Batch bill payments allow you to prepare and submit payments for multiple bills in one flow. Bills can belong to the same payee or different payees.
Bill details, the funding account, payment method, and payment date are entered on the same screen before you move to the final review page.
This article covers:
What Is a Batch Bill Payment?
A batch bill payment allows you to pay multiple bills at once through a single streamlined workflow. Instead of handling each bill individually, Relay makes it faster to review, approve, and schedule payments in one session—saving time and improving cash flow visibility.
Each payment is still made separately to each vendor, but you can manage and send them together.
Example: At the end of the week, you review 10 unpaid bills across different vendors. With Relay, you can approve and pay them all in one session—without jumping between multiple payment flows.
Who Can Use Batch Payments?
Batch bill payment is available to all businesses on all plans. Batching helps growing teams save time, maintain controls, and simplify their bill payment workflows.
Starter | Grow | Scale |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
How to Make Batch Bill Payments in Relay
Sign in to your Relay account.
Go to the Payments tab, then select Bills.
Use the available filters to find the bills you want to pay.
Select the checkbox beside each bill you want to include. You can select bills belonging to the same payee or different payees.
Select Pay bills.
Review each payment card. Bills may be grouped by payee where applicable.
Expand Bill details to review the invoice information and line items against the attached bill.
When multiple bills are grouped under the same payee, select an individual bill to display its corresponding attachment in the bill preview.
Complete the payment details for each payment, including:
The account you are paying from
The payment amount and currency, where applicable
The payment method
The payment date
An optional memo
Repeat these steps for each payment included in the batch.
Continue to the review page.
Review the total payment amount and the breakdown for each payment. You can also move between the attached bills to verify them before submitting.
Confirm the payments.
Once submitted, a confirmation page will appear. You can return to the Bills section to track the status of the resulting payments.
Repeat these steps for each payment included in the batch. Continue to the review page. Review the total payment amount and the breakdown for each payment. You can also move between the attached bills to verify them before submitting. Confirm the payments. Once submitted, a confirmation page will appear. You can return to the Bills section to track the status of the resulting payments.
What Happens in Your Accounting Software?
Each bill is marked as paid individually.
Payments sync to QuickBooks Online or Xero.
Each payment is tied back to its specific bill, ensuring clean reconciliation.
You’ll see clear records—no more confusion about lump-sum payments!
Best Practices for Batch Bill Payments
Use approval workflows: Set up approval rules to review high-value bills before payment.
Batch payments regularly: Paying vendors once a week improves cash flow forecasting and vendor satisfaction.
Communicate payment schedules: Let your vendors know your regular payment days—it builds trust and predictability.
Use consistent memos: Relay records memos in your bank statement, helping you reconcile faster.
Coming Soon to Bill Pay (Grow & Scale)
Relay is expanding Bill Pay capabilities even further with:
Bill Insights Dashboard: Visualize upcoming payments and see spending trends at a glance.
Advanced Bulk Payment Tools: Save even more time by scheduling multiple payments in a streamlined batch.
Custom Categorization Rules: Automate how bills are categorized based on vendors, amounts, or general ledger codes.
These enhancements are designed to help you save time and gain even greater financial control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I select bills from different vendors for batch payments?
Yes. You can select unpaid bills across different vendors and pay them in one streamlined flow.
Will approvals still apply if I batch bills?
Yes. Bills must be approved individually according to your approval rules before payment is initiated.
What if I miss selecting a bill?
No problem—any unpaid bills will remain available in the Bills tab for future payment.
Can I review an attached bill while setting up its payment?
Yes. Expand Bill details to review the bill information and line items alongside the attached bill.
Do I select the funding account and payment method on separate pages?
No. The funding account, payment method, amount, and payment date are entered on the same payment setup screen before you proceed to the final review page.
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