Short answer: a Telegram bot can take money in two ways. For physical goods and in-person services it sends a card invoice through a payment provider you connect in @BotFather, and the money goes to your own merchant account. For digital goods and online services it must use Telegram Stars. GramForge sets up the right method for each product when you describe your business, and you can also offer payment on site.
Which method fits what
| What you sell | How clients pay |
|---|---|
| Physical products, food, delivery | Card via a payment provider, or on pickup |
| In-person services: salon, clinic, repair, training | Card prepayment via a provider, or on site |
| Courses, guides, recordings, online consultations | Telegram Stars |
| Access to a private channel or group | Telegram Stars, one-off or monthly subscription |
Card payments: connecting a provider
- Open @BotFather, choose your bot, then Payments, and pick a provider available in your country.
- Complete the provider's onboarding — it is your own merchant account, so payouts go straight to you.
- Copy the provider token that BotFather gives you and paste it into your bot's settings in GramForge. The token is stored encrypted.
Until a provider is connected, GramForge can take bookings and orders with payment on site and tells you if a client tried to pay by card.
Stars payments
Stars need no provider: the bot sends an invoice, the client pays with Stars bought in the app, and the bot delivers the product immediately. You can withdraw earned Stars through Fragment under Telegram's current terms.
What the bot does after payment
- Confirms the booking or order to the client and to you.
- Delivers digital products or access automatically.
- Sends the payment to your webhook, so you can record it in a spreadsheet or CRM.