Relay lets you organize your money into multiple checking and savings accounts so you can budget, separate funds, and manage cash flow the way your business needs.
Relay supports multiple checking and savings accounts. On most plans, you can open up to 20 checking accounts (with different limits for Sole Proprietorships), and businesses on the Scale plan can open up to 50 checking accounts. All plans support up to 2 savings accounts per business. For details, see Checking & savings account limits below.
Default accounts: Once your business is approved, Relay automatically creates one Business Checking account and one Business Savings account for you. These are simply default nicknames and can be changed at any time.
Once your account is up and running, you can:
- Add new checking or savings accounts (within your plan’s limits)
- Give each account a unique nickname (for example: “Taxes,” “Payroll,” “Operating,” “Emergency Savings”)
- Edit nicknames and team member access as your needs change
For a savings-only deep dive, you can also review: How Relay's savings accounts work
How to create a new checking or savings account
- Sign in to your Relay account.
- Navigate to the Accounts tab.
- Click Add account next to your existing accounts.
-
Give your new account a unique nickname (for example, “Payroll
Checking” or “Taxes Savings”) and choose the
Account Type:
- Checking Account – for everyday payments, bills, and cash flow
- Savings Account – for setting aside funds and saving toward specific goals
- Select the team members who should have access to the account. Administrators have access by default.
- Click Create account.
- On the confirmation screen, you can start moving money into your new account right away, or click Done and fund it later.
- Sign in to the Relay app on your mobile device.
- Navigate to the Accounts tab.
- Tap the plus (+) button at the top-right corner of your screen.
-
Enter a unique nickname for your new account and select the
Account Type:
- Checking Account
- Savings Account
- Tap Continue.
- Choose the team members who should have access to the account. Administrators have access by default.
- Tap Continue. On the confirmation screen, tap Got it. You can then move money into the new account, or fund it later.
How to edit a checking or savings account
- Sign in to your Relay account.
- Navigate to the Accounts tab.
- Click on the checking or savings account you want to edit.
- Click the three vertical dots at the top-right corner.
- Click Edit.
- Update your account nickname and adjust the team members who have access as needed, then save your changes.
- Sign in to the Relay app on your mobile device.
- Navigate to the Accounts tab.
- Tap on the checking or savings account you wish to edit.
- Tap the three vertical dots at the top-right corner.
- Tap Edit account name.
- Enter your preferred account nickname, then tap Save.
If you want to delete a checking or savings account instead of editing it, see: Deleting a checking or savings account.
Checking & savings account limits
Checking account limits vary by subscription plan.
Relay’s account limits depend on your business type and subscription tier:
- Relay Starter & Relay Grow plans: Up to 20 checking accounts per business.
- Relay Scale plan: Up to 50 checking accounts per business.
- Sole Proprietorships: Up to 10 checking accounts, regardless of plan.
Savings account limits: All plans — including Starter, Grow, and Scale — support a maximum of 2 savings accounts per business.
| Account type | Starter plan | Grow plan | Scale plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checking accounts | 20 accounts per business | 20 accounts per business | 50 accounts per business |
| Savings accounts | 2 accounts per business | 2 accounts per business | 2 accounts per business |
These limits cannot be increased beyond the caps listed above.
Permission levels
User permissions still apply to each team member’s access to your checking and savings accounts:
- If a user has Read-Only status, they can view balances and activity for the accounts they are assigned, but cannot move money.
- If a user is an Administrator, they will have full access to send payments, transfer money, view statements, and manage accounts (within the limits of your business’s settings).
When you assign account access in the “Add account” or “Edit” views, you’re choosing which specific checking and savings accounts each team member can see and use, based on their global role. For more information, view: Team member permissions
Integrations
If you change the nickname of an account in Relay and you have an integration connected (such as Xero or QuickBooks), you may need to manually update the account name in your accounting software so that your books stay consistent.
Checking and savings account nicknames typically do not re-sync automatically after the first connection, so it’s a good idea to:
- Rename the account in Relay
- Then, rename the corresponding account in Xero or QuickBooks to match
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a checking account and a savings account in Relay?
In Relay, checking accounts are designed for day-to-day business activity like paying bills, running payroll, and sending transfers. Savings accounts are intended for setting aside money for specific goals or buffers, such as taxes, emergency funds, or upcoming expenses.
How many checking and savings accounts can I have?
On Starter and Grow plans, you can open up to 20 checking accounts per business. On the Scale plan, you can open up to 50 checking accounts. Sole Proprietorships can open up to 10 checking accounts, regardless of plan.
Across all plans, you can have up to 2 savings accounts per business.
Can I have more than 20 checking accounts?
Yes. Businesses on Relay’s Scale subscription tier can create up to 50 checking accounts.
On Starter and Grow plans, the limit is 20 checking accounts per business, and Sole Proprietorships can create up to 10 checking accounts.
Savings accounts remain limited to 2 per business on all subscription plans.
Can I change a checking account into a savings account (or vice versa)?
You can update an account’s nickname and user access at any time, but the underlying account type (checking vs. savings) is set when the account is created and cannot be changed later. If you need a different type, create a new account of the correct type and move funds over.
Can I delete a checking or savings account?
Yes. If an account is no longer needed, you may be able to close it from within Relay, as long as it meets the applicable requirements (for example, having a $0 balance). For step-by-step instructions, see: Deleting a checking or savings account.
Do permission levels apply separately to each account?
Yes. A user’s global role (such as Read-Only or Administrator) defines what they can do, while each account’s access settings define which checking and savings accounts they can actually see and use. For more information, view: Team member permissions
What happens to my integrations if I rename an account?
Renaming an account in Relay does not automatically rename it in Xero or QuickBooks. To avoid confusion, update the account name in your accounting software to match the new nickname in Relay after you make changes.