Bolt: Fast and Affordable Rides - How to Download and Use

In March 2019, the famous ride-hailing service Taxify changed to Bolt. Along with the name change, it promised to make people's urban mobility more affordable and faster while ensuring everyone’s safety.

Bolt operates in 45 countries and over 400 major cities in the world. Through Bolt, navigating cities is easier as it offers fast and affordable services like ride-hailing. 

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Learn more about Bolt and its mobile app below. Discover how to hail a ride on the Bolt app.

  • Get to Know Bolt
  • Create an Account on Bolt
  • Hail a Ride on Bolt
  • Choose a Payment Option for Bolt
  • Track the Requested Ride on the App
  • Check Ride History on Bolt
Bolt: Fast and Affordable Rides - How to Download and Use
Image Source: Invest in Estonia

Get to Know Bolt

Bolt aims to make urban mobility safe, affordable, and sustainable with the help of its app. This Europe-based company wants to help people save money and time and reduce stress by empowering entrepreneurs, drivers, couriers, store owners, etc. 

Bolt: Fast and Affordable Rides - How to Download and Use

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Banking on the idea that most trips in the city do not require personal cars, Bolt is an app that gives people the freedom to use transportation on demand. We can choose whatever vehicle is best for each occasion with the app. 

The Bolt app is mainly used for ride-hailing, micro-mobility rental with scooters and e-bikes, food delivery of ready-made meals, and items from restaurants and stores. 

Bolt also offers 14-minute grocery delivery and a short-term car rental service. 

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Downloading the Bolt App

The most popular service of Bolt is its fast and affordable rides for ride-hailing. Bolt offers a mobile app that focuses on ride-hailing. The Bolt app is free to download from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store

I have been using the app for quite some time since it was released in July 2013. There were also 50 million other people who have downloaded the app. Aside from Bolt’s service, the app is a reliable product that lets me conveniently avail myself of the ride-hailing service. 

Upon installing the device, it asks permission to access the following: Wi-Fi connection information, camera, storage, microphone, contacts, location, identity, media files, and device ID and call information.  

Create an Account on Bolt

After installing the app, it immediately asks me to sign up using my number or linking my Facebook account. However, the app clarifies that its Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy will apply if I proceed with creating an account.

Bolt: Fast and Affordable Rides - How to Download and Use
Image Source: Business of Apps

I decided to use my phone number to create an account on the Bolt app to verify my identity. The app will then send a four-digit verification code. After confirming the code, Bolt lets me set up my profile on the app by providing the email address that I want to register. 

Bolt reminded me that the email address must be active because it is where all the ride receipts will be sent. It is important to keep track of all the transactions of my Bolt app usage. I can also use these receipts for future reference. 

Then, I had to provide my complete name that the driver will use to confirm they are picking up the right person. After confirming my name, I canenjoy the app’s features and services for free. If I need to sign in again in the future, I will just have to use my registered phone number or email address on the app.

Exploring the Bolt App

One thing that is noticeable about the app is its simple and organized user interface. The home page is almost blank as it only shows the map of my current location. Yes, Bolt automatically detects my current location and provides the map of where I am.

There are two things on the Home page: “Where to” and the three horizontal lines. The “Where to” question is a search bar where I have to indicate my intended destination. 

Meanwhile, the three horizontal links on the top of the screen contains my profile, payment options, promotion codes, ride history, Support, and About. 

Hail a Ride on Bolt

According to Bolt, there are only five easy steps to hail a ride using the app. The steps are as follows: open the app and set the destination, request a driver to pick you up, view the driver’s location on the real-time map, enjoy the ride to the destination, and leave a rating and pay. 

Bolt: Fast and Affordable Rides - How to Download and Use
Image Source: Tech Girl

The first step includes opening the app and setting the destination, which can be done using the “Where to” search bar. The app asks me to provide my destination on the second bar below the current location bar by tapping on the search bar. 

There are two ways to set the destination on the app: manually typing the name of the destination and choosing or pinning the destination on the map. Whenever I type a destination on the bar, the app will show recommendations of the closest or most popular destinations with those initials. 

Once I type the destination, I still have to tap on the recommendation or display of the app to confirm the location. Another way to confirm if the app got the correct destination is if it displays the correct ZIP code of the place. 

Choosing a Destination on the Map

The second option to set a destination on the app is to choose on the map. I can set the general name of the city or place first so that the Bolt app will display the map of the place.  

I can navigate the map by swiping it to the left, right, top, and bottom to find the specific destination. It is also possible to zoom in on the map by pinching in and out on the screen. 

Choose a Payment Option for Bolt

The Bolt app does not allow new users to immediately hail a ride by setting the destination, as they still need to set up their profile and choose a payment option. 

Bolt: Fast and Affordable Rides - How to Download and Use
Image Source: Bristol Post 

In setting up the payment option, I have to choose whether I want to use cash or a debit/credit card. Based on experience, the more preferred option of drivers is to pay through a debit or credit card because they do not have to worry about the change.

Bolt supports all cards from numerous banks, so I do not have to worry about compatibility. To add a new card, I must provide the card number, expiry date, and security code. 

The app will ask to confirm the card details to the bank, which may charge a small amount. However, this amount is refunded after a few days. 

Creating a Work Profile on Bolt

Another interesting feature of the Bolt app is that it allows me to create a work profile to easily track expenses of my work-related transportation. Bolt lets me connect to my company’s expense provider to automate my reports. 

If I cannot connect my account to my company’s expense provider, I can use a different card for official work rides so that it will not mix with the report of my other personal rides. All the VAT receipts will be sent to my email for easier organization of files.

Lastly, Bolt provides monthly ride reports to easily pass to my company if I need reimbursement of my travel expenses for work purposes. 

Track the Requested Ride on the App

Once I request a ride and a driver is confirmed, I can immediately see where the driver is coming from, which will give me an idea of how long it will take to reach my current location. Most of the time, Bolt sends the request of users to the closest driver so we will not have a long waiting time. 

Bolt: Fast and Affordable Rides - How to Download and Use

The app provides specific details about the driver and vehicle, including the name, plate number, car model, and color. With these pieces of information, it is easier for me to identify which vehicle is my hailed ride.

As mentioned earlier, I can also keep track of the driver’s location through the real-time map on the screen. This means I can pin the location to check if the driver will be caught in a traffic jam. I can also prepare whenever the driver is already nearby. 

Availing Promo Codes for Bolt Rides

Upon setting the destination on the app, it will immediately compute how much the ride will be so I can immediately pay before requesting a ride. One thing I liked about the Bolt app is that it ensures that making a payment is as affordable as possible.

One way to make the ride charge more affordable is through the promotions of Bolt. It offers several promo codes that I can enter. I just need to be updated with the recent codes on the app or with other partners who offer Bolt promo codes.

Check Ride History on Bolt

Bolt ensures that its customers will be safe while getting a ride through the app. It has different services for customers’ safety, one of which is ride history.

Bolt: Fast and Affordable Rides - How to Download and Use
Image Source: Mobile Marketing Magazine

With this feature, I can easily share the ride's information with my friends or family members. This means that they can track my current location while I am taking a ride. It is also possible for them to know the driver's name and details of the vehicle I hailed.

However, some people take advantage of this feature whenever they forget something in the vehicle. They can easily contact the driver to check if they can get or retrieve their missing belongings.

Seeking Help from the Bolt Team

There are times that I encountered problems on the app, but Bolt immediately resolved them through the “Get Help” feature. I just need to report what happened, and they will check their records to confirm the issue and immediately resolve them.

I do not have to narrate everything that happened as the app provides a complete list of the most common issues that Bolt customers may encounter. These problems may concern my account, data, payment, pricing, etc.

Conclusion

The Bolt app is an incredible platform where I can easily hail a ride. It assures its users that the closest driver will confirm my request for a ride for an easy transaction. 

Moreover, the app offers the most affordable rides, especially with its promo codes. This Bolt app is great because I can travel around any city without having to navigate the city by myself.

Last updated on December 28th, 2022 at 06:02 pm

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