid and Yodlee connectivity enables linking Relay accounts to third-party tools including Wave, FreshBooks, Expensify, and Venmo.
- Payout tracking from payment processors including PayPal, Stripe, and Square.
- Payment request links, invoice creation and tracking, and automated payment follow-ups are included on every plan, letting businesses get paid directly through Relay.
- Recurring invoices, auto-charge card on file, and card processing surcharging are available on Grow and Scale (not Starter) — see Plans & Pricing below.

## Plans & Pricing

### Starter (default plan) — $0/month
- No monthly subscription fee.
- Relay Savings APY: 1.11% (variable, as of 5/1/2026).
- Business credit card cash back: 1%.
- Max checking sub-accounts: 20.
- Same-Day ACH fee: $5.00/transaction.
- Outgoing domestic wire: $8.00. Outgoing international wire: $25.00 (SWIFT) / $5.00 (Local Network).
- Bookkeeping: default categorization only (no customizable bookkeeping automation).
- Spend approval requests: Not available. Batch vendor payments: Not available. Automated bill payment: Not available (multi-step approval only).
- Recurring invoices: Not available (one-time invoices and payment links only). Auto-charge card on file: Not available. Card processing surcharging: Not available.
- Cash flow insights and forecasts: Not available. Partner offers (Xero, Engine, etc.): Not available. Priority phone/email support: Not available.

### Grow — $30/month
- No published balance- or spend-based waiver condition.
- Relay Savings APY: 1.75% (variable, as of 5/1/2026).
- Business credit card cash back: 1.25%.
- Max checking sub-accounts: 20.
- Same-Day ACH fee: $3.00/transaction.
- Outgoing domestic wire: $5.00. Outgoing international wire: $22.00 (SWIFT) / $3.00 (Local Network).
- Bookkeeping: customizable bookkeeping automation available, beyond Starter's default categorization.
- Spend approval requests: Available. Batch vendor payments: Available. Automated bill payment: Not available (multi-step approval only, same as Starter).
- Recurring invoices: Available. Auto-charge card on file: Available. Card processing surcharging: Available.
- Cash flow insights and forecasts: Not available (Scale exclusive). Partner offers (Xero, Engine, etc.): Not available (Scale exclusive). Priority phone/email support: Not available (Scale exclusive).

### Scale — $90/month (discounted from a $120/month list price, limited-time promotional rate)
- No published balance- or spend-based waiver condition.
- Relay Savings APY: 3.00% (variable, as of 5/1/2026).
- Business credit card cash back: 1.5%.
- Max checking sub-accounts: 50.
- Same-Day ACH fee: First 10 transactions/month free, then $1.00/transaction.
- Outgoing domestic wire: $5.00. Outgoing international wire: $20.00 (SWIFT) / $1.50 (Local Network).
- Bookkeeping: customizable bookkeeping automation available, beyond Starter's default categorization.
- Spend approval requests: Available. Batch vendor payments: Available. Automated bill payment: Available (exclusive to Scale) — goes beyond the multi-step approval rules included on every plan.
- Recurring invoices: Available. Auto-charge card on file: Available. Card processing surcharging: Available.
- Cash flow insights and forecasts: Available (exclusive to Scale). Partner offers (Xero, Engine, and others): Available (exclusive to Scale). Priority phone/email support: Available (exclusive to Scale).

## Fee Schedule

| Fee Type | Amount | Notes |
|----------|--------|-------|
| Monthly Maintenance | $0 (Starter) | Grow $30/mo, Scale $90/mo — see Plans & Pricing above |
| Overdraft | $0 | No overdraft or NSF fees; transactions returned rather than paid |
| Excess Transaction / Foreign ATM | $0 (Allpoint, domestic) | Out-of-network/international ATM fees are set by the operator, not published or reimbursed by Relay |
| Domestic Wire (Outgoing) | $8.00 (Starter) / $5.00 (Grow, Scale) | See Plans & Pricing above |
| Domestic Wire (Incoming) | $5.00 | Uniform across all plans |
| International Wire (Outgoing) | $25.00 SWIFT / $5.00 Local Network (Starter) | Cheaper on Grow ($22/$3) and Scale ($20/$1.50) |
| International Wire (Incoming) | $5.00 | Uniform across all plans |
| Cash Deposit | $0 (Allpoint+ ATMs) | Up to $4.95/deposit at Green Dot Network retail locations (fee set by the retail partner, not Relay) |
| Stop Payment | $10.00 | Flat fee, uniform across all plans |
| Card Replacement | $0 | Not published as chargeable; Relay markets no hidden fees |
| Foreign Transaction | 1% of transaction amount | Applies to foreign-currency transactions, may stack with wire fees |

## Eligibility

- LLC
- S-Corp
- C-Corp
- Sole Proprietorship
- Partnership
- Nonprofit
- U.S.-based business required

## Who Is This Account Best For?

### Solo Freelancers and New Sole Props Who Want a Genuinely Free Account With a Built-In Savings Habit (Starter Plan)
A freelance consultant or newly registered sole proprietorship running a modest number of transactions a month that wants a $0/month checking account with no minimum opening deposit and no overdraft fees. The Starter plan's linked Relay Savings sub-account pays 1.11% APY with no separate account-opening step, and every swipe on the optional Relay business credit card earns 1% cash back — giving a cost-conscious solo operator a fee-free way to start earning yield and rewards from day one.

### Growing Service Businesses Running Payroll Who Want Sub-Accounts and a Meaningfully Higher Savings Rate (Grow Plan)
An LLC or S-Corp with a handful of employees running payroll through the Gusto integration that has outgrown a single operating account. The $30/month Grow plan supports up to 20 checking sub-accounts for budgeting payroll, taxes, and vendor payments separately, cuts Same-Day ACH to $3/transaction and domestic wires to $5, raises the linked Relay Savings rate to 1.75% APY, and adds bookkeeping and payables automation not on Starter — customizable bookkeeping rules, spend approval requests, batch vendor payments, recurring invoices, and auto-charge card on file.

### Established Businesses and Nonprofits With Higher Transaction Volume Who Want Maximum Yield and Rewards (Scale Plan)
An established business or nonprofit processing frequent Same-Day ACH payments and holding a larger idle cash balance. The $90/month Scale plan (discounted from a $120 list price) makes the first 10 Same-Day ACH transactions each month free, drops international wires to as little as $1.50 via Relay's Local Network, supports up to 50 checking sub-accounts, unlocks the top tier on both sides of Relay's rewards ladder (3.00% APY on linked Relay Savings and 1.5% cash back on the optional business credit card), and adds four benefits exclusive to Scale: automated bill payment, cash flow insights and forecasts, special partner offers (Xero, Engine, and others), and faster phone/email support.

## Bancadia Verdict

Choose Relay Business Checking if you want a genuinely no-fee checking account — the Starter plan has no monthly fee, no minimum deposit, and no overdraft charges — with a clear, transparent upgrade path to a higher-yield linked savings sub-account (up to 3.00% APY), richer credit card cash back (up to 1.5%), and a deeper bookkeeping/payables automation layer (customizable categorization, spend approval, batch payments, recurring invoicing, and — on Scale only — automated bill payment and cash flow forecasting) as transaction volume and cash balances grow. It is not the right fit for businesses that need FedNow or RTP Network real-time payments, positive pay, or ACH debit block, none of which Relay supports on any plan, or that want interest paid directly on the checking balance itself rather than through a separate linked savings sub-account.

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*Data sourced directly from Relay Financial Technologies Inc. Last verified: July 10, 2026.*
*Bancadia earns a commission if you open an account through our links. This does not affect our editorial assessment.*