Link an external U.S. bank account to Relay through Plaid to add money to your Relay checking or savings account. Setup takes about two minutes on web or mobile.
What you need before you start
A U.S.-based external bank account (Plaid does not support international institutions)
Your online banking login credentials for that external account
Access to your Relay account with permissions to add and manage accounts
What is Plaid, and why does Relay use it?
Plaid is a secure connection service that lets Relay link to your external bank account without storing your online banking password. Relay uses Plaid so you can move money between accounts without manually entering account and routing numbers each time.
How do I connect an external bank account on the web?
Add the external account from the Accounts tab in five steps.
Sign in to your Relay account on the web.
Go to the Accounts tab and select External accounts from the drop-down menu.
Click + Connect external bank account.
In the Plaid window, click Continue, then choose your external financial institution.
Follow the remaining on-screen prompts to sign in with your online banking credentials and finish linking the account.
How do I connect an external bank account on the mobile app?
Add the external account from the Add Money flow in the Relay mobile app.
Sign in to the Relay app on your mobile device.
Tap Add Money.
Choose the Relay checking account you want to add money to.
Enter the amount you want to add, then tap Next.
Under External bank accounts, select Securely connect your account.
Choose your external financial institution from the list (or search for it), then follow the prompts to sign in and finish linking the account.
Once the account is linked, you can start moving money into Relay. See Adding funds from an external bank account for the next step.
What if my bank is not listed in Plaid?
If your external bank does not appear in Plaid, it is not supported for automated linking. You can still add money to your Relay account using one of these methods:
Send yourself an ACH transfer from your external account
Send yourself a domestic wire from your external account
Deposit a check through the Relay mobile app
Deposit cash at a supported location
Only U.S. bank accounts can be connected through Plaid. To move money in from an international institution, use an international wire.
How do I remove a linked external account?
Remove a linked external account from the External accounts section of your Relay account. For the full walkthrough, see Removing an external bank account.
Common issues
Your bank is not showing in the Plaid list. Search for the exact institution name. If it still does not appear, the bank is not supported by Plaid — fund your account by ACH, wire, check, or cash instead.
Plaid asks for a security code or two-factor prompt. Complete the prompt using the method your external bank uses (SMS code, authenticator app, or security questions). Plaid passes the response to the bank without storing it.
The link fails after you enter credentials. Confirm the credentials work by signing in to your external bank directly, then retry. Repeated failures usually mean the bank has temporarily blocked third-party access.
You linked the wrong account. Remove the linked account from the External accounts section and reconnect the correct one.
The connected account is not showing available to fund from. Refresh the Accounts tab. If it still is not showing after a few minutes, remove and reconnect the account.
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