# Relay: how AI models rank it, October 2026

Finance AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition. Named in 29 judge labels across 2 categories by 14 of 14 models. Page: https://finance-ai-index.com/vendors/relay/

## Standing by category

| Category | Share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business banking | 4% | 8 | 27% | 26 |
| Treasury management systems | 0% | 43 | 0% | 3 |

## What the models said for it

- "For most companies with limited budgets, Mercury or Relay are excellent choices" (Kimi K2, Business banking)
- "Mercury and Relay are standout choices for businesses with limited budgets" (Mistral Small, Business banking)
- "Relay has features that benefit midsize businesses and fast-growing startups, with no monthly fees and strong expense management tools." (Claude Haiku 4.5, Business banking)
- "Relay is highly popular for business owners who practice "Profit First" or strict envelope budgeting." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, Business banking)

## And against it

- "51% of negatives related to account closures — the highest closure complaint ratio of any provider studied" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, Business banking)
- "Elevated issues (13.3 negatives/month), 51% involving closures/freezes—tops the list for this problem." (Grok 4.1 Fast, Business banking)
- "Relay | 13.3 negative reviews/month | Account closures (51% of complaints)" (Kimi K2, Business banking)
- "Relay - 13.3 negative reviews/month; 51% involve account closures" (MiniMax M2.5, Business banking)

## Movement since September 2026

Floor: 10 points of share, measured on the calibration repeat. A larger change is movement; a smaller one is noise.

- Business banking: 0% to 4%, +5. Inside the floor by 5 points · rank 14 → 8 of 86.
- Treasury management systems: 0% to 0%, ±0. New · not ranked in September 2026 · rank 43 of 124.

## In its own words

What Relay's own pages state, read 2026-09-28. Stated by the vendor, not checked by the index.

- Positioning: Online business banking and money management for small businesses. (https://relayfi.com/)
- For: small businesses and the accountants and bookkeepers who serve them (https://relayfi.com/)
- Price stated: Relay offers multiple plans, including Starter, Grow, and Scale. See relayfi.com/pricing for current plan details. (https://relayfi.com/)
- Starting price: 0 (https://relayfi.com/pricing)
- Free plan or trial: Starter has no monthly subscription; Grow and Scale include a 14-day trial (https://relayfi.com/pricing)
- Integrations claimed: 4 (https://relayfi.com/); 5 (https://relayfi.com/product/) (pages disagree)
- Certifications: Member FDIC, FDIC, Visa
- Customers named: Julia Skwarlo, A Wild Flowers Beauty, Grill Your Ass Off, Dance Motion Marketing, Everyday Explorers, Ambient Productions, Kyri's Kookie Co, Rebel Bread

## What it publishes

Every page relayfi.com exposes, read 2026-09-29: 1158 addresses. By kind, pages and the last 90 days:

- blog: 723 pages, 34 in the last 90 days, latest 2026-09-24
- case study: 25 pages, 6 in the last 90 days, latest 2026-09-16
- webinar or virtual event: 6 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest undated
- report or ebook: 14 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest 2026-05-20
- comparison: 72 pages, 11 in the last 90 days, latest 2026-08-25
- template or tool: 6 pages, 1 in the last 90 days, latest 2026-09-21
- glossary or explainer: 20 pages, 9 in the last 90 days, latest 2026-08-25
- podcast or video: 16 pages, 5 in the last 90 days, latest 2026-08-04
- Recent: 2026-09-24 blog: Fall cards enhanced merchant controls https://relayfi.com/blog/fall-cards-enhanced-merchant-controls
- Recent: 2026-09-23 blog: 179435020068 Relay Payroll what it is and who can use it https://relayfi.com/hc/en-us/articles/179435020068-Relay-Payroll-what-it-is-and-who-can-use-it
- Recent: 2026-09-21 blog: 059579483411 How to run your first payroll in Relay https://relayfi.com/hc/en-us/articles/059579483411-How-to-run-your-first-payroll-in-Relay
- Recent: 2026-09-21 blog: 167435741869 How to fund payroll from your Relay account https://relayfi.com/hc/en-us/articles/167435741869-How-to-fund-payroll-from-your-Relay-account
- Recent: 2026-09-21 blog: 198639918946 Payroll status and troubleshooting in Relay https://relayfi.com/hc/en-us/articles/198639918946-Payroll-status-and-troubleshooting-in-Relay
- Recent: 2026-09-21 blog: 242814110951 How to add and pay W 2 employees in Relay Payroll https://relayfi.com/hc/en-us/articles/242814110951-How-to-add-and-pay-W-2-employees-in-Relay-Payroll

## Record

- Method: https://finance-ai-index.com/methodology/
- Raw judge labels and full responses: https://finance-ai-index.com/data/
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as Finance AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, finance-ai-index.com.