Relay does not offer overdraft protection. Transactions that would exceed your available balance are declined at authorization, and no overdraft or NSF fee is charged.
How does Relay handle insufficient funds?
If a transaction would take your Relay Account below your available balance, the transaction is declined at authorization and returned. Your account cannot go negative, so there is nothing to cover after the fact and nothing to bill you for.
This applies to every outbound money movement: debit card purchases, ACH sends, wires, checks, bill payments, and scheduled or recurring transfers.
Are there overdraft or NSF fees on a Relay Account?
No. Relay does not charge an overdraft fee, an NSF (non-sufficient funds) fee, or a returned-item fee when a transaction is declined for insufficient funds. Because the transaction never posts, there is no shortfall to bill for.
Who does this apply to?
This policy applies to every Relay customer:
Small business owners using a Relay checking account
Cardholders using a Relay Visa® Debit Card
Anyone sending an ACH, wire, check, or scheduled payment from a Relay Account
Team members and advisors with payment permissions on a Relay Account
What's covered and what isn't?
Included on every Relay Account:
Declined transactions when your available balance is not enough to cover them
No overdraft, NSF, or returned-item fee on those declines
The option to link a backup account to your Relay Visa® Debit Card so debit purchases can pull from a secondary funding source
Not included on any Relay Account:
Traditional overdraft protection that lets a transaction go through and creates a negative balance
Overdraft lines of credit
Automatic sweeps from an external account to cover an overdraft
How can I avoid a declined transaction?
You have three practical options:
Check your available balance in the Relay web or mobile app before authorizing a large payment or purchase.
Move money into the account from another Relay checking or savings account. Internal transfers between Relay accounts are typically immediate.
Set up a backup account for your Relay Visa® Debit Card so debit purchases can pull from a secondary account when the primary account balance is insufficient.
What is a backup account for a Relay Visa® Debit Card?
A backup account is a second Relay checking or savings account you link to your Relay Visa® Debit Card. If a debit purchase would exceed the balance in your primary account, the purchase pulls from the linked backup account instead of being declined. For step-by-step setup, see the How to Set Up a Backup Account for Your Debit Card article.
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