Managing shared finances is a practical reality for every couple — and for same-sex couples in India, it comes with an extra layer of complexity. Traditional banks don't offer joint accounts to same-sex couples. Legal recognition of same-sex relationships remains absent. And yet the day-to-day financial needs are identical: shared rent, shared groceries, shared subscriptions, planning trips together.
This guide covers what's actually available in India in 2026 — the limitations of traditional banking, the legal landscape, and the one product built specifically to fill this gap.
In October 2023, the Supreme Court of India ruled against extending marriage rights to same-sex couples, leaving that decision to Parliament. As of 2026, same-sex relationships have no legal recognition — no marriage, no civil union, no registered domestic partnership.
This has direct consequences for banking:
The RBI's KYC guidelines require identity verification of account holders, but do not require proof of a specific relationship type. In theory, two people could open a joint account at a bank regardless of relationship — but in practice, bank policies, branch discretion, and conservative institutional culture make this extremely rare.
SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis, Kotak — the big banks:
Joint savings accounts are available to "family members" or "spouses." Same-sex couples do not qualify under these definitions. A same-sex couple walking into a branch and asking for a joint account will almost universally be turned away.
Neo-banks (Fi Money, Jupiter, Niyo):
These are individual savings accounts — not joint products at all. A same-sex couple could each open individual accounts, but there is no shared wallet, no joint cards, and no couple-specific features.
What this means practically: Most same-sex couples in India are forced into workarounds: using one partner's account as the household account, doing constant UPI transfers to settle shared expenses, or using expense trackers like Splitwise for IOUs that still require separate bank transfers to settle.
None of these are adequate replacements for a proper shared account.
Coupl was founded on the explicit belief that financial products should serve all couples equally. It is the only product in India that explicitly supports same-sex couples, with no additional requirements or exceptions.
How it works:
Coupl is a Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) issued by LivQuik Technology (India) Pvt Ltd, an RBI-authorised PPI issuer. Because it is not a traditional bank account, it is not bound by the same relationship-based joint account restrictions.
What same-sex couples get with Coupl:
Opening requirements: Individual KYC for each partner via Aadhaar/PAN. No proof of relationship. No branch visit. Opens in under 60 seconds in-app.
The caveat: Coupl is a PPI — not a savings account — so funds are not covered under DICGC deposit insurance. It is a shared spending tool, not a replacement for an individual savings account.
The most practical financial setup for same-sex couples in India in 2026:
Layer 1 — Shared spending: Coupl Open a Coupl joint wallet. Both partners contribute their share of monthly shared expenses (rent, groceries, utilities, entertainment) at the start of each month. Use the matching cards for all joint spending. Track together in-app.
Layer 2 — Individual savings: Fi Money, Jupiter, or traditional bank Each partner maintains their own savings account for salary, personal savings, SIPs, and emergency fund. These stay individual.
Layer 3 — Investments: Individual accounts Each partner manages their own investments (mutual funds, stocks) via Zerodha, Groww, or Kuvera. Coordinate on joint goals (house, travel) without necessarily merging accounts.
This structure gives both partners equal access and visibility into shared finances, while maintaining individual financial autonomy — which matters especially in the absence of legal protections for the relationship.
In the absence of legal recognition, same-sex couples in India face additional financial risks that heterosexual couples don't:
No automatic inheritance rights. Without a will, a deceased partner's assets go to legal heirs (family), not the surviving partner. Both partners should have up-to-date wills naming each other as beneficiaries.
No survivorship rights on joint accounts. In a traditional bank joint account with right of survivorship, the surviving account holder gets the funds automatically. Same-sex couples can't access this structure at most banks.
Nomination vs. inheritance. For individual accounts, you can nominate your partner as a nominee — this allows them to receive funds after death, though it may be challenged by legal heirs. A will reinforces the nomination.
Insurance. Life and health insurance can be taken with a partner as beneficiary in India — this does not require legal relationship recognition.
These are important protections to put in place regardless of which accounts you use.
If India were to legally recognise same-sex relationships — through marriage equality, civil unions, or registered domestic partnerships — it would directly unlock:
Until that happens, the practical financial options remain limited. Coupl fills the most immediate gap: the shared spending account. But the broader legal protections depend on legislative and judicial change.
Traditional Indian banks do not serve same-sex couples. The legal landscape as of 2026 makes this unlikely to change through bank policy alone — it requires legal recognition of same-sex relationships.
In the meantime, Coupl is the one product that actually works: a shared wallet, matching cards, and a couple-specific product experience that treats all couples equally.
For everything beyond the shared spending wallet — savings, investments, legal protections — same-sex couples in India need to be more intentional than heterosexual married couples, who have legal structures doing some of that work automatically.
Open your joint account in 60 seconds. No proof of relationship needed.
Written by the Coupl Team
Coupl is India's first zero-balance digital joint account for couples. This article was last reviewed on April 2026.