You can create a virtual, physical, or temporary virtual Relay Visa® Debit Card from your Relay Account in about three minutes on web or mobile.
What you need before you start
An active Relay Account
The Cardholder role assigned to yourself or any team member who will use a shared card (add or update roles from the Team page first)
A source account, which is the Relay checking account the card draws funds from
An optional backup account, which is a secondary Relay account used only if the source account has insufficient available funds
For a physical card, a US shipping address (Relay only ships debit cards within the United States)
How do I create a debit card on the web?
Sign in to your Relay Account, open the Cards tab, and select Create Card, then follow these steps:
Choose your card type: Relay Visa® Debit Card.
Choose a format: Virtual Card for immediate online use, Physical Card mailed to your business or home address, or Temporary Virtual Card for a virtual card with a set expiration period.
Choose an assignment: Shared Card to share the card with multiple team members or advisors, or Individual Card to assign the card to yourself or one team member. Any user on a shared card must have the Cardholder role.
Assign the primary cardholder.
Select a source account.
Select a backup account (optional).
Set card details: nickname, spending limits, vendor restrictions, and receipt admin settings if expense management is enabled on your account.
For virtual or temporary virtual cards, set a spending limit and choose an expiration period of 14, 30, 60, or 90 days. You can also block international transactions.
Choose a card design: background color and pattern, or a limited-edition pattern when available.
Select Create.
Virtual cards work immediately after creation. Physical cards need to be activated when they arrive.
How do I create a debit card in the mobile app?
Sign in to the Relay mobile app, then tap the Plus (+) button in the top right and follow these steps:
Choose a format: Virtual Card, Temporary Virtual Card, or Physical Card.
Set a card nickname.
Choose Shared Card or Individual Card. Any user on a shared card must have the Cardholder role.
Assign the primary cardholder.
Select a source account. On mobile, this account cannot be changed after the card is created.
Select a backup account (optional).
For a physical card, set the name printed on the card.
Set card details: spending limits, vendor restrictions, and receipt admin settings if applicable.
For virtual or temporary virtual cards, set a spending limit and choose an expiration period of 14, 30, 60, or 90 days. You can also block international transactions.
Choose a card design: background color and pattern, or a limited-edition pattern when available.
Tap Create.
How many Relay debit cards can I issue?
You can issue as many physical and virtual debit cards as you need. Card volume scales with your team size and account structure.
Whose name can appear on the card?
Debit card naming depends on your business entity type:
Sole proprietorships: Debit cards can only be issued in the legal name of the business owner. Cards cannot be created under any DBA (Doing Business As) associated with the sole proprietorship. This applies to cards issued to additional cardholders as well; all cards will display the business owner's legal name.
LLCs, general partnerships, and corporations: Debit cards can be issued in either the official business name or the individual cardholder's name. This applies to both the business owner and additional cardholders.
What is a source account and what is a backup account?
A source account is the Relay checking account a debit card draws funds from. A backup account is an optional secondary Relay account that covers a transaction if the source account has insufficient available funds. Cards only transact when there are available funds.
What is a temporary virtual card?
A temporary virtual card is a virtual card with a set expiration period, available to users with the Cardholder role. You can choose an expiration period of 14, 30, 60, or 90 days, add a spending limit, and optionally block international transactions. After the expiration period ends, the card can no longer be used.
How long does a physical debit card take to arrive?
Relay offers two shipping options for physical debit cards within the United States:
Shipping method | Estimated delivery | Cost |
Standard shipping | 8–10 business days | No charge |
Expedited shipping | 4–6 business days | $12.35 |
Expedited shipping is only available for physical cards created after onboarding, not for cards issued during the onboarding process.
How do I customize my card design?
You can customize the design of most Relay cards during creation:
Color: Choose from 6 card colors
Illustration: Pick a spend-category illustration (for example, Marketing & Advertising or Software & Subscriptions)
Combinations: 6 colors and 6 illustrations give you 30+ unique card designs, useful for organizing team or department spending
Design customization is available for Virtual Debit Cards, Virtual Credit Cards, and Physical Debit Cards. Physical Relay Visa® Credit Cards cannot currently be customized. Custom Relay cards are also not currently compatible with Apple Pay or Google Wallet; only standard Relay-issued cards can be added to digital wallets.
When do Relay cards expire and how are they replaced?
All Relay cards, both virtual and physical, show an expiry date in MM/YY format. A card with an expiry of 11/25 remains valid through 11:59 PM on November 30, 2025.
Virtual cards: A replacement is not created automatically. About one month before expiration, you'll receive an in-app or email notification, and you'll need to manually create a new virtual card from your dashboard.
Physical cards: A new card is issued and mailed to your business address on file about one month before expiration. Once the new card arrives, activate it manually from your Relay dashboard. The old card automatically deactivates after its expiry date. Email notifications are not sent automatically when a physical card expires; watch for in-app alerts.
How do I replace a lost, damaged, or compromised card?
You can reissue a card from the Cards tab in your Relay dashboard:
Select the card you want to replace.
Choose Freeze or Terminate depending on the situation.
Select Replace Card to start the reissue process.
For a physical replacement, choose a shipping method.
How do I activate a physical Relay debit card?
Once your physical card arrives:
Open the Cards section of your Relay dashboard.
Select the card.
Choose Activate Card and follow the prompts.
You'll need the 3-digit CVV on the back of the card to activate it.
Common issues
Card declined at checkout: Check for insufficient available funds in the source account, a spending limit that has been hit, a frozen or terminated card, an expired temporary virtual card, or a blocked control such as international transactions.
Cannot add a team member to a shared card: Add or update the team member from the Team page first and assign them the Cardholder role, then return to card creation.
Custom card not showing in Apple Pay or Google Wallet: Custom Relay cards are not currently compatible with digital wallets. Only standard Relay-issued cards can be added to Apple Pay or Google Wallet.
Expedited shipping option is not available: Expedited shipping is not offered for cards issued during onboarding. It becomes available for physical cards created after onboarding is complete.
Cannot change the source account on a mobile-created card: On the mobile app, the source account is locked once the card is created. Terminate the card and create a new one if you need a different source.
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