Best for: European savers who want bitcoin delivered straight into a self-custodial app with minimal steps.
Consider if: You plan to pair a hardware wallet with recurring buys and prefer SEPA funding over keeping cash on an exchange.
Not ideal when: You need Lightning withdrawals, desktop trading tools, or live outside Relai's supported countries.
Gotcha: Never take a photo of the recovery phrase or store it in email.
Gotcha: SEPA transfers must match the currency quoted in the order or your bank may reverse the payment.
Gotcha: Auto-invest stays free only on your first active plan up to 100 CHF/€ each month.
Open the Relai web app, go to Settings > Wallets, choose Add new wallet address, select your hardware wallet, and sign the message on the device.
Most SEPA transfers arrive within one to two business days; Relai executes the order and broadcasts the bitcoin once funds land.
Yes. Open Orders, tap your plan, and you can change the amount, pause the schedule, or cancel it entirely.
SEPA bank transfer: Free (Relai)
Credit/debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay: ~3.0% processor fee
What happens:
Standard SEPA takes 1-2 days, but SEPA Instant transfers settle in minutes 24/7.
Save money:
Use SEPA for larger orders, match the transfer currency to your quote, and avoid card funding unless you need the speed.
Only send funds from the bank account you registered in Relai so the transfer auto-matches to your pending order.
Relai service fee: 1%
Invite code applied: 0.9%
Auto-invest free tier: 0% on first plan up to 100 CHF/€ per month
Dynamic spread: Up to 1%
What happens:
Relai quotes a live price, applies the service fee, then sends bitcoin to your wallet once payment clears.
Save money:
Enter an invite code before you confirm, keep the free auto-invest plan within the monthly cap, and batch larger buys to reduce card fees.
Relai covers the mining fee on buys, so the sats you receive already include the on-chain fee they paid.
Bitcoin network fee: Varies with mempool
What happens:
You send bitcoin from your Relai wallet on-chain to any external address, covering the mining fee yourself.
Save money:
Wait for lower network fees and consolidate small UTXOs when the mempool clears.
Relai pays the mining fee on buys but you cover it on manual sends to hardware wallets or other addresses.
Yes. Relai pays the mining fee on purchases, so the sats you receive already include the on-chain cost.
Your first active auto-invest plan up to 100 CHF/€ per month runs at 0%; any extra volume or additional plans revert to the standard 1% fee.
Add an invite code to drop buys to 0.9%, stick with SEPA transfers to avoid card fees, and schedule buys within the free auto-invest allowance.
Best for: Fee-free funding that settles instantly with SEPA Instant banks.
| Min per transaction | €50 / 50 CHF |
|---|---|
| Max per transaction | Up to €100,000 per order |
| Max per day | Depends on verification |
| Max per week | Depends on verification |
| Withdrawal eligibility | Relai broadcasts once funds arrive |
Best for: Instant buys with cards, Apple Pay, or Google Pay when you accept the processor fee
| Min per transaction | €50 / 50 CHF |
|---|---|
| Max per transaction | Varies by issuer |
| Max per day | Varies by issuer |
| Max per week | Varies by issuer |
| Withdrawal eligibility | Immediate once the payment clears |
Relai does not support Lightning deposits; all buys settle on-chain.
Self-custodial settlement Mining fee covered on buys
Relai keeps your bitcoin in the self-custodial wallet on your device, so buys land on-chain without waiting for withdrawal windows.
Gotcha: SEPA orders broadcast only after the transfer arrives, and network congestion can still slow confirmation even though Relai covers the fee.
BitBox, Ledger, Trezor Desktop signing required
Linking a hardware wallet lets you combine Relai's easy buys with cold storage security.
Gotcha: Hardware wallet signing requires the Relai web app on a desktop browser; mobile browsers cannot pass the USB signature yet.
Weekly or monthly First plan up to 100 CHF/€ is 0%
Recurring buys help you stack sats consistently while keeping custody on your phone.
Gotcha: Only your first active plan up to 100 CHF/€ per month stays fee-free; extra volume reverts to the 1% service fee.
Cold storage keeps long-term savings offline and away from phone risks.
Gotcha: Never store the new seed digitally or reuse the seed Relai generated for your mobile wallet.
Fresh addresses protect privacy and make tracking easier.
Gotcha: Use each address once; hardware wallets make it easy to generate a new one for every withdrawal.
Testing the flow confirms your address and keeps stress low for bigger moves.
Gotcha: Wait for at least one confirmation before moving the rest.
Finish the migration so your long-term sats live in cold storage.
Gotcha: Relai covers mining fees on buys but not on withdrawals, so wait for quieter mempool periods when possible.
No. Relai never sees your 12-word seed, so the only recovery path is the backup you create.
Relai does not coordinate multisig today; pair the app with a hardware wallet or move large balances to a dedicated multisig provider.
Relai issues a fresh address for every order; keep using new addresses to limit on-chain linking.
No. Relai never stores your 12-word seed, so only your offline backup can restore the wallet.
Not yet. All withdrawals and deliveries run on-chain today.
Use the in-app support chat or email support@relai.app to request data export or account deletion as outlined in their privacy policy.
Terms for Swiss and EEA clients
Terms & conditionsPrivacy notice for customer data
Privacy policy
Relai, founded in 2020 in Zürich, Switzerland, is an app designed for beginners to buy and save Bitcoin easily. It stands out from competitors with its non-custodial wallet, meaning users control thei...
Relai, founded in 2020 in Zürich, Switzerland, is an app designed for beginners to buy and save Bitcoin easily. It stands out from competitors with its non-custodial wallet, meaning users control their Bitcoin via a 12-word seed phrase. After purchasing Bitcoin, it will be directly sent to your wallet.
Relai charges a 1% service fee on each buy, drops to 0.9% when you enter an invite code, applies a dynamic spread of up to 1%, and waives the fee on your first auto-invest plan up to 100 CHF/€ per month.
Yes. Open Settings > Wallets in the Relai web app, connect your BitBox, Ledger, or Trezor, and sign the verification message so future buys settle to that address.
Relai orders start at 50 CHF or €50 whether you buy once or set up an auto-invest plan.
You can fund purchases with a manual SEPA transfer or use credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, or Google Pay for instant settlement, though cards add about 3% per order.
Relai focuses on Switzerland and the broader EEA, so confirm availability in your local app store and review which payment options are enabled in your country.
