If you want to open a business bank account with a digital-only provider, Bluevine Business Checking and Relay Standard are both excellent choices. Bluevine is a great fit for businesses wanting to earn competitive interest. Its annual percentage yield (APY) of 2.00% on qualified balances of $250,000 or less, is among the highest on the market. It also supports physical checkbooks and provides small businesses with a line of credit financing solution.
Where Relay holds an edge over Bluevine is its ability to streamline cash management processes. Users can create up to 20 checking accounts under a single account number, a feature that can be used to separate balances into dedicated spending and savings buckets. They can also issue up to 50 debit cards to transfer business expense responsibilities to team members and employees.
- Bluevine*: Best for businesses that want a fee-free, digital-only checking account that earns interest at competitive rates, supports physical checkbooks, and provides a line of credit
- Relay*: Businesses that want a fee-free, digital-only checking account that offers multiple subaccounts and debit cards
*Providers are financial technology (fintech) platforms backed by and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC)-insured through a supporting bank partnership (Coastal Community Bank for Bluevine and Evolve Bank & Trust and Thread Bank for Relay).
Bluevine vs Relay Business Checking Account Quick Comparison
 Business Checking |  Standard | |
|---|---|---|
Required Opening Deposit | None | None |
Required Balance Minimum | None | None |
Transaction Limit Before Fees | None | None |
Automated Clearing House (ACH) Fees | None | None |
Monthly Fees | None | None |
Domestic Wire Transfer Fees | Incoming: $0 Outgoing: $15 | Incoming: $0 Outgoing: $5 |
International Wire Transfer Fees | Incoming: N/A Outgoing: $25 plus 1.5% of transaction fee for sending United States dollars (USD) international payments | Incoming: $0 Outgoing: $10 |
ATM Fees | None at MoneyPass locations nationally; $2.50 for nonnetwork ATMs* | None at Allpoint locations; no fee for nonnetwork ATMs* |
Cash Deposited | $4.95 fee per transaction, available through Green Dot retail locations | $0 through Allpoint+ ATMs (requires Relay 2.0 upgrade) |
APY | 2.00% on balances of $250,000 and less, once qualifications are met | None |
Our Review |
*Third-party operator fees may apply.
Business Checking | Standard | |
|---|---|---|
Debit Card | Free debit card, mailed within 10 business days of application approval | Up to 50 free Mastercard debit cards delivered within 8 to 10 business days |
Physical Checks | Two free checkbook orders per year | No checkbooks provided but offers free mailing of bill pay checks within the United States. |
Accounting Software Integrations | QuickBooks, Wave, and Xero | QuickBooks and Xero |
Business Payment Integrations | Includes Stripe, PayPal, Wise, Venmo, and Expensify | Includes PayPal, Venmo, Stripe, Plaid, and Square |
Customer Service | Live customer support from dedicated professionals Toll-free: (888) 216-9619 Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time Email: support@bluevine.com | 24/7 email support from dedicated professionals Live phone chat: (888) 205-9304 Mondays to Fridays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time |
Other Products Available | Line of credit | N/A; but Relay Pro offered (premium subscription) |
Our Review |
When To Use
Bluevine vs Relay Business Checking Features
Bluevine | Relay | |
|---|---|---|
OVERALL RATING* | 3.3 out of 5★ | 3.2 out of 5★ |
Cash Deposits | ★★ | ★★★ |
Reserve Accounts | ★★★ | ★★★★★ |
Bank Network & ATM Availability | ★★★ | ★★★ |
Payment & Accounting Software | ★★★★★★ | ★★★★★★ |
APY Earnings | ★★★★ | 0 |
Debit Card Issuance | ★★ | ★★★★★ |
Physical Check Availability | ★★★★ | 0 |
Wire Transfer Fee Savings | ★★★ | ★★★★ |
ATM Fee Savings | ★★★ | ★★★★ |
User Access | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
Customer Service | ★★★★ | ★★★★ |
Additional Products | ★★ | 0 |
*The overall score is reflective of the features of the account and not the overall quality of the financial provider. A feature not offered by a provider earns zero stars, which is averaged into the overall rating. | ||
★★★★★ 5: This feature enhances your banking experience at no cost.
★★★★ 4: This feature has a few minor drawbacks/limits or comes at a slight cost.
★★★ 3: This feature has a few drawbacks/limits or comes at a slightly high cost.
★★ 2: This feature has a few major drawbacks/limits or comes at a high cost.
★ 1: This feature has major drawbacks/limits.
0: This feature is unavailable.
Bluevine: 2 out of 5
Bluevine allows cash deposits at more than 90,000 Green Dot retail locations. The service fee for each deposit is $4.95.
Relay: 3 out of 5
A Relay 2.0 Visa debit card, which is free, as well as required if you want to access more features, lets you deposit cash at cash deposit-enabled Allpoint ATMs nationwide (referred to as Allpoint+). The daily ATM cash deposit limit is $2,000.
Bluevine: 3 out of 5
Bluevine offers up to five free subaccounts with your main Bluevine Business Checking account. Each sub-account is assigned its own account number.
Relay: 5 out of 5
With Relay, a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation can open up to 20 checking subaccounts using a single account name. Sole proprietors or single-member LLCs are permitted to create ten subaccounts. These subaccounts allow users to separate checking balances into dedicated buckets for spending and savings categories, such as taxes, payroll, and profit.
Bluevine: 3 out of 5
Bluevine users can access around 40,000 MoneyPass ATMs to transact for free.
Relay: 3 out of 5
Meanwhile, Relay users can transact at more than 55,000 Allpoint ATM locations.
Bluevine: 5 out of 5
Bluevine integrates with various payment processing apps, Stripe, PayPal, Wise, Venmo, and Expensify. It also connects with accounting software, such as QuickBooks, Wave, and Xero.
Relay: 5 out of 5
Relay integrates with PayPal, Stripe, Venmo, Plaid, and Square payment solutions. It’s also compatible with QuickBooks Online and Xero.
Bluevine: 4 out of 5
Under Bluevine, qualified balances get 2.00% APY up to $250,000.
Relay: 0 out of 5
Relay doesn’t provide any APY earnings for its business checking account.
Bluevine: 2 out of 5
Bluevine issues a debit card with its main Bluevine Business Checking account, but it won’t provide additional cards for other authorized users or subaccounts.
Relay: 5 out of 5
Relay sends a physical card to your business address after you open an account. It also allows you to issue up to 50 virtual or physical debit cards for employees and team members. Users can set the spending and withdrawal limits per employee card.
Bluevine: 4 out of 5
As a Bluevine Business Checking account holder, you can order two free checkbooks each year. An additional checkbook will cost you $18.22, plus taxes and shipping.
Relay: 0 out of 5
Relay doesn’t provide checkbooks to its customers but offers free mailing of bill pay checks.
Bluevine: 3 out of 5
Bluevine Business Checking clients won’t need to pay for incoming domestic wire transfers but sending a domestic wire transfer costs $15. Currently, Bluevine doesn’t accept international wire transfers, but you can make international business payments. Each international payment has a flat fee of $25 but sending payments in foreign currencies costs $25 plus an extra 1.5% of the payment amount in USD.
Relay: 4 out of 5
Under Relay, clients can accept incoming domestic and international wires for free and pay only $5 for outgoing domestic wires and $10 for outgoing international wires. For Relay Pro users, all wire transfers are free.
Bluevine: 3 out of 5
Even if using MoneyPass ATMs is free for Bluevine users, it collects a $2.50 fee when you transact in an out-of-network ATM. You’ll also pay for potential surcharges from third-party ATM operators.
Relay: 4 out of 5
Using Allpoint ATMs allows Relay users to save on ATM fees. Relay also doesn’t charge fees when you use nonnetwork ATMs, but you might still pay for additional charges from ATM operators.
Bluevine: 5 out of 5
Bluevine permits business owners to control access for different users. You can categorize user types as administrator, authorized users, or accountant.
Relay: 5 out of 5
Relay grants business owners seven different permission levels to access their accounts:
- Administrator
- Manager
- Bill Payer
- Bill Payers (Imported Bills Only)
- Cardholder
- Deposit-only
- Read-only
Bluevine: 4 out of 5
Bluevine offers its clients email support and live customer support using a toll-free number from Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
Relay: 4 out of 5
Relay provides 24/7 email support and live phone chat from Mondays to Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., ET.
Bluevine: 2 out of 5
Small business owners can tap Bluevine’s line of credit if they need quick business funding for additional working capital or inventory purchases. You have to meet minimum qualifications to qualify, and your application will be subject to approval.
Relay: 0 out of 5
Relay offers Relay Pro as a premium subscription service providing business owners with robust account features, but it doesn’t offer any other business banking product. The account charges a $30 monthly maintenance fee and provides fee-free wire transfers, same-day ACH, and batch bill payments.
Once you decide on a provider, you can see our guide on how to open a business bank account, which includes a checklist of required documents.
Relay vs Bluevine Business Checking User Reviews
Bluevine | Relay | |
|---|---|---|
Users Like |
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Users Dislike |
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Both Bluevine and Relay have outstanding positive feedback for their responsive customer service. On Trustpilot1, Bluevine has 4.2 out of 5 stars from about 7,200 reviews. Meanwhile, and also on Trustpilot2, Relay has a 4.4 rating from around 800 reviews.
Many Bluevine users said that they were impressed with the easy application process for its checking account and line of credit. However, some stated that payment methods were slow and checks were on hold for five or longer days. There were also others who shared that their accounts were closed without explanation.
Meanwhile, several Relay users appreciated the different accounts/buckets it provides, which made cash flow management easy. On the flip side, a couple of customers commented that their accounts were locked out for review, which affected their business transactions.
Bottom Line
Although Relay and Bluevine business checking accounts are both digital-only accounts with minimal fees, the providers have very different strengths. Bluevine is an excellent fit if you’re looking for a checking account that can help you earn a competitive 2.00% APY on qualified balances. It’s also a good option for a line of credit financing and physical checkbook support. However, if you need an account that helps you streamline cash management and save on wire transfer fees, the better choice is Relay.
User Review Resources:
1Trustpilot | Bluevine
2Trustpilot | Relay
