The General Manager at Bolt Food, Ivy Maingi, gave her remarks during the launch of Bolt Plus, a new subscription, held at KOFISI KasKazi in Westlands on October 15, 2026.Kenyans who regularly use Bolt for rides, food and grocery deliveries can now access a subscription service offering cashback on trips, free delivery on eligible orders and priority access to drivers.
Bolt launched Bolt Plus on Thursday, October 15, targeting customers who want to get more value from the platform’s mobility and delivery services.
The subscription costs Sh280 a month, with an introductory offer of Sh119 monthly for the first six months.
New subscribers get their first month free, while an annual subscription costs Sh899.
Bolt Food General Manager for Kenya Ivy Njeri Maingi, said the service was designed around the everyday needs of customers who frequently use the platform.
“A subscription only works when the customer can see the value in it, and that was the starting point for Bolt Plus,” Maingi said.
“We looked at what our most frequent customers do every day, which is take rides, order food, and buy groceries, and asked how we could give them more in return.”
Members can also access free delivery on eligible food and retail orders, with savings of up to Sh200 per order.
Other benefits include priority driver matching, faster food and retail deliveries and three free ride cancellations every month.
“For Sh280 a month, customers get 10 per cent cashback on every ride, savings on eligible delivery fees, faster driver matching, priority food and retail delivery, as well as greater flexibility when plans change. The cashback is credited directly to a customer’s Bolt Balance for use on future trips,” Maingi said.
Maingi said the benefits were built into the everyday Bolt experience, allowing customers to benefit from their regular rides and orders.
“Ultimately, Bolt Plus is about rewarding loyalty in a way customers can actually feel. 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.
The launch comes as subscription-based services become more familiar to consumers accessing digital products and services.
Data from the Communications Authority of Kenya cited in the launch announcement showed active mobile subscriptions reached 84.1 million in the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, an increase of 7.4 per cent during the quarter.
Mobile broadband consumption rose to 800 million gigabytes, up six per cent from the previous quarter.
Average consumption increased from 14.6GB to 15.1GB per subscription, while mobile money subscriptions reached 53.4 million, equivalent to 100.1 per cent penetration.
On the other hand, research by the Media Council of Kenya also points to growing familiarity with paid digital services.
Its Navigating the Digital Reality 26 study found that 67.1 per cent of respondents encountered payment mechanisms on digital platforms either very often or often.
Another 45.8 per cent said they paid to access Kenyan digital content.
The study noted that while paid digital experiences were becoming more common, affordability and the perceived value of services remained important considerations.
For Bolt, the success of the new service will depend on whether customers adopt it and increase their use of the platform.
Asked how the company would measure whether Bolt Plus was delivering value, Maingi said adoption and usage frequency would be key indicators.
“First, we look at adoption to see if people understand the product and if they actually adopt it. After that we then look at frequency,” she said.
Maingi said the company would assess whether subscribers increased their use of Bolt, particularly customers who might previously have limited food orders because of delivery fees.
She explained that the subscription was intended to reduce barriers to using the platform and encourage transactions that are more frequent.
“Frequency actually is the biggest indicator of success because people start using your platform more because barriers to entry have been reduced,” she said.
Bolt Plus is available through the Bolt and Bolt Food apps in the cities where the company operates.
Maingi said the offering applies to ride-hailing customers in locations where Bolt operates, including Mombasa, Diani and Kisumu.
For Bolt Food, the service is available in areas where the delivery platform operates, including Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa and Diani.
Maingi further said the service is not a limited-time campaign but a permanent addition to the company’s offering.
According to the company, Bolt Food partners with more than 2,000 restaurants and retail outlets, while over 2,500 courier partners support food and retail deliveries.
“The value of Bolt Plus for customers will depend on how frequently they use the platform and whether their rides and orders qualify for the advertised benefits. Frequent users will have more opportunities to benefit from cashback and delivery savings, while occasional users will need to weigh those benefits against the subscription cost,” Maingi said.
