Relay offers five advisor permission levels: Super Admin, Admin, Manager, Bill Payer, and Read Only. Each controls what an invited advisor can see and do in your Relay account.
Who advisor permissions are for
Advisor permissions apply to anyone you invite to your Relay account in an advisor capacity, including:
Accountants and bookkeepers working on your books
Fractional CFOs and financial controllers
Firm staff assigned to your account through the Relay Partner Portal
Any external professional who needs visibility into or activity in your Relay account
The business owner sets each advisor's permission level. Advisors create their own login and see only what their assigned level allows.
How advisor permissions work
Advisors are invited by email and create their own unique login credentials. Once inside your account, they operate under one of five permission levels that you assign, and you can change any advisor's level from your Relay account at any time.
Key mechanics:
Each advisor holds one permission level per client account
Only Super Admin and Admin roles can add, remove, or reassign other advisors and team members
Every advisor role includes full control over their own login, security settings, and card (if they have one)
Custom roles set through the Relay Partner Portal are client-specific and may differ between the accounts a firm serves
After a role change, an advisor may need to refresh the browser to see the updated permissions
What each permission level can do
Super Admin
Full control of the account. Super Admins can do everything an Admin can plus initiate money movement, including ACH transfers, checks, domestic and international wires, internal transfers, external transfers, deposits, and recurring transfers. Super Admin is the only advisor role that can send payments.
Admin
Firm administrator role with everything a Manager can do plus card management (issuing, freezing, terminating, setting spending limits, assigning receipt admins, and setting backup spending accounts) and full staff and client management. Admins cannot send payments.
Manager
Advisor manager with view access across the client account plus the ability to manage connected accounting and payroll tools (QuickBooks, Xero, Gusto), work with bills and vendors, handle expenses and receipts, manage invoices and payment requests, and initiate approved bill workflows.
Bill Payer
Payments-focused role. Bill Payers view client accounts and initiate bill payments. They cannot manage clients, staff, cards, or firm settings.
Read Only
Viewer access. Read Only advisors can see client accounts, cards, transactions, and connected tools. They cannot make changes, initiate payments, or manage anyone.
Comparison of the five advisor roles
Permission | Super Admin | Admin | Manager | Bill Payer | Read Only |
View balances and statements | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Send payments (ACH, wire, check) | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Create or delete accounts | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Issue new cards | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Edit card limits | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Connect and manage integrations | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Add or remove clients | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Manage firm staff | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
View team members | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Initiate approved bill payments | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
What every advisor role includes
All advisors, regardless of level, can manage their own account information:
View their own login sessions and security activity
Update their email, phone number, address, and authentication settings
View their own card details and transactions (if they have a card)
Upload receipts for their own card use
Freeze or unfreeze their own card
Categorize their own expenses
What advisors cannot do at any level
No advisor role, including Super Admin, can perform actions reserved for the business owner. These include:
Closing the Relay account
Changing beneficial ownership on the business
Applying for Relay Capital or other lending products on the owner's behalf
Transferring ownership of the account
How firms assign advisor roles through the Partner Portal
Firm Administrators assign advisor roles when adding clients to staff members inside the Relay Partner Portal. The permission level a staff member receives is set per client, so the same person can hold different roles across the accounts a firm serves. Custom roles created at the firm level carry those client-specific rules through to each assignment.
How to change an advisor's permission level
Business owners can update any advisor's permission level from inside their Relay account at any time. See Editing permission levels for the exact steps.
Related articles
How to invite team members and advisors to your Relay account
How to remove team members and advisors from your Relay account
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