To activate the ability to receive international wire payments (incoming international wires), we’re required to collect additional information about your business and its beneficial owners. This is a standard regulatory requirement by our international payments partner, Nium, and helps ensure secure, compliant international payments.
Once all required information and documents are submitted and approved, incoming international wire payments will be enabled.
Entered incorrect information? You can reset your application from the International Wires Activation page under Settings.
Before you start
Eligibility Requirements
To activate inbound (receiving) international wires, one of the following must apply to your business:
You're a primary organization member listed on the Relay account — that means you own 25% or more of the business, or, if no owner reaches 25%, you're one of the owners tied for the highest ownership percentage.
Your business doesn't have a primary organization member (no owner at 25% or more, and no qualifying tied-for-highest owner) — you can still apply by submitting a Controlling Person Document. See Controlling Person Document below.
If neither applies to your business, the activation form will not appear in your Relay dashboard. If you meet the ownership criteria above but still don't see the option, contact our team — your account may need an update to its records.
Non-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), religious organizations, and charities are no longer excluded from applying — the eligibility requirements above still apply to these organizations the same way, but activating incoming wires for them also requires additional financial audit documents. See Do non-profits, NGOs, religious organizations, or charities need extra documents? below.
How to start the activation process
Navigate to Settings.
Select International Wires Activation.
Follow the on-screen steps to submit the required information and documents.
Note: If your business has multiple owners, each owner must log in to their own account and submit their required documents by going to Settings → Document Requests.
Once submitted, your information will be reviewed by our international payments partner, Nium. You’ll be notified if anything additional is needed.
How do I reset my international wires application?
You can reset your international wires application from Settings → International Wires Activation — the same place you started it. Resetting restarts the onboarding flow, so it's a good option if you entered incorrect information and need to begin again.
Log in to Relay on the browser version.
Navigate to Settings.
Select International Wires Activation.
Select the reset option, then follow the on-screen steps to start the activation again.
You won't have to start from scratch. Any documents you already submitted that are still valid are reused when you reset, so you don't need to re-upload them.
Heads Up: You can only reset while you're still uploading your required documents. Once all your required documents have been submitted, reset is no longer available.
What information is required
Business details and operational information
We’ll ask for the following details about your business:
Incorporation date
Business website, or if you don’t have one:
A social media profile registered under the business name (not an individual’s profile)
The profile should clearly describe your company’s products or services
Industry category that best describes your business activities
Primary intended use case for receiving international wire payments
Expected payment details, including:
Estimated total monthly value of wires received
Estimated monthly number of wires
Average value per wire
Entered something incorrectly? You can reset your application from the International Wires Activation page under Settings.
Tip: These amounts can be estimates. If you’re unsure, we recommend overestimating rather than underestimating.
Beneficial owner information
In most cases, we already have beneficial owner information on file and will automatically include it during the international wire activation process. If any required details are missing, outdated, or need confirmation, you’ll be prompted to review or provide the information as part of the activation flow. This applies even if the business has only one owner.
The beneficial owners listed in your application are everyone who owns 10% or more of the business, or, if no owner reaches 10%, everyone tied for the highest ownership percentage. This is a different threshold than the one used to determine who can access the activation form (see Eligibility Requirements above).
Corporate shareholders
A corporate shareholder is another business that owns a stake in your business, rather than an individual. If your business is structured as a multi-layered company (ownership passes through one or more other businesses), you must declare at least one corporate shareholder as part of activation.
To declare a corporate shareholder, you'll provide:
Its legal name
Its business registration number
Its ownership percentage in your business
Its operating address (country and address)
There's no minimum ownership percentage required to declare a corporate shareholder. For example, a corporate shareholder such as a fictional company like Acme Holdings LLC could hold any percentage of ownership, including less than 25%.
Declared corporate shareholders appear alongside your business's individual beneficial owners, and count toward the check we use to confirm all ownership in your business is accounted for.
Required verification documents
Proof of identity (beneficial owners)
US Citizens: Passport or Valid Driver's License
Non-US Citizens: Passport only can be accepted
Proof of personal address (beneficial owners)
Provide one of the following documents issued within the past 90 days:
Utility bill (gas, electricity, internet, phone, or water)
Bank statement
Tax documents (IRS notices or state tax statements that include an issue date)
Proof of business address
Provide one of the following:
Utility bill (gas, electricity, internet, phone, or water) issued within the past 90 days
Bank statement issued within the past 90 days
Active lease agreement issued within previous 12 months
After you submit the required information, our international payments partner, Nium, may request additional documentation as part of their compliance review. This doesn’t happen in all cases, but when required, it helps complete verification. If additional information is needed, we’ll reach out to you directly via email.
What is a Controlling Person Document?
If your business doesn't have a primary organization member (no owner at 25% or more, and no qualifying tied-for-highest owner), you can still activate receiving international wires by submitting a Controlling Person Document — a signed declaration identifying the individual who ultimately controls or manages the business.
The document must include:
Your business's legal name, address, and registration number
The full legal name, job title, and passport or ID number (with expiry date) of one or two individuals who control or manage the business
The signature, full name, job title, and date of the person signing the declaration
When you upload the document:
It must be the original PDF or a photo of the original paper document — screenshots aren't accepted.
If the document isn't in English, you'll need a certified translation.
It must be signed by a company Director, ultimate beneficial owner (UBO), or Controlling Person listed in your company's ownership documents.
Accepted file formats: JPEG, JPG, PNG, PDF.
Do non-profits, NGOs, religious organizations, or charities need extra documents?
Yes. Non-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), religious organizations, and charities can now apply to activate receiving international wires, but activating incoming wires for these organizations requires the following financial audit documents in addition to the standard document set above:
Proof of source of wealth
Proof of source of funds
An invoice
A bank statement
As with any application, unrelated risk flags identified during review could still trigger requests for additional documentation.
When will receiving international wires be activated?
Access to incoming international wire payments will be activated once all required information and documents are submitted and approved by our international payments partner, Nium.
If additional information is needed during the review, our team will notify you via email.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can start the international wires activation process?
A business owner with admin permissions must start the activation from Settings → International Wires Activation.
Our business has multiple owners. Do all owners need to submit documents?
Yes. If there are multiple owners, each owner must log in to their own account and complete any requests in Settings → Document Requests.
What if I don’t see “International Wires Activation” in Settings?
This typically means you don’t have the required admin/owner permissions. The form to activate receiving international wires is visible to primary organization members — owners with 25% or more ownership, or, if no owner reaches 25%, owners tied for the highest ownership percentage — who are listed on the Relay account. If your business has no primary organization member at all, you can still apply by submitting a Controlling Person Document instead. If you meet the ownership criteria above but still don't see the option, contact our team — your account may need an update to its records.
What business information will I be asked to provide?
You’ll provide business details (such as incorporation date, industry, and intended use case) and expected incoming wire estimates (monthly value, number of wires, and average wire size).
Do payment volume and frequency numbers have to be exact?
No. These can be estimates. If you’re unsure, we recommend overestimating rather than underestimating.
Why do you need beneficial owner information if we’ve already submitted it before?
In most cases, we already have it on file and it will be included automatically. If any details are missing, outdated, or need confirmation, you’ll be prompted during the activation flow—even if the business has only one owner.
Which beneficial owners are included in my application?
Everyone who owns 10% or more of the business is included, or, if no owner reaches 10%, everyone tied for the highest ownership percentage. This is a different threshold than the one used to determine who can access and submit the activation form, which is based on 25% ownership (see Eligibility Requirements).
What documents can I use for proof of identity?
US Citizens can upload a passport or valid driver's license. Non-US citizens must provide a passport.
Can I use a driver’s license for proof of identity?
Only US Citizens can upload a driver's license for proof of identity. Non-US Citizens must provide a passport.
What documents are accepted for proof of personal address?
Provide one document issued within the past 90 days, such as a utility bill, bank statement, or qualifying tax document (with an issue date).
What documents are accepted for proof of business address?
Provide one of the following: a utility bill (issued within 90 days), a bank statement (issued within 90 days), or certain Secretary of State filings like Articles/Certificate of Incorporation.
Can Nium request additional documents after I submit everything?
Yes. In some cases, additional documentation is required as part of compliance review. If so, we’ll contact you via email with next steps.
Can my business apply if no one owns 25% or more of the company?
Yes. If your business doesn't have a primary organization member — no owner at 25% or more, and no owner tied for the highest ownership percentage — you can still apply by submitting a Controlling Person Document instead. This is a signed declaration identifying the individual who ultimately controls or manages the business.
What is a Controlling Person Document?
A Controlling Person Document is a signed declaration identifying the individual who ultimately controls or manages your business. It's required when your business doesn't have a primary organization member (no owner at 25% or more, and no qualifying tied-for-highest owner). It must be the original PDF or a photo of the original paper document (screenshots aren't accepted), include a certified translation if it isn't in English, and be signed by a company Director, ultimate beneficial owner (UBO), or Controlling Person listed in your company's ownership documents.
Can non-profit organizations, NGOs, religious organizations, or charities receive international wires?
Yes. These organizations are no longer excluded from applying. The same eligibility requirements apply to them as any other business, but activating incoming wires for these organizations also requires proof of source of wealth, proof of source of funds, an invoice, and a bank statement, in addition to the standard document set.
What is a corporate shareholder, and when do I need to declare one?
A corporate shareholder is another business that owns a stake in your business. You must declare at least one corporate shareholder if your business is structured as a multi-layered company (ownership passes through one or more other businesses). Declared corporate shareholders appear alongside your individual beneficial owners and count toward the check we use to confirm all ownership in your business is accounted for.
Is there a minimum ownership percentage for a corporate shareholder?
No. A corporate shareholder can hold any percentage of ownership in your business, including less than 25%.
Can I reset my international wires application if I made a mistake?
Yes. You can reset your application from Settings → International Wires Activation, the same place you started it. Resetting restarts the onboarding flow, but any documents you already submitted that are still valid are reused, so you won't need to re-upload them. You can only reset while you're still uploading your required documents — once all required documents have been submitted, reset is no longer available.
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