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Accepting Card Payments on Relay

UpdatedAugust 11, 2026

Relay lets you accept online card payments from customers through Quick Requests and Invoices, with the money landing straight in your Relay Account.

Who is this for?

Card payment acceptance on Relay fits owners who bill customers online and want the payment landing in the same place they do their banking.

  • Freelancers invoicing clients for project work

  • Service providers billing recurring or one-off engagements

  • Small business owners collecting deposits, retainers, or ad hoc payments

  • Businesses that want billing and banking in the same view

How does card payment acceptance work?

You send a customer a secure payment link through a Quick Request or an Invoice, the customer enters their card details, and the payment lands in your Relay Account.

  1. Choose the tool: a Quick Request for a one-off ad hoc payment, or an Invoice for a formal, itemized bill.

  2. Enter the amount, customer details, and description.

  3. Send the payment link by email or share it directly with your customer.

  4. The customer pays online with a card.

  5. The payment settles into your Relay Account on the standard processing schedule.

Card payment acceptance is a non-deposit product. Not insured by the FDIC. Not a deposit. May lose value.

What's included and what isn't?

Included:

  • Online card payments through Quick Requests and Invoices

  • Secure payment links you send to your customers

  • Direct settlement into your Relay Account

Not included:

  • In-person card swipes, tap-to-pay, or chip transactions

  • Physical card readers or terminals

  • Countertop or handheld point-of-sale hardware

Can I use Relay alongside a POS system or other processor?

Yes. Use a physical POS solution like Stripe or Square for in-person checkout, and connect Relay to receive payouts. Continue with your current merchant processor for card-present sales, and use Relay's Invoices and Quick Requests for card-not-present billing.

What fees and settlement timelines apply?

Card payment fees, per-transaction limits, and settlement timelines are documented in the canonical pricing article at Invoices & Quick Requests: Processing Fees, Settlement Timelines, Limits.

Talk to our Customer Experience team

If this article did not fully answer your question, our Customer Experience team is here to help.

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Relay is a financial technology company and is not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Thread Bank, Member FDIC.