Relay Payments
Relay Payments is a digital payment network for the U.S. trucking and logistics industry, connecting 100,000+ carriers, 500,000+ drivers, and 3,000+ merchants on a cardless rail for fuel, lumper, and freight payments with integrated ELD-based fraud prevention.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Relay Payments does
Relay Payments is a digital payment network purpose-built for the U.S. trucking and logistics industry, founded in 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia by Ryan Droege (CEO) and Spencer Barkoff (President). The company connects freight brokers, carriers, drivers, and merchants on a single cardless payment rail covering diesel fuel, lumper fees, scales, oil and additives, and truck repairs. Its product surface includes the core Relay Payments Platform and mobile app, Relay Pulse for ELD-integrated fraud prevention, RelayAdvanced for enterprise fleet controls, RelayDirect for broker-to-carrier freight payments, RelayGo Visa Commercial Cards issued by Celtic Bank and powered by Stripe, and the Relay Clutch fuel discount program. Relay integrates natively with 250+ ELD providers, TMS platforms, and fleet management systems including Motive, Samsara, Geotab, Platform Science, and Datatruck.
The platform monetizes through transaction fees on each digital payment processed plus subscription-based access for fleet customers, with quote-based enterprise pricing on a monthly cadence. Distribution combines a self-serve mobile app for SMB carriers and owner-operators, a direct enterprise sales motion for large fleets, and channel partnerships with major truckstop and travel center chains. As of 2025, Relay reports 500,000+ drivers, 100,000+ carriers, and 3,000+ merchant locations across its network, including all three major U.S. travel center chains (Love's, Pilot Flying J, TA), Circle K, and Maverik, providing approximately 85% coverage of high-flow diesel sales. The company disclosed $37.8M in annual recurring revenue for 2024 against a $113.4M valuation and has raised approximately $43M in venture funding led by Addition with participation from Ribbit Capital, Spark Capital, 9Yards Capital, and Overline.
Relay Payments firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Relay Payments
- Legal name
- Relay Payments
- Website
- https://relaypayments.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Relay Payments is a digital payment network for the U.S. trucking and logistics industry, connecting 100,000+ carriers, 500,000+ drivers, and 3,000+ merchants on a cardless rail for fuel, lumper, and freight payments with integrated ELD-based fraud prevention.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Relay Payments industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fleet Digital Payments
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Road Transportation (4884)
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Payments & Money Movement (ACH/SEPA/FPS, Bill Pay, P2P) (FSAGAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB)
Keywords
Where Relay Payments is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Relay Payments business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Transaction Fees: Relay earns transaction fees on each digital payment processed through its platform. Fees are charged to carriers/fleets for instant payment processing and fraud-protected transactions.
- Fleet Subscription Services: Subscription-based access to the Relay payment platform providing fleets with digital payment tools, reporting, and fraud prevention capabilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Quote-based enterprise pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Relay Payments product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Relay Payments is a digital payment network purpose-built for the trucking and logistics industry. It enables cardless, instant payments for over-the-road transactions including diesel fuel, lumper fees, scales, oil and additives, and truck repairs, and supports instant broker-to-carrier freight payments through RelayDirect. The platform combines a mobile app, enterprise controls, and ELD-integrated fraud prevention (Relay Pulse) to serve fleets, carriers, drivers, freight brokers, and merchant truckstops across the U.S.
Product overview
Relay Payments operates as a unified digital payment platform for the trucking and logistics industries, consisting of a core mobile app and network that connects carriers, brokers, and merchants. The platform includes several integrated products: the Relay Payments Platform (core network for OTR payments), Relay Mobile App (driver-facing payment interface), Relay Pulse (ELD-integrated fraud prevention module), RelayAdvanced (enterprise fleet management tier), RelayDirect (broker freight payment automation), plus sub-products for fuel payments, lumper payments, scale payments, and the Relay Clutch discount program. RelayGo Visa Commercial Cards, powered by Stripe, extends payment options. The products work together as a comprehensive payment ecosystem targeting the $740B U.S. trucking industry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Relay Payments Platform Core digital payment network connecting freight brokers, fleets, drivers, and merchants for over-the-road transactions including diesel fuel, lumper fees, scales, oil and additives, and truck repairs.
- Relay Mobile App Mobile application for truck drivers enabling convenient fuel payments, lumper payments, scale payments, and access to merchants along routes via iOS and Android.
- Relay Pulse Fraud prevention product that integrates with 250+ ELD providers to automate fraud prevention, verify truck location and tank levels before fueling, eliminate manual fuel audits, and ensure every gallon goes to the right driver and vehicle.
- RelayAdvanced Enterprise-level controls for large fleets providing automation, role-based access, policy-driven fueling controls, product limits, team segmentation, and reporting built for large fleet operations.
- RelayDirect Freight payments solution for brokers enabling automation of carrier and factor payments, flexible payment terms, improved cash flow, and reduced administrative burdens; carriers can receive instant payments and use funds within Relay's network.
- Relay Fuel Payments Digital payment solution for diesel fuel purchases providing fraud protection, no hidden fees, and access to convenient locations through Relay's merchant network.
- Relay Lumper Payments Instant cash-free lumper payment solution that saves money, gets drivers off the dock faster, and ensures reimbursement with digital receipts.
- Relay Scale Payments In-app payment solution for scales at more than 2,200 CAT Scales locations nationwide, enabling seamless scale payments and consolidated OTR expenses.
- RelayGo Visa Commercial Cards Visa commercial card program powered by Stripe and issued by Celtic Bank, providing additional card-based payment options for fleet operations.
- Relay Clutch Program Discount program offering fuel savings through negotiated pricing at participating merchants, available to drivers who sign up through the Relay app.
- Relay Payment Network Network of merchants, carriers, brokers, and drivers facilitating secure digital OTR payments across the trucking industry, comprising 3,000+ merchant locations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 61% monthly savings on payment processing compared to traditional fuel cards
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Relay Payments
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Relay Payments technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration20 records
Feature4 records
Relay Payments partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.
- Platform SciencecorePlatform Science integration enables Relay's digital payment solutions to work with Platform Science's fleet management and telematics platform, providing seamless payment capabilities for their fleet customers.
- DatatruckcoreDatatruck integration allows Relay's payment solutions to connect with Datatruck's transportation management and logistics platform, enabling coordinated payment processing for carriers.
- Travel Centers of America (TA)flagshipTA travel centers across the US accept Relay's digital payments, providing fuel fraud protection and instant payment processing at TA truckstop locations. Major strategic merchant partner.
- Circle KflagshipCircle K convenience stores and travel centers accept Relay digital payments, expanding the merchant network for Relay customers at Circle K locations.
- Love'sflagshipLove's Travel Stops accepts Relay digital payments across their network of truckstops and travel centers, providing another major merchant partner for the platform.
- Pilot Flying JflagshipPilot Flying J travel centers accept Relay's digital payment solutions, making them a key merchant partner in the truckstop network.
- MaverikmajorMaverik truckstops and travel centers across the western US accept Relay digital payments, expanding merchant coverage in that region.
- Old Dominion Freight LinecoreOld Dominion uses Relay's payment platform for their fleet operations, demonstrating integration of digital payments into major carrier operations.
- Coyote LogisticscoreCoyote Logistics uses RelayDirect for instant carrier payments, replacing traditional check and ACH payment methods with digital transactions.
- SchneidercoreSchneider National utilizes Relay's digital payment solutions for their fleet operations, integrating the platform into their carrier services.
- Lineage LogisticscoreLineage Logistics uses Relay's payment platform for fleet and carrier payment processing in their temperature-controlled logistics operations.
- AMBESTmajorAMBEST, a major truckstop and travel center chain operator, partners with Relay to accept digital payments at their locations.
- Eclipse IAcoreEclipse IA integration enables Relay's payment solutions to work with Eclipse IA's fleet management and logistics technology platforms.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Relay Payments competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- WEX Inc. WEX is the largest US fleet fuel card and payment solutions provider, serving millions of drivers with established merchant acceptance and corporate spend programs. It directly competes with Relay in fleet fuel payments but operates a much broader portfolio across travel, healthcare, and benefits.
- Comdata (FleetCor): Comdata is a long-standing fleet card and trucking payments platform owned by FleetCor, with deep truckstop acceptance and corporate billing. It competes head-on with Relay on fuel card, fleet billing, and freight payment automation, but as part of a much larger global payments conglomerate.
Direct peers
- Fleetio: Fleetio is a fleet management software platform that handles fuel card integration, maintenance, and vehicle operations for thousands of fleets. While its payment offering is more fleet-management-centric than Relay's, it increasingly overlaps on fuel payments and fleet expense automation, serving similar mid-market fleet customers.
- AtoB: AtoB is a fintech platform for truckers providing fuel payments, banking, and payroll specifically targeting the trucking industry. It competes directly with Relay on digital fuel payments and fleet banking, with a similar product-led mobile-first approach.
- PayCargo: PayCargo is a digital payment network specifically built for the freight and logistics industry, enabling shippers, freight forwarders, and carriers to settle invoices electronically. It directly competes with RelayDirect on B2B freight payment automation.
Emerging players
- Motive (formerly KeepTruckin): Motive provides ELDs, fleet management, and integrated fuel/fraud management for commercial fleets. Its Motive Card and fuel modules overlap with Relay's payments and fraud prevention capabilities, particularly through its native integration with Relay Pulse.
- Samsara: Samsara is a leading fleet management and IoT platform with growing payments and spend management capabilities, including a fuel card program. It competes indirectly via its fleet software suite and integrates directly with Relay Pulse for fraud prevention.
- Highway (formerly Trucker Path): Highway provides freight factoring and carrier payment solutions, enabling carriers to get paid faster after loads are delivered. It competes in adjacent freight payment automation space to RelayDirect, particularly serving small carriers and owner-operators.
Regional players
- Truckstop.com: Truckstop.com is a freight matching and load board platform with an integrated payments arm serving US carriers and brokers. It overlaps with Relay's freight payments offering, particularly for small carriers using its load board, and serves as an alternative channel for freight settlement.
Others
- Platform Science: Platform Science is an in-vehicle technology platform that integrates third-party apps, including Relay's payment solution, into fleet cab tablets. It is a distribution partner rather than a direct competitor, enabling Relay to reach drivers through its Virtual Vehicle marketplace.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Relay Payments social profiles
Digital presenceRelay Payments financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Relay Payments leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Relay Payments funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Relay Payments M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Relay Payments
What does Relay Payments do?
Relay Payments is a digital payment network purpose-built for the trucking and logistics industry. It enables cardless, instant payments for over-the-road transactions including diesel fuel, lumper fees, scales, oil and additives, and truck repairs, and supports instant broker-to-carrier freight payments through RelayDirect. The platform combines a mobile app, enterprise controls, and ELD-integrated fraud prevention (Relay Pulse) to serve fleets, carriers, drivers, freight brokers, and merchant truckstops across the U.S.
Is Relay Payments a public or private company?
Relay Payments is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Relay Payments founded?
Relay Payments was founded in 2019. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Relay Payments based?
Relay Payments is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Relay Payments make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are fleet Subscription Services.
Who are Relay Payments's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are WEX Inc. and Comdata (FleetCor). Direct peers are Fleetio, AtoB and PayCargo. Emerging players are Motive (formerly KeepTruckin), Samsara and Highway (formerly Trucker Path). Truckstop.com is listed as a regional player. Platform Science is listed as an others.
Does Relay Payments have an API?
No public API is recorded for Relay Payments.
What industry is Relay Payments in?
Relay Payments's product category is Fleet Digital Payments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAAAF, Digital Payments & Money Movement (ACH/SEPA/FPS, Bill Pay, P2P), with a secondary code of FSAGALAB, Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets). Its NAICS code is 4884 and its SIC code is 4700.