Ride-hailing company Bolt has disclosed plans to launch a ChatGPT payment outlet to allow users to complete their bookings on the artificial intelligence platform. This is according to a stat
Ride-hailing company Bolt has disclosed plans to launch a ChatGPT payment outlet to allow users to complete their bookings on the artificial intelligence platform. This is according to a statement by the company. Bolt said the payment outlet will be launched later in 2026 as it looks to further simplify booking for its users.
The company announced its integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT to bring a seamless experience to its customers around the world. It said the development marks an important step in the evolution of AI-powered mobility, as more consumers increasingly use AI assistants to plan everyday activities, including travel.
With the integration, customers can interact with Bolt directly inside ChatGPT, where they can see an upfront price estimate for their journey, weigh up route options, and check when their driver will arrive. The conversation also surfaces the best place to be picked up, cutting waiting time.
However, when they are ready to take the trip, the details transfer to the Bolt app, where the booking is completed. But the company says it still has plans to make the process even more convenient for customers and would achieve this by introducing a ChatGPT payment outlet.
“Payment will continue to run through the app at launch. Bolt intends to add the ability to pay for rides directly inside ChatGPT in the future. Payment inside ChatGPT follows later this year,” the company said.
Bolt’s integration with ChatGPT makes it one of the first ride-hailing platforms to integrate with artificial intelligence. It comes at a time when humans are increasingly becoming dependent on the new technology for pretty much everything. With this integration, Bolt is expanding its potential customer base and bringing its service to ChatGPT’s 900 million weekly users for the first time.
Bolt currently boasts just over 200 million users across more than 50 countries and 850 cities. These users cut across ride-hailing, scooter and e-bike rental, and car rental. By targeting 900 million customers, the company could potentially be looking at new markets and new businesses across the world.
The integration comes as AI becomes the dominant channel through which travellers discover and plan their journeys. According to Accenture’s Consumer Pulse Research 2025, which surveyed 18,000 consumers across 14 countries, 80% of travellers globally now use AI tools for travel purposes, with more than half willing to let AI fully manage their travel arrangements.
Reacting to this, Senior General Manager for Bolt West Africa, Teddy Appah-Dankyi, noted that people are beginning to aggregate their plans in one place, a fact which made the integration practical.
“People don’t plan their evening in five different apps anymore. A lot of that planning happens in one conversation with AI now. For years, booking a ride meant opening a dedicated ride-hailing app. As more everyday interactions take place through AI, we think requesting a ride should be just as straightforward: ask, see the price, and go,” he said.
See also: FAAN suspends Bolt from airport operations over concessionary issues
