How cash works at Bolt Food
Cash orders pay you instantly — but only if you handle them correctly. This guide covers the 2 numbers on your screen, the 2 order flows, and the 1 rule that keeps you out of trouble.
Why cash matters
Cash gives you something a card payment can't: instant earnings.
The cash advantage: when a customer pays in cash, the money is in your hand right away. You can spend it immediately, or use it to pay the restaurant on your next cash-pickup order — closing the loop without ever visiting a bank.
The two numbers on your screen
The All deliveries header shows two figures. They look alike but track very different things.
Balance — Positive = what Bolt will pay you. Negative = what you owe Bolt.
Cash — how much physical cash you currently have on you.
Remember: your Balance only goes negative once you've collected more cash than you've earned. Negative Balance = debt to Bolt. The app then starts offering you cash-pickup orders so you can offload it.
A worked example
You start with +50.00 € on your Balance. The next order is a small cash drop-off, with a 3.00 € courier fee.
Before the delivery — Balance: €50.00 · Cash: €0.00
After delivering the €15 cash order — Balance: €53.00 · Cash: €15.00
Your fee (€3) was added to your balance. The €15 you collected became Cash in your pocket. Negative Balance signals you owe Bolt — that's when the app will start offering you cash pickups so you can offload it.
Cash pickup vs. cash drop-off
Every cash order is one of these two. Get the flow right, and the rest takes care of itself.
Cash pickup — YOU pay the restaurant
How you'll know: a yellow banner over the map ("Amount to be paid: 25 €") and a checkbox on the order screen.
Accept the order as normal.
Get to the restaurant.
Pay the restaurant in cash, using cash you've collected from earlier orders.
Tap Pay for order. The box becomes Confirm payment.
Ask the restaurant staff to confirm on their tablet.
Once payment is confirmed (Payment confirmed), tick Pick up the order and start delivery.
NB. You can't start delivery until the restaurant confirms.
Cash drop-off — customer pays YOU
How you'll know: a yellow block on the map and a checkbox on the order screen.
Arrive at the customer, tap Arrived.
Tick Collect from client.
Receive the cash first, in your hand.
Enter either the exact order amount or €0.00 — these are the only two values the app accepts.
Double-confirm the amount.
Tick Deliver order — and only now hand over the food.
Cash first, then confirm, then hand over — always in that order.
Change & tips
The app accepts only two values in the "Received from client" field — and that changes how change and tips work.
The golden rule — exact order amount, or €0.00. The only two valid entries are the exact order amount or €0.00. There is no in-between. Tips are yours, but they never go in the app — and partial payments are no longer accepted.
Customer pays the exact amount? Enter the exact order value, and complete the delivery.
Customer wants to tip? Accept the tip, thank them, but enter only the exact order amount.
Customer can't pay the exact amount? Enter €0.00 and dispose of the order — do not hand it over.
Customers know change isn't guaranteed — it's clearly stated in their app.
When things go wrong
Real scenarios you'll eventually hit. Here's how to handle each one — including the new exact-amount-or-€0.00 rule.
Tap the red triangle → I can't pay → enter the cash you do have → Confirm. The pickup switches to cashless, and your Cash value adjusts. Don't try to skip the order or pay out of pocket.
The app accepts only two values in the "Received from client" field: the exact order amount, or €0.00. There is no partial-payment option any more. If the customer can't pay the exact amount — even by a single cent — enter €0.00 and dispose of the order.
Politely suggest they check the app for the exact amount. If they still can't pay it, enter €0.00, do not hand over the order, and dispose of it safely. Contact Customer Support if you need a record of what happened.
Try to reach them up to 3 times within 10 minutes. If no response, contact Customer Support and enter €0.00 as the received amount. Dispose of the order safely; never leave a cash order at the door.
The amount you type and confirm is final. Only Customer Support can adjust it after the fact. So: count the cash carefully, then confirm.
Alcohol can only be purchased 10:00–20:00 on weekdays and Saturday, and 10:00–18:00 on Sunday. On top of that: alcoholic beverages bought online (apps included) may be handed over to the buyer no sooner than six hours after the order is placed.