If you depend on Bolt to get around town, we understand it can be frustrating when you experience issues with the service. Luckily, our Support team is always there to help!

In this blog post, we’ve collected the most common questions our Support team receives and shared insights on why certain things may occur in your app.

Read on so you know what to do the next time something’s not quite right.

Where to get help

This article is for Bolt ride-hailing customers. If you’re using the Bolt platform as a driver, courier, Bolt Business user, or any other partner or customer, here’s how to contact Bolt customer support.

Bolt ride-hailing partner drivers, and fleets

Get quick answers from our support articles for:

If you need additional help as a partner driver, contact customer support via the Bolt Driver app.

Fleet Owners can receive quick support via the Bolt Fleet Portal.

Bolt Food customers, couriers, and partners

Get quick answers from our support articles for:

If you need additional help, contact customer support via the respective app: the Bolt Food app, the Bolt Courier app, or the Bolt Restaurant app.

Partner restaurants and stores can also contact customer support via the Bolt Food Partner Portal.

Bolt rental vehicles

Get quick answers from support articles for:

If you need additional help, contact customer support via the Bolt app.

Bolt Business: companies and employees

As an account administrator, you can contact customer support via the chat window in the Company Dashboard for any issues (including Bolt Food for Business).

As a company employee, contact customer support via the Bolt app.

Get in touch with the Support team as a ride-hailing customer

Bolt’s Support team is available around the clock to help you, no matter the problem.

But first, check out our self-help articles, also available in the app. There’s a good chance your issue has a solution!

If you experience app issues, see an unknown charge, or just have a general question, you can contact the Support team in several ways:

In-app — when you go to the main menu in the Bolt app, tap Support;
Via local email address;
By calling, if this option is available in your city.

Issues with your account

We understand how frustrating it can be to open the app only to see that you can’t request a ride. Below you’ll see the potential causes for suspended accounts.

My Bolt account is blocked

This may happen for several reasons:

An unpaid trip;
Using cards that have been reported as lost or stolen;
Abusing the invite-a-friend code;
Repeated harmful behaviour as described in the Rider Conduct Guidelines — this may lead to your account being suspended for six months;
Using a false email address.

If you think your account was suspended unfairly or there’s been a mistake, contact our Support team via in-app chat or email to request a review.

Please note that with a suspended account, you can still use the app for other purposes, like using other products in your country and checking ride history and account information.

How do I delete my Bolt account?

You may want to delete your account for several reasons. Let’s have a look at them.

If you’re worried about your data and privacy, you can check what kind of data we process and how long we keep it. You can send us a request to delete your data or request a copy of your data at any time. The latter won’t result in your account being permanently deleted.

Once your account is deleted, you can’t restore any information connected to it, including your credit card information and promotions. Your Bolt Food account and remaining Bolt Balance (if any) will also be deleted. You can create a new account with a new phone number, but your previous data won’t be visible.

If you get a new device but keep the same phone number, there’s no need to delete your account and create a new one. Download the Bolt app, log in to your existing account with your phone number, and you’ll have all your data stored safely.

If you’re going to another country for a longer period and don’t think you’ll need the Bolt app — think again! Bolt’s available in more than 45 countries and 500 cities — you’ll get the chance to use our services again!

Pre-ride issues

Although we do our best to maintain the highest service levels, some situations are unfortunately outside our control.

Let’s see what these potential situations are.

The car was in bad condition and/or my driver was rude

We conduct vehicle checks and carry out compulsory onboarding for all drivers. We explain how the app works, cover rider-driver interaction, and give tips on ensuring communication goes as smoothly as possible.

If you’re in a situation where a driver’s vehicle or behaviour wasn’t up to standard, please provide detailed feedback after the ride. This helps us to keep poor-quality drivers and vehicles off the platform.

Next time you want to share your feedback, submit a rating and a comment after the ride’s finished or contact us in the app or via email.

We take your feedback seriously — when a driver gets repetitive complaints regarding their car or behaviour, we suspend their account temporarily or permanently, depending on the severity of the situation.

Somebody else used my Bolt ride

If you get a receipt for a ride that you didn’t take — and you see a charge on your bank statement — here’s what to do:

If friends or family members have access to your account, ask them if they used it to order a ride;
Sometimes, we might not charge you immediately due to bank system issues, and the charge may not show on your bank statement until days later;
If none of the above helped, just contact our Support team via in-app chat or email.

If you request a ride in a busy area (shopping centre, concert venue, etc.), someone else could mistakenly get into your car. If that’s what happened, you can cancel your ride anytime — even when it’s ongoing. Simply cancel, choose the reason for doing so, and request a new one.

If you see that you were charged for such a ride, contact our Support team via in-app chat or email and explain the situation.

What do I do if the driver has arrived but I can’t see them?

Pick-up issues are most common in busy areas with several entrances, such as shopping centres. You and your driver can use the Bolt app to send messages or call each other to find each other.

Please note that drivers can’t access some specific locations that vary by city.In this case, the app will suggest the closest location to meet your driver.

The same goes for closed residential areas with gates — you’ll have to wait for your driver outside the gate entrance as they won’t be able to get inside.

Payment issues

Now let’s see why prices can change mid-trip, why you may see several charges for the same trip, and what to do if your payment fails.

Why was I charged more?

When you request a ride, you’ll see an estimated price for each category. Estimated prices can change for several reasons:

You changed your destination mid-trip;
You travelled on a toll road;
You made additional stops on the way to your destination.

If none of these reasons apply, and you’re concerned about the amount you paid, contact our Support team via the app or email.

Why was I charged a cancellation fee?

We understand that you may need to cancel a request. And we have a cancellation fee to compensate our drivers for their time and fuel in this situation.

You’ll be charged a cancellation fee in the following situations:

If you cancel your request more than 2 minutes after the driver has accepted;
If the driver cancels the request after waiting for you for more than 4–8 minutes, depending on the country.

If you think you were wrongly charged a cancellation fee, please contact our Support team via the app or email.

I have an unknown charge

Card authorisation is often mistaken for an unknown charge.

Card authorisation is a temporary card verification hold from your bank to check your card’s validity and minimise fraud. It’s a temporary hold of money never charged to your account but can be listed as a pending charge.

The amount is usually released immediately or within ten business days, depending on your bank. Please contact your bank or financial institution if the amount hasn’t been released after ten business days.

How do I resolve a failed payment?

Payments and card authorisations may fail for several reasons:

You have insufficient funds in your account;
Your bank doesn’t allow a transaction;
The system noticed suspicious card activity.

If payment or card authorisation fails, you won’t be able to request a ride. In this case, please contact our Support team via in-app chat or email.

Why wasn’t the promo code applied?

You can check your promotions in the Promotions section of the Bolt app.

If you’re entering a new promo code and it’s not working, make sure that:

Your promo code or discount hasn’t expired;
You’re applying it to a ride-hailing request, not to a rental trip (scooters, e-bikes);
You’re using the latest app version;
You aren’t sharing a payment method or a device with an existing customer;
You’re using it for your first trip (if it’s a welcome code).

Here are a few more things to keep in mind:

A promo code given for a ride in a particular country can’t be used in other countries;
Two or more promo codes can’t be used at once;
If you change your payment method, you’ll need to reselect the code;
If the value of the promo code is higher than the trip price, the remaining amount can’t be used for another trip;
If your promotion covers the total trip price, we may still perform a card authorisation to validate your payment method;
Some percentage-based discounts may have a maximum amount that is deducted.

If none of the above apply to your case, please contact our Support team via in-app chat or email.

Post-ride issues

What should I do if I leave an item in the car?

As much as we want to help you find lost items, Bolt isn’t responsible for things you leave behind.

If you think you left an item in the vehicle, you have 24 hours to contact the driver through the app. Please check your Ride history to see this option.

If 24 hours have passed, please contact our Support team via the app or email and give them the ride details and item description. We’ll do our best to get it back to you!

What should I do if I leave my phone in the driver’s car?

If you lose your phone, you’ll need to contact our Support team via local email address. Select your city and scroll down to the Contact Us section, where you’ll find the contact details.

Why do drivers take longer routes?

We encourage all drivers to use a GPS navigation system to ensure you get to your destination fast. This way, drivers can take the shortest route possible and be aware of accidents, construction works, or traffic jams.

But if you think your driver took a poor route for no reason, and you were charged more, contact our Support team via in-app or email.

Please note that the final price changes if you change your destination after ordering a ride.

Ready to ride?

That certainly was a lot of information! But at least you now know the most common situations and questions are.

If you’re new to our platform, download the app today and try Bolt’s high-quality, safe, and affordable rides.

How to get in touch with Bolt’s Customer Support team

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