Relay is a fintech business banking platform (banking services provided by Thread Bank) purpose-built for small businesses that want to separate cash by purpose. For HVAC shops, that means segregating operating funds, payroll, tax reserves, owner pay, profit, equipment reserves, and vehicle funds into up to 20 real checking accounts (not virtual sub-ledgers), each with its own routing and account number. This makes Relay uniquely suited to the Profit First methodology popularized in trades coaching circles by Mike Michalowicz and increasingly promoted by HVAC business coaches like Tommy Mello and Joe Crisara.
Relay's free Starter plan includes no monthly fees, no minimum balance, unlimited free ACH and check mailing, and free incoming wires; outgoing domestic wires are just $8. Paid tiers (Grow at $30/month, Scale at $90/month) add features like same-day ACH, auto-imports of payables from QuickBooks and Xero, higher APY savings (up to 2.68% as of 2026), and bill pay workflows with approvals. Every account generates its own bank feed in QuickBooks Online or Xero, so bookkeepers can reconcile each bucket cleanly rather than untangling a single messy ledger. Relay also supports up to 50 physical or virtual debit cards for technicians, with spending controls per card.
Relay integrates with Gusto for payroll, Plaid for third-party apps (Wave, FreshBooks, Expensify, Venmo), and offers free sub-user access with role-based permissions. HVAC owners who want a modern, multi-account banking experience without overdraft or transaction fees, and whose CPA recommends Profit First, typically find Relay to be the best fit among fintech banks.