A payee is anyone you send money to from your Relay account, such as a vendor, employee, contractor, or a personal account you own. This article walks through adding and archiving a payee on web and mobile.
What you need before you start
The payee's nickname and, optionally, their email address
Their preferred payment method: ACH, domestic wire, international wire (Swift or Local Network), or check
The account details that match that payment method: account number and routing number for ACH or domestic wire, SWIFT code and physical address for an international wire, or a mailing address for a check
A valid physical address for the payee if you're sending a domestic or international wire (PO Boxes are not accepted)
If you don't have the payee's account details on hand, add their email address in step 3 below and you can request the details from them directly inside Relay.
How do I add a payee on the web?
Adding a payee on the web takes about two minutes.
Sign in to your Relay account.
Go to the Payments tab, then select the Payees tab from the Payments dashboard.
Click Add Payee at the top-right corner of your screen.
In the pop-up modal, fill in the payee information:
Nickname
Email address (optional)
Account classification
Default memo
Select the payee's preferred payment method (ACH, domestic wire, international wire through Swift or Local Network, or check). You can add more payment methods later.
Enter the account information for that payment method (account number, routing number, SWIFT code for international wires, etc.). Confirm these details with the payee directly before saving.
If you entered the payee's email, you can send them a request to enter their own account details in Relay.
Click Create Payee. You can now send payments to your new payee.
How do I add a payee on the mobile app?
You can add a payee on the mobile app as part of starting a payment.
Sign in to the Relay app on your mobile device.
Go to the Payments tab.
Select the Payees button.
Select the Add New button in the top right.
Select the payee type (Business or Personal).
Enter the Payee Nickname and select Continue.
Enter the Payee Email and Default Memo (Option) and select Save Payee.
To then add payment details, select the new payee from your payee list and press Manage Payment Methods.
Select Add Payment Method (or Request Payment Details).
If you entered the payee's email, you can send them a request to enter their own account details in Relay.
Select the desired Payment Method and continue through the flow to provide your payee's account details.
Can I send a payment right after adding a payee?
Yes. You can submit a payment as soon as the payee is created.
You can also start a payment while the payee's account details are still pending. For example, if you've sent the payee a request to enter their own details, the payment stays queued and only sends once the payee submits their information.
For step-by-step instructions on each payment type, see:
You can also create a payee mid-payment. When you follow any of the send-payment guides above, the first step is selecting a payee, and you can add a new one from that screen if the payee isn't in your Relay account yet.
How do I archive a payee on the web?
Archive a payee from the same Payees tab you used to add them.
Sign in to your Relay account.
Go to the Payments tab, then select the Payees tab from the Payments dashboard.
Click on the payee you want to archive.
In the pop-up modal on the right-hand side of your screen, scroll down and click Edit payee.
In the next modal, scroll down and select Archive. You can also edit the payee's details here and click Save instead.
How do I archive a payee on the mobile app?
Sign in to the Relay app on your mobile device.
Go to the Payments tab.
Select the Payees button.
Select the payee you would like to archive.
Select the Archive button in the top right corner and confirm you would like to archive this payee.
Will archiving a payee affect payments already in progress?
No. Archiving a payee does not affect any payments to that payee that are still in progress. Those payments continue on their normal timeline.
Can I permanently delete a payee?
No. Payees can only be archived at this time. Archiving hides the payee from your active list while keeping the transaction history intact.
Common issues
Wire address rejected as a PO Box. Relay requires a valid physical mailing address for domestic and international wire recipients. Ask the payee for their street address, then re-enter it in the payee record.
Payment stays pending after saving the payee. The payment holds until the payee submits their account details. Follow up with the payee directly, or send another account-details request from the payee's profile.
You can't find a payee you created. They may already be archived. On the web, filter or scroll the Payees list to view archived payees. On mobile, check the Payees list for the same name.
The wrong account details are saved. Open the payee, tap or click Edit payee, update the account fields, and save. Confirm the new details with the payee before sending the next payment.
The payee received the account-details request but hasn't filled it out. Re-send the request from the payee's profile, or ask the payee to enter their details directly and update the payee record yourself.
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