Bank of India Uganda introduces debit cards, expanding access to ATMs and merchants
Bank of India Uganda has launched its first debit card service through a partnership with Interswitch East Africa, giving customers access to cash withdrawals and card payments through more than 800 Interswitch-enabled ATMs and over 20,000 merchant locations across Uganda.
The service, launched on September 28, 2026, adopts Interswitch’s Verve as the bank’s exclusive debit card scheme. Customers can obtain the cards directly from Bank of India Uganda branches, extending access to their funds beyond the lender’s physical locations.
The arrangement also covers agency banking, adding another channel through which the bank can serve customers. The launch gives the lender a card-based payment option as it seeks to make banking services more accessible to its retail and corporate customers.
Bank of India Uganda extends access beyond its branches
Bank of India Uganda operates three branches on Jinja Road and Bombo Road in Kampala, as well as in Jinja City. The bank plans to open a fourth branch at Namanve Industrial Park, an industrial and commercial centre east of Kampala.
The debit card service allows customers to withdraw cash from supported ATMs and make payments at participating merchants without relying solely on branch visits. Access through an external network gives the bank a wider physical footprint for everyday transactions, complementing its existing branches.
The bank has also highlighted the benefits for corporate customers whose employees receive their salaries through its accounts. Debit cards provide those employees with a direct way to access their earnings, including on weekends and public holidays, when conventional banking branches may be closed.
Managing Director Srikant Ashok Wikhe said the partnership would provide customers with round-the-clock access to their funds. The arrangement could be particularly useful for businesses managing payrolls, where employees need convenient access to their salaries outside normal banking hours.
Interswitch expands Verve’s reach in Uganda
For Interswitch East Africa, the partnership brings another bank into Verve’s issuing network and extends the scheme’s reach among customers in Uganda. The network’s stated coverage of more than 800 ATMs and 20,000 merchant locations gives cardholders access to cash withdrawal and payment facilities across the country.
Verve is Interswitch’s card payment scheme, connecting issuing institutions and merchants through supported payment infrastructure. In this arrangement, Bank of India Uganda issues the cards to its customers, while Interswitch provides access to its enabled ATM and merchant network.
Interswitch Uganda Country General Manager Moris Seguya said Bank of India’s addition to the Verve issuing network would expand card acceptance and give more customers access to electronic payments. The partnership brings together the bank’s customer relationships and Interswitch’s existing payment infrastructure.
The arrangement also illustrates how banks can extend access to payment services by partnering with established providers rather than relying exclusively on their own physical networks. For customers, the practical value depends on the availability of supported ATMs and merchants where they live, work and conduct business.
A wider push to build Uganda’s payment infrastructure
The launch comes as Uganda’s fintech sector attracts attention for work on the infrastructure supporting digital financial services. Kampala-based MAM Telecom, for example, has pursued payment systems focused on mobile-money agent liquidity, settlement, reconciliation and reporting, with plans to connect fintechs and businesses through APIs.
The two developments address different parts of the payments ecosystem. Bank of India Uganda’s partnership focuses on card-based customer access, while MAM Telecom’s work targets the operational systems that help money move between providers and agents. Together, they illustrate the range of infrastructure businesses serving banks, fintech companies, merchants and consumers.
Across East Africa, banks and payment providers operate in markets where conventional bank accounts, debit cards and mobile-money services serve overlapping customer needs. Partnerships that connect customers to established payment networks can give financial institutions additional ways to deliver services without building every component themselves.
For Bank of India Uganda, the Verve launch adds a new channel for everyday payments and cash withdrawals while the bank maintains its branch network and plans further physical expansion. For Interswitch, it broadens participation in its card issuing ecosystem and brings another banking institution into its Uganda operations.
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