Individual cards on Relay are assigned to one team member for expense tracking. Shared cards are used by multiple people, with one designated Cardholder responsible for disputes.
Who this is for
Business owners issuing Relay Visa® Debit Cards to team members or contractors
Administrators setting up per-employee cards for accountability
Teams that want each transaction tied to one person for expense tracking
Businesses that share a single card across a department or utility (fuel, software subscriptions, office expenses)
How individual and shared cards work
An individual card is assigned to one specific team member, with that person listed as the Cardholder. A shared card is designated for a purpose or department, with one authorized Cardholder attached to handle any disputed transactions.
Key mechanics:
Both card types are Relay Visa® Debit Cards, issued by Thread Bank, Member FDIC
Every card requires one designated Cardholder
The Cardholder is the person Visa contacts about disputed transactions on that card
You can customize the card's second line to indicate the team member's name or the card's purpose
Card ownership cannot be changed after the card is created
What's included with each card type
Individual cards:
Assigned to one team member for personal accountability
The assigned Cardholder can view and manage only that card and its transactions
Each transaction ties back to one person, which simplifies expense tracking
Shared cards:
Meant for use across multiple team members within a defined purpose or department
One Cardholder is still required, and that person handles any Visa disputes
Best for department-level or utility-style spending where more than one person needs access
Who can view and manage each card
Access depends on the permission level assigned to each team member in your Relay account:
Administrators and Managers have full visibility and control over every card on the account, both individual and shared
Cardholders can view and manage only the cards they are designated as the Cardholder on, plus the related transactions
Team members without a card-related permission have no card access until an Administrator invites them and assigns Cardholder, Manager, or Administrator permission
To give a new team member access to a card, invite them to your Relay account first and assign the appropriate permission level.
Can I change who owns a card after it's been created?
No. Card ownership cannot be changed once a card has been created. If you need to reassign, create a new card in the Relay app, designate the new team member as the Cardholder, and freeze or terminate the original card.
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