Enable third-party check support to write and send physical checks from your Relay checking accounts using a checkbook you order from an approved third-party vendor.
What you need before you start
A Relay checking account with a balance of at least $100 (savings accounts are not eligible)
Business Owner permissions on the Relay account (only Business Owners can enable or disable third-party check support)
One or more team members ready to serve as check admins, each holding Administrator or Super Administrator permissions on the relevant checking account
How do I enable third-party check support?
You can enable check writing on one or more checking accounts at the same time. Here's how:
Sign in to your Relay account on your desktop.
Go to the Payments tab, select Checks Dashboard, and click Continue.
Select the checking account or accounts you want to enable for check writing. Only checking accounts are eligible — savings accounts can't be used. Use Select All to enable every eligible account at once.
Review the account information for each account you selected. You'll need to provide this to the checkbook vendor. Click Continue.
Review the Check-Writing Limits, which apply across all of your enabled accounts combined, and click Continue.
Review the security measures and approval threshold, then click Continue. You can learn more about the approval threshold below.
For each account, select the team members you want to assign as check admins from the drop-down menu. Only team members with Administrator permissions, or advisors with Super Administrator permissions, can be assigned as check admins.
Select your notification preference for each account. Check admins receive a notification when a third-party check is deposited on their assigned account.
Click Enable check-writing.
Review your check-writing details on your Check Dashboard
Which accounts qualify for third-party checks?
Only Relay checking accounts qualify. Savings accounts cannot be enabled for third-party check writing. Each checking account must hold a minimum balance of $100 to remain eligible.
What are the default check-writing limits?
The default limits are pooled across every checking account you enable for third-party checks:
$20,000 per check
$50,000 per day
$50,000 per month
Up to 100 checks per month
Because the limits are pooled, activity across all enabled accounts counts against the same monthly total.
When does a third-party check need admin approval?
Checks of $2,000 or more require a check admin's approval before they clear. Checks below $2,000 clear automatically without admin action.
If a check meeting or exceeding the $2,000 threshold has not been approved by 11:50 AM ET the following business day, it will not clear. Admins receive a notification with a link to review any check that needs approval.
Who can be a check admin?
A check admin must hold Administrator or Super Administrator permissions on the specific checking account they are approving checks for. Admins are assigned per account rather than across the whole business, and any assigned admin can approve a check independently.
How do check admins get notified?
Check admins can receive email, SMS, or both when a third-party check is deposited on an account they are assigned to. Notification preferences are set per admin, per account, when you enable third-party check support or update the account's settings later.
Notifications for checks at or above the $2,000 approval threshold include a link to review and approve the check before the 11:50 AM ET next-business-day cutoff.
Does Relay charge a fee to enable third-party check support?
Relay does not add its own fee when you enable third-party check support or when a check payment is processed. The third-party vendor charges you separately for printing and shipping the checkbook.
Common issues
You cannot find the option to enable third-party checks. Confirm you are signed in as a Business Owner. Only Business Owners can enable or disable third-party check support.
The account you want to use is not listed. Third-party check support is available on checking accounts only. Savings accounts cannot be enabled.
You cannot assign a team member as a check admin. The team member must hold Administrator or Super Administrator permissions on the specific checking account you want them to approve checks for.
A check for $2,000 or more did not clear. Checks at or above $2,000 need admin approval by 11:50 AM ET the following business day. If no admin approved it in time, the check will not clear and must be re-issued.
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