Relay vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs.
Relay (R68/100) and Marcus by Goldman Sachs (M58/100), scored on the same six pillars and compared row-by-row. Every cell is sourced from licence registers and live pricing pages, not opinion. Relay leads Marcus by Goldman Sachs 3-0.
| M Marcus by Goldman Sachs №56 · OCC 58 /100 | R Relay №43 · FDIC 68 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 58 /100 | 68 /100 |
| Fees | ||
| Monthly fee Cheapest paid tier (€0 if free) | €0 Free tier | €0 Free tier |
| FX markup Debit card abroad | Interbank | Interbank |
| Free FX / month EUR equivalent | €0 | €0 |
| Free ATM Before fee kicks in | — | — |
| Protection | ||
| Banking licence Tier | Payment inst. OCC | Partner-bank FDIC |
| Deposit guarantee Per depositor | Safeguarded US.FDIC | Safeguarded No DGS |
| Reach | ||
| Markets served Licensed jurisdictions | 1 country | 1 country |
| Crypto Coins available | No | No |
| Stocks & ETFs Self-directed | No | No |
| UX | ||
| Trustpilot Customer score | — | — |
| App store iOS + Android avg | 4.5 ★ iOS 4.6 · And 4.5 | 4.7 ★ iOS 4.8 · And 4.6 |
| Read review → | Read review → | |
Pick Marcus by Goldman Sachs if…
Online-savings + CD-only product from Goldman Sachs Bank USA. No checking, no debit, no investing — purely a yield destination. Goldman institutional pedigree and headline APY among top-quartile US chartered banks. The savings-only counterpart to Ally for depositors with checking elsewhere.
Pick Relay if…
The Profit-First-aligned multi-checking neobank — 20 real checking accounts (not virtual envelopes) and 50 debit cards under one login, with granular multi-user roles. Where Mercury / Bluevine / Novo all give you one operating account plus virtual sub-pockets, Relay gives you 20 separately-FDIC-mapped checking accounts that auto-transfer between each other on percentage- or amount-based rules. That is the structural fit for Mike Michalowicz's Profit First method (Income / Profit / Owner's Pay / Tax / OpEx envelopes), and Relay has been the official Profit First banking platform since 2023. Sponsor bank is Thread Bank (TN-chartered) with a $3M sweep — Thread's May 2024 FDIC consent order was terminated December 2025 with no customer-funds incident at Relay.
- Best for fees Tied
- Best for protection Relay won 1 of 2
- Best for reach Tied
- Best for ux Relay won 1 of 2
Relay vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs — FAQ
Quick answers to the four questions the search-bar asks most about a head-to-head.
Is Marcus by Goldman Sachs better than Relay?
Under our v3 methodology, Relay leads Marcus by Goldman Sachs 3–0 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: Marcus by Goldman Sachs 58/100 vs Relay 68/100. Relay is stronger overall, but the right pick depends on which row matters most to you — fees, protection, reach, or app quality.
Is Marcus by Goldman Sachs or Relay cheaper?
Monthly fee — Marcus by Goldman Sachs: €0; Relay: €0. Card FX markup — Marcus by Goldman Sachs: Interbank; Relay: Interbank. Tied across fee rows. See the Fees section of the matrix above for ATM caps and the rest.
Which is safer for deposits, Marcus by Goldman Sachs or Relay?
Marcus by Goldman Sachs holds a Payment inst. licence under OCC; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Relay holds a Partner-bank licence under FDIC; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Relay is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.
Where can I use Marcus by Goldman Sachs and Relay?
Marcus by Goldman Sachs operates in 1 country; Relay operates in 1 country. Check each provider's signup page for the live country list — eligibility depends on residency, not just the licence footprint.
Want a 3- or 4-way comparison?
The dynamic compare picker handles up to four banks. Add this pair plus one or two more and we'll resolve every row.