From India’s first UPI-powered branch to a no-fee UPI credit card, slice blends technology, transparency, and speed to reshape how Indians access credit and banking services.
Bengaluru, NFAPost: In a move that could redefine how Indians think about credit and banking, slice has unveiled two industry firsts — the slice UPI credit card and India’s first UPI-powered physical bank branch and ATM.
The announcements mark a significant milestone for the Bengaluru-based fintech-turned-full-stack bank, signalling its ambition to make formal credit and modern banking accessible to every Indian — from tech-savvy urban millennials to underserved rural customers.
“Credit on UPI will be the next big leap for credit access and inclusion in this country,” said Satish Kumar Kalra, MD & CEO of slice. “We are reimagining banking from first principles, building a system where technology, simplicity, and trust come together to serve every Indian. This is just the beginning of a journey that will redefine banking as we know it.”
The UPI Credit Card for Everyone
Unlike traditional credit cards, the slice UPI credit card is designed for a digital-first India. It comes with no joining or annual fee and allows users to make purchases simply by scanning a QR code or making a UPI payment — drawing funds directly from their credit line.
The card offers up to 3% cashback on all spends and an instant “slice in 3” feature, which lets users convert transactions into three interest-free instalments.
With UPI adoption soaring to more than 400 million users, slice sees a massive untapped market — an estimated 200 million credit-eligible Indians who remain underserved. The company hopes its UPI credit card will bridge this gap and bring formal credit to millions.
“The credit card is a 75-year-old product, but in India it must be reimagined with UPI as the catalyst,” said Rajan Bajaj, Founder and Executive Director of slice. “If we want to make UPI credit cards meaningful, we must focus on getting the credit part right. It’s not just a digital layer — it’s about delivering the right form of credit at the point of sale for 300 million customers.”
India’s First UPI-Integrated Bank Branch
Alongside the credit card launch, slice opened India’s first UPI-powered bank branch in Bengaluru’s Koramangala. The branch offers UPI ATMs capable of handling both cash deposits and withdrawals without requiring an account number, IFSC code, or debit card.
Customers can also open accounts instantly via self-service kiosks, explore other banking products, and complete all transactions through UPI integration.
Bajaj sees this as more than a convenience upgrade — it’s a cost and access play.
“Tens of millions of merchants have never accepted credit cards before,” he noted. “With slice UPI ATMs, we want to reduce the cost of deposits and withdrawals to a level where basic banking services are economically viable for a billion Indians.”
From Fintech to Full-Stack Bank
slice’s rapid evolution follows its merger with North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB), giving it the infrastructure advantage of operating as a licensed bank — from core banking systems to underwriting capabilities — without relying on third-party partners.
With deep roots in the Northeast and an expanding footprint in metro cities, slice aims to build a distributed, tech-enabled, UPI-integrated banking network that works for both urban and semi-urban India.
Branch Highlights:
- Complete UPI integration across services
- Instant customer onboarding
- Self-service digital kiosks
- UPI ATMs for seamless cash deposits and withdrawals
The Road Ahead
Backed by global investors including Tiger Global, Insight Partners, Advent International, Blume Ventures, and Gunosy Capital, slice’s long-term mission is to make banking faster, fairer, and more accessible.
With its UPI-first strategy now extending from mobile payments to physical banking, slice is positioning itself not just as a disruptor, but as a blueprint for India’s next-generation banking ecosystem.
