North East Small Finance Bank Renamed! Will Your Passbook, Cheque, Debit Card, IFSC Code Work? RBI Says...

North East Small Finance Bank has been renamed to Slice Small Finance Bank (Slice SFB), months after its merger with a Bengaluru-based fintech startup Slice. While the rebranding may be a stepping stone for the SFB to upgrade into a new-age banking entity, its new name is likely to raise several doubts among its bank users.

Such changes are followed by doubts of customers related to the validity of their existing passbook, cheque book, debit card, IFSC code, etc. To clear these doubts, let's know about the Reserve Bank of India (RBI's) guidelines for the same.

North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB) Renamed To Slice Small Finance Bank (Slice SFB)

Rebranding of North East Small Finance Bank Limited to Slice Small Finance Bank Limited has been done as per the Second Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, stated RBI in a notification issued on May 21, 2025.

"We're on a journey to build India's most loved bank. Our mission is to value people's time and money in the products we build so more people can experience banking that truly works for them. The bank will continue to operate under the brand name of slice, and we are in the process of informing all stakeholders, especially customers, about this change to ensure a smooth and seamless transition," Economic Times quoted a Slice spokesperson.

NEFSB was formed in 2011 to boost financial inclusion in India, especially across north eastern states.

NEFSB Renamed To SFB: Key Services For Bank Customers

Slice SFB customers can avail all the facilities they used to enjoy earlier including savings, current accounts, fixed deposits, loans for individuals and SMEs, gold loans, co-branded credit cards, digital banking, etc.

The rebranding of NEFSB will lead to bank's intent to offer a more seamless, tech-enabld banking experience. As per the RBI Act 1934, now rebranded Slice SFB has been identified as scheduled bank with all statutory rights and obligations held by NESFB.

NEFSB Renamed To Slice Small Finance Bank: What Will Change For NEFSB Customers?

As part of the rebranding and merger, bank customers can expect change in customer services, revision of process for availing banking facilities. They can also expect additional facilities provided by the newly formed entity. However, the bank has ensured that the NEFSB (now SSFB) customers will no face any difficulty as of now and the management will ensure a smoother transition.

NEFSB Renamed to Slice Small Finance Bank: Will Your Old Passbook, Cheque, IFSC Code work?

Yes, existing customers of NEFSB can avail all the facilities from the bank with their old passbook, debit card ,cheque book. IFSC code of NEFSB bank customers will also remain same.

As per RBI guidelines, customers can use their existing banking instruments, in case their banking service provider changes its name. In such cases, passbooks, debit cards, cheque books with old name of the bank remain valid. IFSC code, which is an eleven-character alphanumeric code to each bank branch in India important for transactions like NEFT, RTGS, and IMPS, will also remain unchanged. In case there is any change in the any of the banking services or information, the bank will inform its customers in advance.