SMB Banking + Bill Pay ComparisonLast updated March 2026
Cleo Pay vs. Relay: Full AP Automation, Not Just Bill Pay
Cleo Pay is a hospitality-focused AP automation platform with no extra fee for standard ACH, same-day payments on Growth and higher plans, and 1099-NEC forms prepared from your payments and e-filed with the IRS. Relay is a small business banking platform that includes bill pay as a secondary feature. Relay's free plan offers basic bill pay, but same-day ACH costs $5 per transaction, there is no 1099 generation or e-filing, and the platform lacks hospitality-specific features. For restaurants, venues, and hotels, Cleo Pay offers purpose-built features like AI category matching, one-link vendor onboarding, and multi-location P&L segmentation that Relay does not provide.
Max plan: $399/mo billed yearly ($499 monthly), 300 payments and 15 seats included
$90/mo (Scale plan for same-day ACH and approval workflows)
ACH Transaction Fees
No extra fee (200 payments fit in Max's 300 included)
$0 (standard ACH is free on all plans)
Expedited Payments (10/mo)
Same-day available on Max
$1 x 10 = $10/mo (Scale plan, after 10 free same-day)
Monthly Total
Max plan fee only
~$100/mo (Scale plan + same-day fees)
Annual Total
Max plan fee only
~$1,200/year
3-Year Cost (no growth)
Max plan fee only
~$3,600
Estimated annual savings vs Relay
$1,200+
in transaction and per-user fees your team keeps
Relay is affordable, especially on the free Starter plan. But the cost savings come with trade-offs that matter for restaurant groups: no 1099 generation, no e-filing, basic invoice OCR, no multi-entity management, and same-day ACH costs $1-$5 per payment. For hospitality businesses that need full AP automation, the low sticker price masks the operational cost of patching together third-party tools for tax compliance, approval workflows, and multi-location reporting.
Payment Speed
When Do Your Vendors Get Paid?
Standard ACH
Cleo PayAvailable on every planNo extra fee
Relay1-2 business days (next-day ACH, no cutoff)$0
Same-Day ACH
Cleo PayOn Growth and higher plansIncluded in Growth and higher plans
RelayAvailable on all plans. Before 3 PM EST for same-day delivery$1-$5/payment (varies by plan)
Domestic Wire
Cleo PayN/AN/A
RelayAvailable on all plans$5-$8/wire (varies by plan)
Paper Check
Cleo PayN/AN/A
Relay8-10 business days after mailing$0
The Pay screen: what you paid, what is coming up, what is overdue, and a Pay button on every unpaid bill.
See it on your own invoices.
Bring three to five real bills to the call.
We scan and code them live, QuickBooks sync included.
Both platforms integrate with QuickBooks Online, but the depth differs. Relay provides bank feed sync and bill pay integration, automatically importing unpaid bills and recording payments. Cleo Pay goes further with AI-powered category matching designed for hospitality charts of accounts, native class and location code mapping for multi-location restaurants, and intelligent vendor sync that reduces manual reconciliation work.
QuickBooks Integration comparison between Cleo Pay and Relay
Feature
Cleo Pay
Relay
QBO Support
Yes, native integration
Yes, bank feeds and bill pay sync
QB Desktop Support
On roadmap
Not supported
Category Mapping
AI-powered automatic matching
Auto-sync with QBO chart of accounts
Vendor Sync
Automatic bi-directional
Auto-import from QBO; payments recorded back
Payment Reconciliation
Auto-marked as paid in QB
Payments automatically recorded in QBO
Multi-Location Mapping
Native class/location code mapping
Up to 20 accounts for organization. No dedicated multi-entity features
Setup Complexity
Connect QuickBooks Online in the app
Straightforward QBO connection, same-day setup
1099 Compliance & Tax Filing
This is a significant gap for Relay. While Relay collects W-9 forms during vendor setup and offers a W-9 report feature that exports key data into a CSV file, it does not generate 1099-MISC or 1099-NEC forms and does not support e-filing. Businesses must export their data and use third-party 1099 software (Tax1099, Track1099) or upload records into QuickBooks for filing. Cleo Pay collects W-9s during vendor onboarding, runs IRS TIN matching, and prepares 1099-NEC forms from your payments. For restaurant groups managing dozens of 1099 contractors (event staff, DJs, freelance photographers, specialty vendors), the difference between forms prepared from your payments and manual CSV exports shows up at year-end.
Vendor Onboarding
Both platforms offer link-based vendor onboarding. Relay sends vendors a secure email link where they enter banking details and upload a W-9. Cleo Pay provides a similar one-link vendor portal, but adds payment preference selection and integrates W-9 data directly into the 1099 compliance workflow. The core difference is what happens after onboarding: with Relay, you still need third-party tools to produce 1099 forms. With Cleo Pay, the W-9 a vendor submits feeds the 1099-NEC forms prepared from your payments and e-filed with the IRS.
Customer Support & Experience
Relay is generally well-regarded for support responsiveness, with live chat answered in under 60 seconds during business hours (M-F, 9 AM to 8 PM EST). On Trustpilot, Relay holds a 4.2-4.4/5 rating across 3,077+ reviews. However, a recurring complaint involves account freezes due to compliance and fraud reviews, where funds can be held for up to two weeks with little transparency on timelines or required documentation. For hospitality businesses that depend on daily vendor payments, an account freeze can be devastating. Cleo Pay offers a dedicated support team with hospitality industry knowledge, founded by operators who understand that a delayed food order or a frozen payment run can shut down service. Direct access with no ticket queues.
Honest Positioning
Who Should Use What
Cleo Pay is best for...
Restaurant groups, venues, hotels, and event production companies
No extra fee for standard ACH payments
Same-day vendor payments on Growth and higher plans
AI-powered invoice processing built for food and beverage
One-link vendor onboarding with automatic W-9 capture
Multi-location P&L segmentation by class and location code
A support team that understands the pace of hospitality
Relay may work for...
Small businesses and freelancers who need free banking with built-in bill pay
Solopreneurs and early-stage businesses that want zero monthly fees
Businesses that use Profit First methodology and need multi-account organization
Companies that want banking, bill pay, and invoicing combined in one platform
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cleo Pay better than Relay for restaurants?
Cleo Pay is purpose-built for hospitality with features like multi-location P&L segmentation, AI category matching for food and beverage accounts, 1099-NEC forms prepared from your payments and e-filed with the IRS, and a dedicated hospitality support team. Relay is a banking platform with bill pay added on. It works well for general small businesses, but lacks 1099 generation, multi-entity management, advanced invoice processing, and hospitality-specific workflows that restaurant groups need.
Is Relay really free for bill pay?
Relay's Starter plan is free and includes basic bill pay with free standard ACH transfers. However, same-day ACH costs $5 per transaction on the free plan, approval workflows require the Grow plan ($30/month), and advanced features like AI invoice reminders and cash flow insights require the Scale plan ($90/month). For restaurant groups needing same-day payments and approval workflows, the effective cost adds up. Cleo Pay includes same-day payments on Growth and higher plans.
How long does Relay take to pay vendors?
Standard ACH through Relay takes 1-2 business days with next-day processing and no cutoff time. Same-day ACH is available on all plans if sent before 3 PM EST, but costs $1-$5 per transaction depending on your plan. Paper checks take 8-10 business days. Cleo Pay sends standard ACH with no extra fee, or same-day payments on Growth and higher plans.
Can I switch from Relay to Cleo Pay?
Yes. Cleo Pay is designed for fast onboarding. You can connect your bank account and QuickBooks, import vendors, and start paying. If you are using Relay primarily for bill pay and have outgrown its capabilities, Cleo Pay provides the full AP automation, 1099 compliance, and multi-location features that restaurant groups need.
Does Cleo Pay work with QuickBooks?
Yes. Cleo Pay offers a native QuickBooks Online integration with AI-powered category matching and automatic vendor sync. Unlike basic bank feed integrations, Cleo Pay intelligently maps your hospitality chart of accounts and supports class and location code segmentation for multi-location restaurants.
What's the best AP automation for restaurants?
The best AP automation for restaurants should offer predictable payment fees, fast vendor payments, W-9 and 1099 support, and multi-location support. Cleo Pay was built by hospitality operators specifically for these needs, with no extra fee for standard ACH and same-day payments on Growth and higher plans. Banking platforms like Relay are great for basic bill pay, but restaurant groups typically outgrow them once they need full AP automation, tax compliance, and multi-entity reporting.
Does Relay handle 1099 filing?
No. Relay collects W-9 forms during vendor setup and offers a W-9 report export feature, but it does not generate 1099 forms or support e-filing. You need third-party 1099 software like Tax1099 or Track1099, or you can upload records into QuickBooks for filing. Cleo Pay collects W-9s during vendor onboarding, runs IRS TIN matching, and prepares 1099-NEC forms from your payments.
More Comparisons
See how Cleo Pay stacks up against other AP automation platforms.
No extra fee for standard ACH. Same-day payments on Growth and higher plans. 1099-NEC forms prepared from your payments and e-filed with the IRS. Real AP automation for restaurants, not just bill pay.
