If you sell food on Bolt Food in Ghana, you have probably noticed that the money that lands in your account is less than what your customers paid. That gap is the commission, and it is the single most important number in your whole delivery business.
So let's talk about it honestly, in cedis, with no sales talk.
The quick answer
Bolt Food's commission in Ghana is around 20% of every order. Bolt does not publish one fixed Ghana-wide rate on its website, so your exact figure is set in your merchant agreement. What is public is the rest of the pitch: no setup costs, what Bolt calls transparent fees, and weekly payouts. The commission itself is what you confirm when you register and speak to their team.
Delivery apps across Africa commonly take 20 to 30% once everything is counted. So if 20% is your number, treat it as the floor, not the ceiling.
What 20% actually costs you
Let's do the maths for a small kitchen in Accra doing modest numbers:
| Orders per month | Order value | What Bolt keeps (at ~20%) | What you keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | GH₵4,000 | about GH₵800 | GH₵3,200 |
| 200 | GH₵8,000 | about GH₵1,600 | GH₵6,400 |
| 400 | GH₵16,000 | about GH₵3,200 | GH₵12,800 |
Now stretch it out. That middle row, GH₵1,600 a month, is nearly GH₵20,000 a year. That is an oven. That is a chef's salary for months. That is rent. Commission is not a small fee; it is a business partner who never shows up to work.
What Bolt tells you upfront
To be fair, Bolt's Ghana merchant page is open about several things:
- No setup costs. You do not pay to join.
- Weekly payouts. Money reaches you on a schedule, not whenever they feel like it.
- You can be live in about a week. Register your business, add your menu, get set up.
Those are real advantages. Fast money and no joining fee matter when you are small.
What is not written on the page
Here is the honest part. The exact commission percentage for your business is not published. It is agreed during onboarding, and it can depend on your location, your category, and whatever promotion period they offer you at the start.
So before you sign anything, ask three questions:
- What is my exact commission percentage after any intro period?
- Are there charges for promotions, listings or priority placement?
- Who pays for refunds and cancelled orders?
Write the answers down. Your future self will thank you.
The costs that never appear on any invoice
Commission is only the money you can see. There is also:
- Your margin on the app price. Many restaurants raise app prices to absorb commission, which makes them less competitive.
- Packaging. Delivery orders need better packaging than dine-in. That cost is yours.
- Your time. Tablets, order confirmations, rider waits. Someone in your kitchen is working for the platform too.
None of this means Bolt Food is bad. It means you should know the full price of renting your customers from an app.
The number zero exists too
There is another way to sell online in Ghana: a store you own. Dingo charges zero commission on every order. The free plan includes your store page, a WhatsApp AI that takes orders for you day and night, a POS for in-person sales, and unlimited orders. If you want a custom website plus Instagram and Facebook selling, the Pro plan is GH₵250 a month. Total cost for the year: GH₵0, or GH₵3,000. Compare that to the table above.
We compared all three platforms properly in Bolt Food vs Chowdeck vs Dingo, and we showed how to move your restaurant off Bolt Food without losing your regulars.
If you would rather have a team handle all of this for you, that is literally our job at Brand Afro. Explore our services or check the best Bolt Food alternatives first.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bolt Food commission exactly 20% in Ghana?
It is around 20%, and your exact rate is confirmed in your merchant agreement. If someone quotes you a number, ask whether it is an intro rate or your permanent rate.
Does the customer pay the delivery fee, or do I?
The customer pays a delivery charge on the app. The commission comes off the food side. You still feel both, because high delivery fees make customers order less often.
Can I negotiate my commission?
Restaurants with strong volumes sometimes get better terms. It never hurts to ask during onboarding, and always ask what happens after any promotional period ends.
Can I use Bolt Food and my own store together?
Yes, and many smart kitchens do exactly that. Keep the app for new customers, and move your regulars to direct orders where you keep everything. See our guide on getting more food orders for how to make that shift.
Ready to stop paying 20% forever?
Set up your Dingo store at madingo.store, claim your shop name, and keep 100% of every cedi. It takes about 3 minutes, and the free plan costs nothing forever.