The best first clients are already frustrated with their bank, hands-on with bookkeeping, and open to trying something new. Start with two or three, prove it works, then expand.
Who is this guide for?
Accounting and bookkeeping firms new to the Relay Partner Program
Advisors deciding which clients to invite first
Firms weighing a phased rollout versus onboarding every client at once
How should firms roll out Relay to their clients?
Set up your own firm's Relay account first, then invite clients in cohorts of two to five. Full-book rollouts are harder to support and slower to learn from.
The reasoning is simple. You learn Relay from the inside before you recommend it, so the pitch matches the actual workflow. Each cohort also teaches you what to prepare for the next one.
What signals a great first client for Relay?
Look for clients whose current banking is actively creating friction for them or for your firm. Strong signals include:
Legacy banks with outdated online banking or slow app performance
Manual bill payment workflows that eat hours of bookkeeper time
No visibility into what team members are spending
Poor customer support at their current bank
Monthly maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements that do not match the account size
Cash spread across multiple institutions with no clear system for allocating it
Each of these is a job Relay is built to solve. Clients who feel one or more of these pains tend to move fastest.
Which industries fit Relay best?
Relay works well for service-based and digital-first small businesses. The industries with the strongest fit include:
Non-profits
eCommerce
Consultants and agencies
Freelancers and solo operators
Real estate professionals
Health and fitness businesses
These businesses share a common shape: mostly digital transactions, minimal physical cash handling, and a need to organize money into sub-accounts by purpose.
Which clients are a poor fit for Relay?
Some businesses will not be a good match. Skip clients whose operations involve:
Frequent in-branch cash deposits (Relay is app-based and does not offer branch service)
Daily bulk check volumes beyond what the Relay mobile app supports
Cannabis or CBD operations
Cryptocurrency businesses
For the complete list of restricted industries, see Prohibited industries.
How do you approach a client who is hesitant?
Lead with one problem Relay solves in isolation. Instead of pitching a full banking switch, propose a single workflow win:
Expense management: issue Relay Visa® Debit Cards to team members with per-card spending controls
Bill pay: centralize approvals, payments, and payee records in one place
Cash visibility: organize money into sub-accounts for taxes, payroll, and operating expenses using Profit First or a similar method
Once the client sees the workflow benefit on one use case, expanding into the rest of the account is a much easier conversation.
What are the next steps?
Set up your firm's Relay account and use it for a week or two before inviting clients.
Build a shortlist of two to five clients whose banking friction matches the signals above.
Prepare a short pitch anchored on the specific problem that client talks about most.
Invite them through the Relay Partner Portal.
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