Relay vs Capital One Business Banking: Which Is Better?

Round by round

1. Round 1🗂️ Cash-Flow Structure & Multi-Account BudgetingRelay wins
   Relay9/10

   Up to 20 accounts

   Checking accounts per business, plus 50 cards, with percentage auto-transfers

   • Official Profit First Professionals banking platform
   • Percentage auto-transfer rules split deposits automatically

   Source: Relay product disclosures

   Capital One4/10

   1 account

   Single business checking account; budgeting happens outside the account

   • No native envelope or multi-account budgeting
   • Budgeting happens outside the account (QuickBooks or manual)

   Source: Capital One product disclosures

   So this round goes to Relay for making budgeting automatic and built-in.

2. Round 2💵 Cash Deposit HandlingCapital One wins
   Relay6/10

   90,000+ retailers

   Cash-load retailer network plus compatible Allpoint ATMs — rare for a fintech

   • Accepts cash unlike most neobanks
   • No tellers for large or unusual deposits

   Source: Relay cash deposit terms

   Capital One8/10

   $5,000/mo free

   Free monthly cash deposits at branches, cafes, and tellers

   • Chartered bank with tellers for large deposits
   • Free cap applies past $5,000/mo

   Source: Capital One Basic disclosures

   So this round goes to Capital One for handling large cash deposits with tellers and free monthly limits.

3. Round 3📈 Savings & Interest on ReservesRelay wins
   Relay8/10

   Up to 2.68% APY

   Tiered savings APY: Starter 0.91% / Grow 1.55% / Scale 2.68%

   • Reserves actually earn while they sit
   • Top rates locked behind paid Grow/Scale tiers ($30-$120/mo)

   Source: Relay APY disclosures

   Capital One2/10

   0% APY

   Both Basic and Enhanced checking pay zero interest

   • Zero interest on any tier or balance
   • No in-account path to yield — no savings product

   Source: Capital One APY disclosures

   So this round goes to Relay.

4. Round 4🛡️ FDIC Coverage & Deposit InsuranceRelay wins
   Relay8/10

   ~$3M

   Thread Bank deposit-sweep program spreads funds across FDIC-insured banks

   • Roughly 12x the standard FDIC limit
   • Coverage runs through a partner bank, not Relay itself

   Source: Relay FDIC disclosures

   Capital One6/10

   $250,000

   Direct FDIC insurance as a chartered national bank (FDIC Cert #4297)

   • Insured directly, no partner-bank sweep to track
   • $250,000 ceiling, well below Relay's ~$3M sweep coverage

   Source: Capital One FDIC disclosures

   This round goes to Relay.

5. Round 5💸 Everyday Transactions & WiresRelay wins
   Relay7/10

   Free incoming, ~$5 out

   All incoming wires free; domestic outgoing ~$5 on the free Starter plan

   • Free incoming wires on every plan
   • No per-transaction fees
   • 55,000+ ATMs, smaller than Capital One's network

   Source: Relay wire fee schedule

   Capital One6/10

   70,000+ fee-free ATMs

   • Unlimited fee-free transactions
   • 70,000+ fee-free ATMs
   • Basic tier charges for every wire

   This round goes to Relay.

6. Round 6🤝 Branches & Accountant CollaborationCapital One wins
   Relay7/10

   Native accountant access

   Dedicated bookkeeper/accountant logins, QuickBooks and Xero sync, receipt capture

   • Built-in accountant collaboration tools
   • Zero branches — support is online only

   Source: Relay integrations

   Capital One8/10

   ~280 branches

   Physical branches and cafes across the US for in-person banking

   • Real in-person service and support
   • Concentrated in select metro areas only

   Source: Capital One branch network

   So this round goes to Capital One.

Which one is for you?

Side by side

Top ratedRelay

Check price

Capital One

Check price

Overall score

6.9

Best

5.8

Price

See price

See price

Signup Bonus

3.7

2.0

Cash Deposits

7.6

8.0

Head-to-head findings

Signup Bonus

~$50 base + referrals

$0

Cash Deposits

90,000+ retailers / Allpoint ATMs

$5,000/mo

Record

Head-to-head record

7–1–1

1–8

Head-to-heads won

88 %

11 %

Rounds won

59 %

37 %

Pros

• Up to 20 checking accounts, 50 cards
• Official Profit First Professionals platform
• Included free on Starter plan
• Accepts cash — rare among fintechs

• Matches Wells Fargo's $5,000 free cash-deposit cap
• No transaction cap at any volume
• No per-item fees even during high-volume months
• Roughly 6x Wells Fargo's ATM footprint

Cons

• No teller window; retailer middleman
• Best rates locked behind paid tiers
• No branches — online-only
• Toronto-based; sponsor-bank migration in 2023

• Only ~280 branches, concentrated in big metros
• No standing cash bonus for business checking
• Periodic targeted offers aren't guaranteed or nationwide
• No free wires without upgrading tiers

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