A leading ride-hailing company in Nigeria, Bolt, has introduced a new feature that
will give users the ability to book rides and pay for relatives and people
close to them. The company disclosed this in a statement seen by Technext.
Called the Family Profile, the feature allows users to add up to nine family
members, friends or close relatives in what can be considered a mega account.
Bolt says the new shared account feature gives
families more control over ride spending, visibility, and flexibility from one
account.
Speaking about the new feature, Country Manager, Osi
Oguah, touted the Family Profile as a very powerful tool which gives a user the
power to manage and coordinate rides of others who may not be able to do so
themselves.
“At Bolt, we want to make ride-hailing work for the
way people actually move. Family Profile is a simple but powerful way to
support others, whether that’s older relatives, or anyone you care about,
without needing to coordinate every trip. It’s about control, visibility, and
freedom in one feature, and we’re excited to bring it to our customers in
Nigeria,” he said.
He also noted that the Family Profile feature can be
operated from a single Bolt account, stating that the launch supports the
company’s broader commitment to delivering a high-quality ride-hailing
experience built around safety, convenience, and everyday usability.
More on Bolt’s Family Profile
Bolt said its internal data shows that two to six per
cent of rides on its platform are currently ordered for someone other than the
account holder. Ordering those rides often require manual coordination and
sharing of trip details. However, this new feature simplifies that process,
offering a built-in solution that allows customers to invite others to join
their profile.
The profile also allows the controller to set monthly
spending limits and receive live trip notifications. Thus, the Family Profile
feature is designed to make ride-hailing more practical for families and
support networks.
The company says the family accounts do not change its
core policies around rider eligibility as each member added to a Family account
must have their own individual account and meet the platform’s minimum age
requirement of 18. However, being part of a family account network does not
take away the individual’s independence as each individual can still request
rides independently if they use the app, while the account holder retains
oversight.
Still on safety and elegibility, the company also said
the feature cannot be used to book rides for unaccompanied minors. It noted
that age restrictions are in place for legal and safety reasons while ensuring
that all riders using the feature remain subject to its existing terms and
conditions.
“The feature is especially helpful for parents,
caregivers, or anyone supporting older relatives who may not use smartphones or
ride-hailing apps regularly. Data shows that ride-hail usage is growing fastest
among older adults, but practical barriers, like app complexity or payment
requirements, still limit adoption. Family Profile helps close that gap by
letting one person handle ride management and payments for others, even if they
don’t use the Bolt app themselves,” Bolt said.
In addition to greater flexibility, the company says
the Family Profile feature offers account holders enhanced financial control
and peace of mind. They can monitor ride activity per member, receive real-time
alerts when trips start or end, and take immediate action if needed, for
example, checking a ride’s live location or contacting the rider or driver in
the event of an unexpected route or stop.
Bolt said the launch of Family Profile complements its
ongoing investment in building a world-class ride-hailing platform. Its
engineers continue to improve the app’s routing, mapping, and usability to meet
the evolving expectations of riders and drivers. Family Profile, therefore,
joins a growing set of features aimed at building trust and enhancing platform
safety.
Other existing safety tools available in the app
include trip verification codes, live location sharing, emergency assistance,
and ride monitoring by the company’s Safety Team.
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