Ride-hailing and delivery company Bolt has launched a paid subscription in Kenya that gives frequent users cashback on rides, free delivery on some food orders and faster matching with drivers.
The service, Bolt Plus, was unveiled in Nairobi on Thursday, October 15. It costs Sh280 a month or Sh899 a year, and new subscribers get the first month free. As a launch offer, customers can also take it at Sh119 a month for the first six months.
Cashback depends on ride category
Subscribers using the Bolt Basic category will earn 5 per cent cashback, while those on Bolt Premium, Comfort and Business will get 10 per cent, Kenyans.co.ke reported. The cashback is credited automatically to the customer’s Bolt Balance and can be used on the next trip.
Members also get three free ride cancellations a month and priority matching with drivers. “Members are matched with drivers faster, even during high-demand periods,” Bolt said.
On Bolt Food, subscribers pay no delivery fee on eligible orders from selected restaurants and stores marked with a “+” in the app, within qualifying order values. Bolt Food Kenya general manager Ivy Njeri Maingi said users could save up to Sh200 per order. Members’ orders are also prioritised for faster delivery.
“A subscription only works when the customer can see the value in it, and that was the starting point for Bolt Plus,” Maingi said, according to TechTrends Kenya.
“As people become more deliberate about the digital services they pay for, the value has to be clear. If you use Bolt regularly, Bolt Plus gives you more value from every shilling you spend,” she said.
Bolt says drivers will not pay for it
The company said the cost of the benefits is carried by Bolt and its partners rather than by drivers and couriers.
“Our riders, drivers and couriers are not affected by Bolt Plus service. Their earnings remain the same. In fact, they will earn more with more subscriptions and trips on the app. Bolt and our partners shoulder the costs of Bolt Plus,” Maingi said.
Bolt said it expects the subscription to increase use of its apps, which could translate into more trips for drivers and couriers. It is also working on bringing Bolt Business onto the service.
Competition in on-demand services
Subscription bundles have become a common tool for ride-hailing and delivery platforms trying to stop customers switching between rival apps. Bolt operates in nine Kenyan cities, and Bolt Food works with more than 2,000 restaurants and retail outlets and over 2,500 courier partners, according to TechTrends Kenya.
The launch comes as more Kenyans pay for digital services. A Media Council of Kenya study, Navigating the Digital Reality 26, found that 45.8 per cent of respondents pay to access Kenyan digital content, although affordability and perceived value remain key considerations. Communications Authority of Kenya data show active mobile subscriptions rose 7.4 per cent to 84.1 million in the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, while mobile money subscriptions reached 53.4 million.
Bolt Plus is available nationwide through the Bolt and Bolt Food apps.
