Amazon Relay payment schedule: when do carriers get paid?

When does Amazon Relay pay carriers?

Amazon pays on a weekly cycle. Here is the rule, word for word, from Amazon's Relay FAQ: "Payment cycle runs weekly from Sunday-Saturday. Everything completed before 23:59 Saturday will be paid out the following week on Friday."

So the week closes Saturday night and payday is the Friday after. Amazon's rates guide puts it simply: "Amazon pays carriers weekly for completed loads." Contract work runs on the same rhythm. Amazon's contracts guide says you're paid weekly for all work completed the week before.

How long does Amazon Relay take to pay?

Amazon calls it 7-day pay. Its RelayCon 2026 experts post mentions "7-day payment terms and no factoring fees." Its broker comparison says "With Relay, you typically get paid within 7 days," and contrasts that with "30-60 day waits for payouts from logistics brokers."

The rule that actually sets your payday is the FAQ one above. Look at which Sunday to Saturday week the load was completed in, then find the Friday after that week. A load completed after 23:59 Saturday isn't in that week's batch.

What Amazon does and doesn't say about factoring is in Amazon Relay factoring and quick pay.

What are Amazon Relay's payment terms?

Here's what Amazon publishes:

• Weekly cycle. Sunday to Saturday, paid the following Friday.
• No invoicing on your end. The FAQ says "Amazon Relay will generate invoices automatically."
• Pay shown before you book. The rates guide says you see the full payout upfront, broken into base rate, fuel surcharge and tolls.
• No factoring fees. Amazon's RelayCon 2026 experts post pairs 7-day payment terms with no factoring fees.
• Bank details at signup. The application steps end with "Payment information."

Amazon doesn't publish the payment terms in its carrier agreement, the payment method (ACH or check), what time money lands on Friday, or holiday changes to the Friday payout. For what loads pay per mile, see our guide to how much Amazon Relay pays.

Thinking about factoring anyway? Read Amazon Relay factoring and quick pay first.

Where do you see Relay invoices and payment status?

In your company's Relay account. The FAQ says "You will be able to review all invoices and payments in Amazon Relay portal." The rates guide adds that you can track payment status there too.

What does "payment pending" mean on Amazon Relay?

Amazon doesn't publish what "pending" means or how long it lasts. What you can check yourself:

1. The completion date. Was the load completed before 23:59 Saturday? If not, it belongs to a later week.
2. The invoice. Open it in the portal and compare it to the base rate, fuel and tolls you saw when you booked.
3. Fraud checks. The only cause of a payment delay Amazon names on its public pages is fraud. Its geospoofing post says fake GPS leads to "payment delays during fraud investigations."

What should you check when an Amazon Relay payment looks wrong?

Amazon doesn't publish a list of common payment issues. These checks come straight from what it does publish:

• Amount vs. breakdown. Line up each invoice with the pay breakdown from booking.
• Loads you didn't haul. Amazon's geospoofing post says: "Review your invoices to make sure they match loads your company actually hauled." Report fraud to relay-network-reports@amazon.com.
• Bank account changes. If your bank details changed and you didn't change them, the FAQ says to report it through the Support Center while logged into your Relay account.

To see what a single load really left you, run it through our free Relay load calculator. It shows net, net per loaded mile and break-even for one load.

How do you dispute an Amazon Relay payment?

Through the portal. The FAQ says: "You can submit payment disputes directly through Amazon Relay portal within 30 days of reviewing your weekly invoice."

Amazon doesn't publish what proof it wants, how long a review takes, or whether a correction comes in the next pay cycle or separately. So review each invoice the week it posts and file soon if something's off. Our Amazon Relay disputes guide covers payment disputes next to performance disputes and the other types.

Does Amazon Relay pay detention, TONU or layover?

Amazon publishes no detention, TONU, layover or lumper policy for Relay. When we checked all 139 pages in Relay's public sitemap on October 14, 2026, none of them used the words "detention" or "layover."

Here's what Amazon does publish:

• The price is all-in. Amazon's load board guide says spot loads are "booked at the all-in price listed on Relay's load board. The base rate, fuel surcharges, and tolls charges are included."
• "Accessorials" means fuel and tolls. Amazon's auctions guide says "Accessorials (fuel and tolls) are paid after the load is complete."
• Fuel surcharge is paid. The rates guide says it "adjusts based on current fuel prices." Amazon says it's added in accordance with its Relay Program Policies, which aren't public, and it doesn't publish the formula.
• Blocks pay in full. The load board guide says "Blocks are typically paid in full even if your drivers and equipment aren't needed." The Post A Truck guide says the same for matched blocks, and the contracts guide says Amazon pays "a competitive rate if the full block of time isn't used."
• Lumper fees. Amazon doesn't publish who pays a lumper on a Relay load or how it's reimbursed.

If a load runs late, Amazon's free freight search post says you can call the Relay Operations Center "about delays or unexpected changes to a load." Amazon's hours of service post says reporting changes helps your performance score reflect "only the factors within your control." It doesn't say reporting adds pay.

Detention, TONU and layover rates you may see online come from Amazon Freight's shipper terms. Those are charges Amazon Freight bills to shippers, not what Relay pays carriers.

If pay on a delayed or changed load looks wrong, check the breakdown, then use the payment dispute route above. Amazon doesn't say whether that route covers accessorial claims.

Where does NudoIQ fit?

NudoIQ is a Chrome extension for the Relay load board. It's an independent tool, not affiliated with Amazon. It shows net and net per mile under the price on every load card, from costs you set once, and Lane Intelligence shows a lane's price history. So you know what a load should leave you before you book it, not when the invoice posts. It's free for 7 days with no card needed to start, then $49.99 a month.