A Telegram bot with payments: accepting payment in-chat
A bot that takes orders but cannot take payment leaves the customer halfway through a purchase. In-chat payment closes the deal in one conversation.
Which payment methods get connected
In Uzbekistan that primarily means Payme and Click — they cover the vast majority of online payments and are familiar to users. Both provide an API for integrating into a bot or a wrapper page.
Technically the bot generates a payment link or button for the exact order amount, the user pays in an embedded window, and the bot receives a webhook confirming success — no manual receipt checking by a manager.
What happens after payment
The order should switch to 'paid' automatically the moment the payment system confirms it, not after a manager manually checks a receipt. Delay here is a common source of complaints.
The customer receives confirmation with a receipt or transaction number — not a formality, since this is exactly what a dispute with the payment provider will require.
Failed and stuck payments
If payment fails, the order should stay in the cart rather than disappear — the user needs to land back on the payment screen, not restart checkout from scratch.
Handle stuck payments separately: if the provider's status has not arrived within a few minutes, the bot should re-query rather than leave the order in limbo.
Integration cost
Integrating one payment provider into an existing bot: 3M–5M UZS. Two providers with error handling and transaction logging: 6M–9M UZS.
Budget for the provider's own commission separately — it is not part of the development cost and is charged per transaction, usually a few percent.