Relay physical debit cards typically arrive in 8-10 business days. If yours is late, the common causes are an outdated mailing address or a card lost in transit.
How long should a Relay debit card take to arrive?
A Relay Visa® Debit Card takes 8-10 business days to arrive by mail once it has been created in the Relay app. The 8-10 day count starts the day the card is issued, not the day the Relay Account is opened. Weekends and U.S. federal holidays do not count as business days.
How can I check my card's shipping status in the Relay app?
Open the Relay app or web dashboard, go to the Cards tab, and select the card in question. The card details view shows:
The date the card was created
The shipping destination address
The expected delivery window
Live parcel tracking is not currently available, so the card details view is the fastest way to confirm shipping details and rule out the most common causes of a delay.
If your card is still within the 8-10 business day window
No action is required. Recount from the card's creation date shown in the Cards tab, and skip weekends and U.S. federal holidays. Business days can add up faster than expected around U.S. holidays, so a card ordered late in a week with a holiday in it can legitimately take the full 10 days.
If a card is needed sooner, a virtual Relay Visa® Debit Card can be created right away (see below).
If your mailing address is out of date
Check the shipping address shown in the Cards tab against the current business mailing address. If they don't match, the card has likely gone to an old address.
Two steps to fix:
Update the mailing address on the Relay Account in Settings.
Request a new physical Relay Visa® Debit Card from the Cards tab.
The original card cannot be redirected mid-transit, so a replacement is the only path once the card has already shipped to the wrong address. Replacement cards also take 8-10 business days.
If your card looks lost in transit
If more than 10 business days have passed since the card was created and it still has not arrived, treat the card as lost in transit and request a replacement.
To request a replacement:
Open the Cards tab in the Relay app.
Select the missing card.
Choose "Replace card" and confirm the shipping address.
The replacement card also takes 8-10 business days. Lost-in-transit cards cannot be used until they are activated inside the Relay app, so there is no fraud risk from a card that never arrived and was never activated (see the security section below).
If you need a card right away
A virtual Relay Visa® Debit Card is available immediately in the Relay app and can be used the moment it's created. Virtual cards work for:
Online purchases (enter the virtual card number at checkout)
Apple Pay and Google Pay for tap-to-pay at most in-person merchants
Recurring subscriptions and bill pay
Virtual cards are included with every Relay Account, and there is no cap on how many can be created. Issuing a virtual card does not affect the physical card that is already on its way.
Can Relay ship a debit card outside the U.S.?
Relay debit cards can only be shipped to addresses inside the United States. International shipping is not available at this time. If the mailing address on the Relay Account is outside the U.S., the physical card will not be sent, and a U.S. mailing address is required before a physical card can be ordered.
Is a card lost in the mail a security risk?
No. A Relay Visa® Debit Card cannot be used until it has been activated by the account holder inside the Relay app. A card intercepted or lost in the mail cannot be used to make purchases or withdraw money before activation.
If a card has been marked lost or stolen after it was activated, freeze or terminate the card immediately from the Cards tab and request a replacement.
Still waiting on your card?
If the 8-10 business day window has passed, the mailing address is correct, and a replacement card has already been requested without success, contact the Relay Customer Experience team. Have the card creation date and the shipping address on the Relay Account ready so the team can trace the shipment.
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If this article did not fully answer your question, our Customer Experience team is here to help.