What Junio does

Junio Payments Private Limited is an India-based fintech, founded in 2020 in New Delhi by ex-Paytm executives Ankit Gera and Shankar Nath, that builds a prepaid RuPay smartcard and companion mobile app targeted at Indian children aged 8–18 and their parents. The platform is operated under a wholly-owned subsidiary structure within Firstpay Technologies Private Limited and, as of May 2026, holds its own RBI Certificate of Authorisation to issue Prepaid Payment Instruments, following in-principle approval in November 2025. Core product features include instant parent-to-child transfers, automated weekly or monthly allowances, real-time spending notifications, parental spending limits, task-based rewards, in-app Fixed Deposits at 7%+ interest, UPI Circle-based teen payments, and a financial-literacy content layer at blog.junio.in.

The underlying technology stack combines a Prepaid Payment Instrument wallet linked to a RuPay smartcard with NPCI's UPI Circle framework for teen payments and a V-KYC verification flow that lifts monthly loading limits to ₹3 lakhs. Cards are issued through a co-branding arrangement with Transcorp International Limited, an RBI-authorised PPI issuer, providing regulatory infrastructure and merchant acceptance. Distribution is product-led via App Store and Google Play downloads, with self-service virtual card issuance at sign-up and physical cards delivered within seven days; a referral programme (up to ₹1,000 per conversion) and organic content discovery drive acquisition without a sales force.

Junio monetises through card issuance fees ranging from ₹99 for an introductory EMV card up to ₹5,000 for a metal card, RuPay transaction interchange on card spend, up to 1.5% cashback promotions, and an expanding set of adjacent commerce utilities (300+ brand vouchers, zero-fee mobile recharges, in-app FDs). Sister brand Securis Finance, an RBI-registered NBFC under the same parent, extends the lifecycle into education loans of ₹50,000–₹5,00,000 for college-bound students. Total disclosed funding is approximately $8M across a 2021 seed round and a March 2022 $6M pre-Series A led by NB Ventures. The company claims a base of 40 Lakh+ (4 million) users and operates exclusively in India.

Name

Junio

Legal name

Junio Payments Private Limited

Website

https://junio.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Junio is an India-based fintech that issues a prepaid RuPay smartcard and mobile app enabling parents to manage pocket money, allowances and spending oversight for children and teens aged 8–18, now operating as a fully RBI-authorised PPI issuer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Fintech Payments

akta.pro primary industry

Youth / Family Wallets & Allowance Payments (FSAMAEAK)

Keywords

• Prepaid payment instruments
• Youth fintech payments
• Pocket money card
• RuPay smartcard
• Teen banking app

Headquarters

HQ city

Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Card Issuance Fees: Revenue from physical card issuance charges ranging from ₹99 (introductory EMV cards) to ₹149 (NCMC cards) to ₹5,000 (metal cards). Virtual cards are issued free.
2. Transaction Interchange: Interchange fees earned from merchant transactions when card is used at online or offline merchants. Card accepts RuPay transactions generating interchange revenue.
3. Cashback Promotions: Cashback program offering up to 1.5% on eligible spends, funded partially by merchant interchange revenue share arrangements.
4. PPI Services (RBI-Licensed): Following RBI authorization for issuing Prepaid Payment Instruments, Junio can now offer wallet services, UPI handles for children/teens, and expand financial services for the youth segment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Junio provides a prepaid RuPay smartcard (physical and virtual) paired with a parent-controlled mobile app that enables Indian families to give children and teenagers digital pocket money, set automated allowances, monitor spending in real time, and teach financial literacy. The platform is issued under RBI Prepaid Payment Instrument authorisation in partnership with Transcorp International Limited, and is complemented by in-app Fixed Deposits (Junio FD) and a sister-brand education loan product (Securis Finance) for older students.

Product overview

Junio is a pocket money management platform for Indian children and teenagers, consisting of a prepaid RuPay smartcard (available as physical or virtual card) paired with a mobile app. The core product enables parents to transfer pocket money, set up automated allowances, monitor real-time spending, and control card limits. The platform is issued by Transcorp International Limited under RBI authorization and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Firstpay Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Additional features include in-app Fixed Deposits (Junio FD) for savings education, a task-based reward system, referral program, brand vouchers, and mobile recharges. The company also offers Securis Finance as a related brand for education loans, targeting college students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Junio Smart Card (Physical & Virtual) A prepaid RuPay-powered smartcard available as a physical EMV/NCMC/Metal/NCMC-sticker card or as an instant virtual card, enabling children and teenagers to make online and offline purchases at any merchant accepting RuPay, with parental controls and spending limits; co-branded with Transcorp International Limited.
• Junio Mobile App (iOS & Android)
• Junio Fixed Deposits (Junio FD) An in-app Fixed Deposit product allowing parents and children to lock money starting at ₹5,000 at rates of up to 9.5% across customisable tenures, designed to teach saving habits and earn interest, with returns credited at maturity.
• Securis Finance Education Loans

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Transcorp International LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationRBI-authorised PPI issuer that co-brands with Junio to issue prepaid payment instruments. Transcorp handles card issuance, KYC processing, compliance, and PPI regulations while Junio provides the mobile app platform and customer interface. The card carries the Transcorp branding alongside Junio's.
• NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India)coreTechnology or IntegrationGoverning body for India's retail payments that provides the UPI Circle framework enabling teens to make payments linked to parent's account. NPCI's regulatory framework enables Junio's service model for minors without bank accounts.
• RuPaycoreTechnology or IntegrationCard network owned by NPCI that powers the Junio smartcard for online and offline transactions at all RuPay-accepting merchants across India.
• Securis Finance (Firstpay Technologies)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister brand under Firstpay Technologies offering RBI-registered NBFC education loans (₹50K-5L) for college students. Cross-promoted on Junio platform to families with older children heading to college. Both companies share founders Ankit Gera and Shankar Nath.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GoHenry: UK prepaid card and app for 6–18 year-olds with parental controls and financial education content, now part of Revolut. Closest international direct peer to Junio's pocket-money model.
• Greenlight: US-based fintech debit card and app for kids and teens with parental controls, chore-based allowance, and financial education. Direct peer in the youth prepaid-card-and-app category globally.
• FamPay: Indian teen-focused prepaid payments app offering UPI-enabled minor accounts and parental controls. Closest direct competitor to Junio in the Indian youth pocket-money category, with similar PPI model and RBI-licensed issuance.
• Step: US teen banking and card platform offering FDIC-insured accounts, early direct deposit, and credit-building for minors. Direct peer in youth-focused payment and financial-inclusion products.
• Current: US fintech offering teen and family banking products with prepaid debit cards, parental controls, and money-management features, directly comparable to Junio's family wallet positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Paytm: India's largest digital wallet and payments platform founded by Vijay Shekhar Sharma. Junio's founders are ex-Paytm, and Paytm's broader wallet/payments suite encompasses overlapping capabilities for parents, posing a major incumbent competitive threat.
• PhonePe: India's leading UPI payments app with hundreds of millions of users. Broad incumbent in Indian consumer payments that could extend into youth/family wallet features, competing with Junio for the same parent users.

Emerging players

• Jupiter: India-focused neobank offering family accounts, salary accounts, and teen-focused features. Emerging player in Indian consumer fintech with partial overlap with Junio's family wallet value proposition.
• Niyo: India-based digital banking platform targeting salaried millennials and families with prepaid cards, savings, and expense management. Emerging player with adjacent family-finance positioning.

Others

• Securis Finance: Sister brand under parent Firstpay Technologies, offering RBI-registered NBFC education loans to Indian college students. Sister company rather than competitor, but illustrates the same parent's adjacent fintech plays and cross-sell opportunity for Junio users.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/junio-app
• Xx.com/junio_in
• Facebookfacebook.com/JunioIndia

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors10 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Junio