Paytm enters teen wallet race with Pocket Money on UPI Circle

Paytm has launched Pocket Money, a supervised UPI feature built on NPCI's UPI Circle framework, allowing teenagers to transact without their own bank accounts under parental controls. The move pits Paytm against FamApp, Junio, Walrus and Akudo as fintechs chase Indian teens for early customer acquisition.

— Source publishedFri, 29 May, 2026, 07:35 IST·First seen Fri, 29 May, 2026, 08:02 IST·Source Business Today · Latest

What happened

Paytm launched Pocket Money, a supervised UPI feature on NPCI's UPI Circle framework letting teenagers transact without bank accounts under parental controls.

Why this matters

With Paytm now competing directly, standalone teen wallets like Walrus and Akudo face a narrowing window to either scale to defensible MAU or position for acquisition by a bank or larger fintech seeking youth distribution.