Estonia-based mobility platform Bolt is developing Bolt Money, a financial offering for drivers and couriers that runs on infrastructure provided by Airwallex. The service is set to give eligible partners a wallet, a card for everyday spending, and access to their Bolt earnings from within the platform they already use to work.
The relationship between the two companies began with a narrower scope. Bolt first worked with Airwallex to improve payout operations for driver partners in Canada, using an Airwallex Business Account to receive, hold, and pay out funds. As the partnership developed, Bolt concluded that Airwallex's broader licensing and financial infrastructure could support a wider proposition, bringing earnings and everyday spending together inside its own platform.
Under the current arrangement, Airwallex supplies the accounts, payouts, licensing, and card issuing capabilities Bolt needs to build and scale Bolt Money. Bolt draws on several Airwallex products, including Borderless Cash, FX and transfers, platform APIs and embedded finance, and payment links and plugins. These are delivered through a single integration, allowing Bolt to concentrate on the product experience rather than assembling the regulated financial layer from multiple providers.
Access to earnings during the day
The central feature of Bolt Money is earlier access to income. Driver and courier partners have traditionally earned through Bolt while managing their money and spending through separate financial services. Bolt Money is designed to give eligible partners visibility into their earnings as they accrue and the ability to use those funds straight away, instead of waiting for a scheduled payout cycle.
In addition, participation is optional. Partners who opt in can hold their own wallet and card, removing the need to move funds between different apps. Edgars Kokins, Managing Director at Bolt Money, said that having the right financial infrastructure was essential, adding that Airwallex provided the licensing, accounts, payouts, and card issuing through one partner and one integration from the outset.
Scale and implications
Moving earnings efficiently across markets is an operational requirement. Partners expect to receive their earnings quickly, wherever they are and in whatever currency they hold, which places demands on cross-border payout and FX infrastructure. With this in mind, through the process of embedding financial services directly, Bolt can design products around the needs of its partners rather than directing them to external providers, while gaining a base on which further financial services can be added.
For Airwallex, the deployment shows how its licensing, accounts, and card issuing can be packaged for a large platform client through one integration, extending the relationship from back-office payouts in a single market to a partner-facing financial product.
