Relay Business Checking
Startup / Profit First multi-account checking — $0 Starter, up to 20 checking buckets, QBO/Xero sync; no APY on checking
Costs & Fees
Monthly maintenance: Starter $0; Grow $30; Scale $90 limited-time (list $120). Paid plans billed from designated checking account.
Fee waiver: No balance waivers — Grow/Scale are subscriptions, not waivable by balance
Transaction fees: No per-item checking cap published. Unlimited standard ACH and digital items. Same-day ACH extra: $1 Starter / $0.50 Grow / included Scale.
Overdraft/NSF: $0 overdraft fees; transactions that would overdraw decline. Optional backup account internal pull (not a priced OD product).
ATM fees: Allpoint in-network $0 Relay fee. Out-of-network owner surcharge not rebated. Allpoint+ cash deposit $1,000/txn; cash withdrawal $400/txn.
Wire/ACH: Incoming domestic: $5 (Aug 2026 official table). Outgoing domestic: $8 Starter / $5 Grow / $5 Scale. Incoming intl: typically $0. Outgoing intl Local Network $5/$3/$1.50; SWIFT $25/$22/$20. Standard ACH in/out: $0.
Cash deposit: Relay $0. Allpoint+ ATM $1,000/txn. Green Dot retail: retailer fee up to $4.95; typical cap $500/txn, $1,500/day.
Interest & Yields
Checking APY: None — non-interest-bearing checking
Savings APY: Plan-tiered on up to 2 savings accounts: Starter 1.11%, Grow 1.75%, Scale 3.00% APY (as of 2026-05-01). Variable; savings cannot originate ACH/wires.
FDIC coverage: Standard FDIC $250,000 per depositor per ownership category at Thread Bank — combined across all Relay sub-accounts
Access, Features & Tools
Access
Branch/ATM: No branches. Allpoint network (32k–55k+ cited). Cash deposit at Allpoint+ only ($1k/txn). Green Dot retail.
Mobile app: iOS ~4.8; Android ~4.5 (~3.5k / ~1.1k reviews per 2026 aggregators)
Cash deposits: Allpoint+ ATMs ($1,000/txn) and Green Dot retail (up to $4.95 retailer fee). No branch vault.
Features
Invoicing/bill pay: Invoice creation all plans. Recurring/branded invoices, auto-charge, client surcharging on Grow/Scale. Bill Pay Starter; multi-step approvals and batch payments Grow+.
Virtual cards: Included — physical + virtual Visa debit with freeze, limits, spend policies
International: USD ledger only. Incoming intl wires (Local Network EUR/GBP/CAD or SWIFT). Nonprofits cannot send/receive intl wires.
Integrations
- ✓ QuickBooks Online native bank feed (all plans)
- ✓ Xero native bank feed (all plans)
- ✓ Gusto payroll connection
Limits & Requirements
Opening deposit: $0
Minimum balance: $0 ongoing; Grow/Scale billing account must hold plan fee on bill date
Eligibility: U.S.-registered sole prop, LLC, C-corp, S-corp, partnership, nonprofit. Not supported: personal, escrow, trusts, Series LLCs, 401(k)s.
Best for: Profit First / multi-account No monthly fee (Starter) QuickBooks / Xero integration Unlimited users Virtual debit cards FDIC sweep up to $3M Startup-friendly
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ Starter $0 with no minimum balance, $0 OD fees, and no per-item checking cap
- ✓ Up to 20 checking accounts (50 on Scale) with auto-transfer rules — rare on free tier
- ✓ Native QuickBooks Online and Xero feeds on all plans including Starter
- ✓ Outbound domestic wires $8/$5/$5 — below typical big-bank $15–$30
- ✓ IntraFi sweep to $3M; Scale savings 3.00% APY; unlimited users and virtual debit cards
Cons
- ✗ Checking earns 0% APY — savings yield is plan-gated and mid-pack at Starter/Grow
- ✗ Mobile check funds can take up to 7 business days
- ✗ Cash deposits via Allpoint+/Green Dot only — retailer fee up to $4.95, low caps
- ✗ Official Aug 2026 table lists $5 incoming domestic wires (conflicts with free-inbound marketing)
- ✗ BaaS structure (Thread Bank); sub-accounts do not multiply $250k FDIC; weekday-only support
Strong Pick (Profit First / digital SMB)
Relay Business Checking is an online SMB platform from Relay Financial Technologies with deposits at Thread Bank, Member FDIC, and IntraFi sweep to $3M. Checking is non-interest-bearing across Starter ($0), Grow ($30), and Scale ($90–$120) plans; savings APY is 1.11%/1.75%/3.00% as of May 1, 2026. Differentiator is operational: up to 20–50 checking buckets with auto-allocation, unlimited users, virtual Visa debits, and native QBO/Xero on Starter. Official Aug 11, 2026 fees: incoming domestic wire $5, outgoing $8/$5/$5, same-day ACH $1/$0.50/included. Weak on cash deposits, check holds (7 days), 0% checking, and BaaS partner-bank structure. Strong for Profit First digital SMBs; weak for cash retail and same-day check users.