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How to Send Receipt Reminders to Cardholders in Relay

UpdatedAugust 11, 2026

Send a receipt reminder (nudge) to any cardholder with a missing receipt directly from your Expenses table on Relay web, typically a 30-second task per transaction.

What you need before you start

  • Administrator or Manager permissions on your Relay account, or Super Administrator or Administrator permissions if you are an accountant or bookkeeper on a client account

  • Access to Relay on desktop (nudging is unavailable on the mobile app)

  • At least one transaction flagged Action Required in your Expenses table

What is a nudge in Relay?

A nudge is a reminder sent by SMS or email to a cardholder asking them to upload a receipt for a specific transaction. Each nudge includes the transaction details (amount, vendor, and date) and a note that the receipt is required per your company policy.

When should you send a nudge?

Send a nudge whenever a transaction is missing a required receipt. The most useful timing patterns are:

  • Before month-end or your accounting close deadline

  • When one cardholder has multiple missing receipts building up

  • As part of a regular expense review (weekly or monthly)

How do you send a nudge to a cardholder?

Follow these four steps on Relay web:

  1. Sign in to your Relay account on desktop.

  2. Open the Expenses table and filter by Action Required.

  3. Select the transaction that needs a receipt.

  4. Click the bell icon at the bottom of the transaction detail to confirm the nudge.

The cardholder receives the SMS or email prompt as soon as you confirm.

Who receives the nudge, and how?

The cardholder attached to the transaction receives the reminder by SMS, email, or both, depending on the contact details on their Relay profile. They can upload the receipt from the link in the message or from their Relay mobile app.

Who can send nudges?

Only these roles can send nudges on a Relay account:

  • Administrators

  • Managers

  • Accountants or bookkeepers with Super Administrator or Administrator permissions on the client account

If you do not see the bell icon on a transaction, your role does not have nudge permissions. Ask an Administrator on your account to send it or to update your permission level.

Can you send nudges in bulk or on a schedule?

Not currently. Nudges are sent one transaction at a time by clicking the bell icon on that transaction. Relay does not offer bulk-send or scheduled recurring nudges today.

Common issues when sending nudges

  • The bell icon is not visible. Your role does not have nudge permissions. Ask an Administrator to update your permissions or send the nudge for you.

  • You are on the mobile app. Switch to Relay on a desktop browser. Nudging is web-only.

  • The cardholder did not receive the message. Confirm the cardholder's mobile number and email are current on their Relay profile, then resend the nudge.

  • The transaction is not in Action Required. Only transactions requiring a receipt can be nudged. Check the receipt collection policy attached to the card.

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.