Relay

Relay Merchant Dashboard
Relay Shop Dashboard
Relay Shop Analytics
Relay Shop Rules
Relay Demo Shop
Relay Demo Shop Verification

Inspiration

Online credit card fraud is a growing problem that costs merchants billions annually while creating friction for legitimate customers. We wanted to create a solution that stops fraud at its source by establishing trusted identities that work across all merchants, eliminating the need for repeated verification while protecting businesses.

What it does

Relay creates a secure, cross-merchant identity network that verifies customers once and allows them to shop everywhere with trusted authentication. When a customer makes a purchase, Relay instantly checks if their payment method is linked to a verified identity, providing seamless one-tap verification for returning customers while guiding new customers through a one-time setup process.

How we built it

We built Relay using Flask for the backend API, SQLAlchemy for database management, and Twilio for SMS verification, with WebAuthn integration for biometric authentication. The frontend SDK is a lightweight JavaScript library that merchants can integrate with a single script tag, while our analytics dashboard provides real-time fraud detection metrics and verification insights.

Challenges we ran into

Payment providers like Stripe and PayPal have strict security requirements that prevent merchants from accessing raw credit card information, making it difficult to match verification identities to users during checkout. Our solution was to implement platform-specific fingerprints using their APIs, creating a maintainable architecture that allows cross-platform authentication and identity creation without compromising security.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We successfully implemented biometric authentication through WebAuthn, providing users with secure, passwordless verification options. The experience is completely frictionless, with end users not needing to explicitly manage accounts or install additional software, regardless of their platform or device.

What we learned

Building a fraud prevention system requires balancing security with user experience, as overly complex verification processes can drive away legitimate customers. We discovered that the key to success is creating a seamless experience that works behind the scenes while providing merchants with the security they need.

What's next for Relay

We plan to expand Relay by interviewing ecommerce businesses to understand their specific fraud prevention needs and pain points, ensuring our product solves real problems in the market. Additionally, we're exploring advanced client-side fraud detection using neural networks to analyze keystroke patterns, copy-paste events, and other behavioral indicators, while maintaining our focus on the core fundamentals of secure, frictionless authentication.