Relay’s Card on File feature lets your clients securely save a credit or debit card so you can automatically charge them for future invoices or payment requests. This helps you get paid faster and avoid manual follow-up.
Who can use Card on File?
Card on File is available to businesses on Relay’s Grow and Scale plans. It’s not included in the Starter plan.
Getting started
Request a saved card from Contacts
Use this when you want a card on file before you send an invoice or payment request.
Go to Invoices → Contacts
Find the customer in the table
In the Saved card on file column, select Send a request
Your customer receives an email and can log in to their secure billing portal to add and authorize a card
Tip: You can also send the same request from the Edit contact view.
Or if allowing your customer to pay by card:
If your customer is paying an invoice or payment request, they can choose “Save this card for future payments.” Once they do, you can charge their card on file next time.
If a charge fails
If the automatic charge doesn’t go through, Relay will:
- Email the client a secure payment request link.
- Mark the invoice as Failed in your dashboard.
Security and compliance
- All card data is encrypted and tokenized by Adyen (PCI DSS Level 1).
- Relay never stores or sees full card numbers.
- Only one card per client can be saved at a time.
Managing saved cards
- Clients can update or remove their saved card anytime through their secure payment link.
- To keep auto-payments active, they’ll need to save a new card the next time they pay.
Client notifications
- Upcoming charge email before auto-payment.
- Payment confirmation email after a successful charge.
- Failed charge email with a fallback payment link.
Fees and timelines
Card on File uses Relay’s standard card processing rates and settlement timelines. There are no additional fees for saving a card or charging it automatically.
Can I request a saved card without sending an invoice or payment request?
Yes. You can send a Card on File request anytime from the Contacts table or the Edit contact view. Your customer will receive an email to log in to their secure billing portal and authorize a card.
What does my customer see when I request a card?
They receive an email with a secure link to their billing portal. After logging in, they can add and authorize a card for future payments.
When will Relay charge the card on file?
Relay will automatically charge the saved card the day after an invoice is issued or the day after a payment request is created (when you choose to charge the card on file).
What happens if an automatic charge fails?
Relay will email the customer a secure payment link and mark the invoice as Failed in your dashboard.
Can customers update or remove their saved card?
Yes. Customers can update or remove their saved card anytime through their secure billing portal link. To keep auto-payments active, they’ll need to authorize a new card before future charges.
How many cards can be saved per customer?
Only one card per customer can be saved at a time.
Is there an extra fee to use Card on File?
No. Card on File uses Relay’s standard card processing rates and settlement timelines. There are no additional fees to save a card or charge it automatically.
Related articles
- Creating an Invoice in Relay
- Tracking and Managing Invoice Status in Relay
- Payment Requests: Paying a Payment Request