Before You Create a Savings Plan
Make sure you have secured your wallet by writing down your 12-word recovery phrase offline and in a safe place before making your first purchase. Learn more about how to make a wallet backup here. Securely record your 12-word recovery phrase offline to ensure that you can recover your wallet and access your funds should you lose access to the app.
How to Create a Savings Plan with Relai
Download the Relai app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
Tap the ( + ) icon in the navigation bar.
Select 'Buy'.
Enter the amount you want to buy.
Tap 'Weekly savings plan' or 'Monthly savings plan' to set the investment cycle.
Choose your first buy date: today, or any date up to 3 months ahead.
Under 'Select your payment method', choose between:
Bank transfer → Add your personal IBAN, from which you will manually transfer the money.
Credit/debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay for instant payments.
(Optional) Add a referral code to save 0.1% on fees.
If you want to buy bitcoin directly to an external wallet, select this option.
Review your order details.
Confirm the purchase. For bank transfers, schedule your standing order, ideally the same day or 1 day after creating the savings plan, to ensure it matches the order's timing.
If you selected bank transfer, switch to your banking app and send the exact amount in the correct currency from the IBAN you added as the payment method to the displayed Relai bank account to avoid a refund.
💡 Tips & Notes
Only transfer money once your buy order shows the status 'Awaiting payment'.
A payment reference is not necessary. The money will be assigned correctly automatically as long as the IBAN, amount, and currency match.
If you selected credit/debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, the payment will be debited automatically at each scheduled interval.
Setting up a savings plan with a card, Apple Pay or Google Pay? You’ll confirm a 0 EUR/CHF verification payment (or authorize Apple Pay/Google Pay). This saves your payment method for all future orders of your plan.
You can edit an active savings plan at any time, for example to change the amount, currency, or payment method. Learn how to do it here.
You can have up to five active savings plans at the same time.
Do not send any payments before the execution date. Payments made early will not be matched and may be refunded.
Each month, your first recurring monthly savings plan order of up to 100 CHF/EUR is fee-free. This applies per order, not per plan.
Savings plan schedules are fixed to the plan creation cycle. Weekly plans operate every 7 days, and monthly plans every 30 days, with days potentially shifting based on month length.
🇪🇺 EU vs. 🇨🇭 Switzerland Savings Plan Rules
Here is a clear overview of the differences, especially related to bank transfer savings plans:
| EU 🇪🇺 | CH 🇨🇭 |
Payment window for bank transfer | 7 days to pay the order | Up to 45 days until payment must arrive |
Order creation time | Auto-Invest order is automatically created at midnight on the execution date | Order is created at the moment of plan creation and remains open until payment arrives |
Early payments
| Weekly DCA: order opens 2 days before the scheduled execution date and expires after 7 days; | Most Swiss transfers arrive instantly. Early payments are usually not matched, unless the money arrives exactly when the auto-invest order opens. |
What happens if payment is missed? | Order expires automatically after 7 days → must wait until the next execution cycle | Order stays open for 45 days before cancellation |
Credit card recurring orders | No change → Payment is taken automatically on execution day | No change → Payment is taken automatically on execution day |
📌 Key Information for EU Users (New MiCA Rules)
7 days payment window You have exactly 7 days to pay your Auto-Invest bank transfer once the order is created.
Order is created at midnight Your Auto-Invest order is generated automatically at 00:00 (midnight) on the execution date.
Exchange rate updates every 30 minutes Your Bitcoin price is locked for 30 minutes from when your order is created. If funds aren't received within 30 minutes, the price automatically updates to the current market rate and the window resets. You can view your open order at any time from the savings plan overview screen to see the current price and payment details.
What happens if you pay before the execution date For weekly auto-invest plans, your order is created 2 days before your scheduled date and stays open for 7 days. For monthly plans, your order is created 4 days before your scheduled date and stays open for 28 days. If your payment doesn't arrive in time, the order expires and a new one opens on your next scheduled date.
Missed payment? If the 7-day window passes, the order expires and you must wait until the next auto-invest date.
No changes for credit card recurring payments These continue to be processed automatically on schedule.
Email confirmation EU users receive an email showing the price at midnight when the order is created.
