In short. A bot with a catalogue and orders is 7 000–15 000 ₴, taking from 2 days after the start. Add card payment right inside the bot and it becomes the “bot with online payment” row: 12 000–30 000 ₴. When there are hundreds of products and photos and filters matter, the next step is a Mini App with payment and an account: 25 000–80 000 ₴.
Orders in private messages, a price list sent as a picture, mixed-up addresses and calls asking “where is the order?” — that is what selling through Telegram looks like without a bot. A shop bot pulls all of it into one scenario: a catalogue, a cart, checkout, payment and an order that comes straight to you. Below is how it works, what to know about payment in a bot, what it costs and when a bot is no longer enough.
How a shop bot works
- The client opens the catalogue by category.
- Scrolls through product cards with a photo, a description and a price.
- Adds products to the cart.
- Checks out: address, phone number, a convenient time.
- Pays — on delivery, by transfer or by card right inside the bot.
- The order comes to you or the administrator in Telegram.
Order statuses for the client — “accepted”, “dispatched” — and an admin panel where you edit the catalogue yourself are fixed in the spec separately: they move the price within the range.
Payment in a bot: what to know
- Payment providers. Our price list names LiqPay, Monobank and WayForPay. We connect whichever one suits you.
- The merchant account is yours. The agreement with the payment provider is registered in your name; after the start we only receive the keys to connect it. Access to your card or bank account is not needed.
- The fees are yours too. The payment provider charges them; they are not part of the project price.
- Receipts. Whether you need fiscal receipts depends on how your business is set up — that is a question for your accountant. If they are needed, we fix them in the spec: it is a separate piece of work.
- How the price adds up. Payment is not a separate product but an add-on to a catalogue or booking bot: +5 000–15 000 ₴ on top of the base row. That is why a bot with payment is 12 000–30 000 ₴.
What a shop bot costs
| Option | Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogue and orders bot | 7 000–15 000 ₴ | from 2 days |
| Bot with online payment | 12 000–30 000 ₴ | from 5 days |
| Storefront in a Mini App | 25 000–60 000 ₴ | from 5 days |
| Mini App with payment and an account | 25 000–80 000 ₴ | from 10 days |
| Online shop website | 20 000–150 000 ₴ | from 7 days |
The timeline is indicative: the clock starts once the prepayment and the materials are in. Each external integration — Nova Poshta, a CRM, 1C — adds +5 000–15 000 ₴. You can work out the range for your own catalogue in the calculator.
What is included and what is extra
Included in a catalogue bot: a menu or catalogue by category, item cards with a photo and a description, a cart, checkout with an address, a phone number and a time, the order sent to the administrator in Telegram.
Fixed separately in the spec: order statuses for the client, an admin panel for editing the catalogue, delivery zones, a minimum order amount.
Not included: online payment (it is an add-on), integrations with a CRM or a cash register, filling the catalogue — names, prices, descriptions and photos are yours to prepare — and hosting.
When a bot is no longer enough
A bot works well while there are dozens of items rather than hundreds and clients already write in Telegram. Signs that it is time to move to a Mini App:
- there are hundreds of products, and choosing is awkward without photos, filters and proper navigation;
- you need a personal account with order history, statuses and bonuses;
- there are several roles — client, manager, owner.
If buyers come from search and ads rather than from Telegram, you need an online shop website with filters, delivery and integrations. A detailed breakdown is in the articles Mini App or a bot and what a Mini App costs.
Where to start
The honest route is step by step. First a catalogue bot with payment on delivery: it takes orders within days. Once it is clear the orders are coming, add online payment. Once the catalogue has grown — a Mini App. Each stage is estimated separately, and you pay for the next one having seen the previous one.
What to prepare before the start
The clock starts once the prepayment and the materials are in, so it is better to collect them in advance:
- a bot created in BotFather in your own account;
- where orders should go — your Telegram or a group;
- a table of items: name, price, description, photo, category;
- the delivery rules and the rules for paying on delivery;
- who handles the orders on your side;
- for card payment — a merchant account already set up.
Describe your shop in the brief — how many items, how you take orders now, whether card payment is needed. A finished spec is not needed: we write it together, and that is part of the project.
How we price and how you pay
A 50 % prepayment before the start, the rest after delivery and acceptance; projects from 20 000 ₴ are split into stages paid 40/30/30, with a demo at each. After delivery — the source code with no exceptions, a guide and a 7-day warranty on fixes. Hosting — yours, or ours at $15 a month or $150 a year. More about bots — on the Telegram bots page.
FAQ: common questions about shop bots
Which payment providers can be connected?
Our price list names LiqPay, Monobank and WayForPay. The merchant account is registered in your name, and after the start we only receive the keys to connect it.
Do I need receipts if payment goes through the bot?
It depends on how your business is set up — that is a question for your accountant. If fiscal receipts are needed, we fix them in the spec as a separate item, because it is extra work.
Can Nova Poshta be connected?
Yes, as an external integration: +5 000–15 000 ₴ on top of the range. The Nova Poshta account is yours; you hand over the key to connect it after the start.
Who fills the catalogue?
You do: names, prices, descriptions and photos are not part of the price. The easiest format is a table of items with photos and categories. If the spec includes an admin panel, from then on you edit the catalogue yourself, without us.
How long does a shop bot take?
A catalogue bot — from 2 days after the start, with online payment — from 5 days. The clock starts once the prepayment and the materials are in, that is, once there is a product table and the access details.
The figures in this article come from our price list: they are filled in automatically and match the calculator. It will work out the range for your task in 30 seconds.