WhatsAppBolt vs Uber Guide for London Drivers
If you’re going to work as a private hire driver in London, the chances are you’ll end up working for both Bolt and Uber.
Understanding which to prioritise, and when, will be one of the many skills you learn to develop, and it’s important to have a solid understanding of their respective similarities and differences.
This guide goes through a range of important factors, from commission rates to price surging, to help you understand which one to use and when.
Commission rates
One of the main differences between Bolt and Uber is the commission rate charged by each app.
Uber typically takes a 25% cut of each trip fee paid by users, although the exact figure can vary. Bolt on the other hand takes a commission of around 15-20%, although again, this does vary from ride to ride.
As a result, for two rides that are the same length and cost the customer the same amount, you as a driver will be able to keep more from a ride provided through the Bolt app compared to one through Uber.
For regular, non-surged journeys, this is relatively straightforward to calculate, but price surging does complicate things a little.
Price surging
Both Uber and Bolt apply surge multipliers during high-demand times throughout the day. While we don’t have access to the exact figures that are applied to either app, we do have some estimates.
The surge rates for Uber tend to rise up to around 2.5x the base rate, and these upper ranges are frequently applied. Bolt, on the other hand, tends to apply surge rates between 1.5x and 2x the base rate.
As a result, during major surge periods, Uber does tend to pay a little better, even when you factor in their higher commission rates.
Booking fees
Another difference between the two service providers is how booking fees are applied. Uber charges a booking fee of between roughly £1.50 to £2.50, which goes straight to the app, not to the driver. This means that the customer sees a slightly inflated figure when booking a ride.
Bolt, on the other hand, doesn’t charge a booking fee. As a result, you get even more of the amount paid by the customer compared to Uber.
An example calculation
If those figures are all a bit confusing, then this example breakdown of a £20 ride, quite typical for London, might make things a little clearer.
Uber
With Uber, the 25% commission rate charged on £20 would be £5, while the booking fee would be around £2. As a result, for a ride that costs the customer £20, a driver would receive £20 – (£5 + £2) = £13.
Bolt
For that same £20 ride provided with Bolt, the commission fee would be £3 at 15%, or £4 at 20%, with no booking fee being applied. As a result, the driver would receive between £16 and £17 of that amount.
Recent contractual changes
Thanks to a 2021 Supreme Court ruling that determined Uber drivers should be classified as workers rather than independent, self-employed contractors, those working for Uber are entitled to at least the National Minimum Wage (based on the time they spend working), 28 days of paid annual leave per year, a workplace pension scheme, and a range of other work protections.
Since a similar ruling in 2024, which also determined that Bolt drivers should be classified as workers, Bolt now also offers most of the same benefits, with some differences in how the pension scheme works.
These changes mean that working as a private hire driver for either of these companies is now a much more comparatively stable employment solution, leaving drivers much less vulnerable to anything from workplace incidents to sickness.
How to calculate your taxes
If you’re working for Bolt, Uber or for both companies, you will have to do your own tax returns. As both Bolt and Uber report your gross earnings (the total figure), rather than net earnings (that total minus the app’s fees), to HMRC, you have to do the same on your tax return and then claim the fees as expenses.
This can be a little confusing, and it might be necessary to get help from an accountant that is experienced at working with Uber and Bolt drivers. Just because the apps report your earnings to the tax authorities doesn’t mean that you don’t have to as well, but thankfully, you can combine your earnings from both companies in a single Self Assessment tax return.
This makes things substantially less complicated, but you do need to make sure you get your calculations just right.
Using both Bolt and Uber
It’s important to note that most private hire drivers will use both Uber and Bolt, not just one or the other. While drivers do need to be careful not to accidentally double-book by accepting a ride on one platform while already providing a ride on the other, it isn’t too difficult to keep an eye on both.
During lower surge periods, it might be better to accept rides on Bolt, to benefit from the lower commission rates. When higher surge rates apply, Uber might be a better option.
Thanks to Uber’s more dominant market share compared to Bolt, you’ll often find that Uber provides you with access to comparatively more potential customers.
As you continue to work as a private hire driver, you’ll start to develop a deeper understanding of which option works best for you at various points throughout your day. What works best will often also depend on the times of day you prefer to work at, the types of journey you find most suitable, and of course the areas of London you choose to operate in.
It’s important to continue to try to optimise your approach, rather than just sticking to a single strategy. The legal landscape governing both of these apps is subject to ongoing change, and it’s worth keeping an eye on how these changes might positively (or negatively) affect you, as a driver.