Business banking built for operators. Not for controllers.
Relay is the business bank we'd open if we were starting a business today. Multi-account architecture (operating / payroll / tax-reserve / owner-pay) out of the box. Incoming wires are free; sending a wire costs $5 to $8 depending on your Relay plan. There is no minimum balance. Built for the way small businesses actually run, not the way an enterprise bank wants them to.
A modern business bank. Built around the Profit First / multi-account model.
Relay is online-only business banking. You can open up to 20 checking accounts for one business at no monthly fee on the free plan. Each account has its own account number and can have its own debit card. That sounds like a small thing. It's actually the structural feature that makes Profit First / sub-account bookkeeping actually work. Operating account. Payroll account. Tax-reserve account. Owner-pay account. Each gets the right slice of revenue as it comes in.
The other thing we like: you connect Relay to Kick once. After that, transactions come in on their own. Reconciliation usually takes far less time.
The standard Relay setup for ETS clients.
Open Relay during onboarding
If you're new to ETS and don't have business banking yet, we walk you through the account opening. Takes ~20 minutes.
Set up the 4-account structure
Operating · Payroll · Tax-reserve · Owner-pay. Each gets its own card and routing. Auto-transfer rules move money as revenue comes in.
Connect Relay to Kick
One-time OAuth handshake. Bank feed runs live from then on. Categorizations flow automatically.
Wire payroll through Gusto
Gusto pulls from the payroll-only Relay account. Tax filings happen automatically. Quarterly payroll-tax estimates are visible in real time.
What clients ask about Relay before switching.
Why Relay and not Chase / BofA / Wells Fargo?
Traditional business banks were built for businesses with controllers and AP departments. Relay was built for the operator who's also the bookkeeper. Multi-account architecture out of the box (operating, payroll, tax-reserve, owner-pay): no minimums, no monthly maintenance; outgoing wires carry a fee ($5 to $8 depending on plan). Plus automatic categorization sync with Kick eliminates manual bookkeeping reconciliation.
Is Relay FDIC insured?
Relay is not a bank. Thread Bank, Member FDIC, holds your money. FDIC insurance is $250,000 per depositor per bank. Relay spreads larger balances across partner banks for up to $3 million, under set terms.
Do I have to switch banks to be an ETS client?
No. We support whatever bank you're on. But if you're starting fresh or you're frustrated with your current bank, Relay is what we'd open ourselves. We make the recommendation; you make the call.
What about Bluevine vs. Relay?
Both are solid. Relay wins on operational features (multi-account architecture, categorization sync). Bluevine often pays more interest on checking; compare both banks' current rates before you choose. Most multi-entity clients land on Relay. Single-entity clients who care about interest yield often pick Bluevine. We model it on the Discovery call.
Is there an ETS-Relay perk?
No paid affiliate. We recommend Relay because we'd open it ourselves. We don't get a kickback if you do. (If we ever do build a paid partnership, we'll disclose it here the same way we disclose the Kick partnership.)
One Discovery call. We map your banking + books + payroll together.
Bring your current bank, your current bookkeeping platform, and your current payroll provider. We'll recommend whether to migrate (and in what order) so you're never without a working bank for more than a day.
Book a free call →