Relay gives you two ways to request and receive money: Invoices and Payment Requests. Both tools live under the Get Paid tab in your Relay dashboard, and each offers flexible ways to bill clients, depending on your needs.
Where these tools live in Relay
From your Relay dashboard, go to the Get Paid tab:
- Click Payment Requests to send a simple, secure request for payment
- Click Invoices to create a professional, line-item invoice that you can send with or without a payment link
Both tools allow you to request payment and track status in real-time—but Invoices offer more customization and formatting.
What is an Invoice?
Invoices in Relay are professional, branded billing documents. You can:
- Add line items, taxes, and discounts
- Include your business name, logo, and contact info
- Attach supporting documents (up to 5 files)
- Send with or without a payment request link
- Export as a PDF to send outside Relay
Invoices are ideal when you need to present a detailed bill or maintain a formal paper trail.
What is a Payment Request?
Payment Requests are a fast, no-frills way to collect payment. You can:
- Enter the total amount, due date, and memo
- Choose accepted payment methods (card, ACH, wire, bank debit)
- Attach up to 5 supporting documents
- Send by email or copy a secure payment link
This is the best choice when you want to collect payment quickly without building an itemized invoice.
When to use each option
| Use Case | Invoice | Payment Request |
| You need to send a branded document with line items | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| You want to get paid quickly with minimal steps | ❌ Optional | ✅ Yes |
| You need to apply tax or discount calculations | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| You want to attach supporting documents | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| You want to send a simple payment link | ✅ (optional) | ✅ Yes |
| You need to export a PDF for offline use | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| You want to avoid creating full invoices for small payments | ❌ | ✅ Yes |
How they work together
Invoices and Payment Requests are fully integrated in Relay. You can:
- Create and send an invoice as a Payment Request to collect payment directly
- Create and export an invoice as a PDF without requesting payment
- Or send a standalone Payment Request without building an invoice at all
Every option helps you manage receivables in a way that fits your business.
Fees and timelines
When collecting payments using either method, transaction fees apply based on your Relay plan:
| Plan | Credit/Debit Card | Pay by Bank (ACH Debit) | ACH Transfer | Wire Transfer |
| Starter | 2.9% + $0.30 | 1.00% | Free | $5 per incoming wire |
| Grow | 2.5% + $0.25 | 0.75% | Free | $5 per incoming wire |
| Scale | 2.2% + $0.20 | 0.50% | Free | $5 per incoming wire |
Processing timelines:
- Card and bank debit: 2–3 business days
- ACH or Wire: 1–2 business days
Learn more: Payment Requests: Processing Fees, Settlement Timelines & Limits
Related articles
- Creating an Invoice in Relay
- Sending an Invoice as a Payment Request
- Exporting an Invoice as a PDF
- Sending a Payment Request in Relay
- Paying a Payment Request
- Getting Started with Payment Requests
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