Mercury vs Relay: what each publishes
As of October 17, 2026, Mercury takes these industries by its own published rules: AI and SaaS; Marketplace, with conditions. We hold no such rule from Relay.
Not a ranking: the two names are in alphabetical order. The free check applies every provider’s rules to your own answers.
Where it takes companies from
Policy by industry
| Industry | Mercury | Relay |
|---|---|---|
| AI and SaaS | Yes | No published rule |
| Marketplace | With conditions | No published rule |
| Crypto | Depends on the activity | No |
| iGaming | No | No |
| Adult | No | No |
| Unlicensed financial services | No | No |
| Forex and CFD | No published rule | No published rule |
Where owners must live
Mercury
No published rule
Relay
No published rule
Rules about countries
Mercury
To open a Mercury account, your company must be formed and registered in the United States or a U.S. territory.
United Kingdom, EU / EEA (western & northern, plus Spain, Italy, Portugal), EU / EEA (Baltics, central & eastern, plus Croatia, Greece, Cyprus, Malta), Switzerland / Liechtenstein, United Arab Emirates, Developed Asia-Pacific, CIS / Central Asia / Caucasus, Latin America, Middle East & North Africa, Africa, Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Other offshore centres, FATF-listed jurisdictions, Other
However, we're unable to open accounts for founders who live in – or businesses that operate or do business in – any of the countries and regions listed below. This is based on your country of residence, not your citizenship or nationality.
All countries named (51)
Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Croatia, Cuba, DR Congo, Eritrea, Gambia, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Maldives, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Philippines, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
Relay
Relay cannot open a Relay Account for any business owner who holds citizenship or residency in one of the following countries
All countries named (31)
Afghanistan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Cuba, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe
Fees
Mercury
| Plan | Account opening | Monthly | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Free to open ('opening a Mercury business account is free') | USD 0 a month | · Source |
| Mercury Plus | Free to open ('opening a Mercury business account is free') | USD 29.90 a month billed annually; USD 35 a month billed monthly | · Source |
| Mercury Pro | Free to open ('opening a Mercury business account is free') | USD 299 a month billed annually; more when billed monthly | · Source |
Relay
| Plan | Account opening | Monthly | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free to open ('Getting started costs nothing') | USD 0 a month | · Source |
| Grow | Free to open ('Getting started costs nothing') | USD 30 a month, with a 14-day trial | · Source |
| Scale | Free to open ('Getting started costs nothing') | USD 90 a month, discounted for a limited time from USD 120 | · Source |
Closing an account
Mercury
We may terminate this Agreement, or suspend your Account, at Mercury’s discretion or as provided in the Provider Account Agreements. We will provide notice of termination or suspension to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Relay
We may also suspend or close your Account, or suspend, or disable any service or feature of your Account, at our discretion with or without notice.
Licence
| Licensee | Mercury | Relay |
|---|---|---|
| Licensee | Mercury Technologies Inc. · banking services via Choice Financial Group (FDIC cert 9423) and Column N.A. (FDIC cert 58224) (US) | Relay Financial Technologies Inc. · financial technology company, not a bank · banking services by Thread Bank (FDIC cert 9499), Member FDIC |
| Regulator | FDIC-insured partner banks · | FDIC (partner bank Thread Bank) · |