Payments Business Games

grammY — Payments, Business, Games

Three advanced Bot API surfaces grouped here because each spans multiple update types and has a tight handshake protocol you must follow exactly.

Telegram Stars and payments

Telegram supports two payment systems:

Send an invoice

await ctx.replyWithInvoice(
  "Pro upgrade",          // title
  "Unlimited everything", // description
  "pro_v1",               // payload — your internal product id, returned later
  "XTR",                  // currency code (XTR = Stars)
  [
    { label: "Pro plan", amount: 100 }, // amount in the smallest unit; for XTR it's whole Stars
  ],
);

For real currencies you must include provider_token (issued by BotFather via /mybots → Payments) and amounts are in the smallest currency unit (cents for USD, etc.).

Or generate an invoice link

For non-bot share contexts (a button in a Web App, an external page):

const link = await bot.api.createInvoiceLink(
  "Pro upgrade", "Unlimited everything", "pro_v1", "XTR",
  [{ label: "Pro plan", amount: 100 }],
);
// → "https://t.me/$..."

The handshake — three handlers

When the user taps Pay:

1. Telegram sends pre_checkout_query — your bot must answer within 10 seconds with approval or rejection.
2. If approved, Telegram processes the payment.
3. On success Telegram sends a successful_payment service message.

// Step 1 — verify and approve
bot.on("pre_checkout_query", async (ctx) => {
  const payload = ctx.preCheckoutQuery.invoice_payload;
  const inStock = await checkStock(payload);
  if (!inStock) {
    return ctx.answerPreCheckoutQuery(false, { error_message: "Out of stock." });
  }
  await ctx.answerPreCheckoutQuery(true);
});

// Step 2 — fulfil
bot.on(":successful_payment", async (ctx) => {
  const pay = ctx.message.successful_payment;
  await grantEntitlement(ctx.from.id, pay.invoice_payload);
  await ctx.reply("Payment received — thanks!");
});

Always answer pre_checkout_query within 10 s. If you miss the deadline Telegram cancels the transaction.

Star balance & refunds

// Check the bot's Star balance
const balance = await bot.api.getMyStarBalance();

// Refund a Star payment
await bot.api.refundStarPayment(userId, telegramPaymentChargeId);

Pay button

The Pay button must be the first button in the first row of an inline keyboard, and only inside an invoice message:

const keyboard = new InlineKeyboard()
  .pay("⭐ 100 — Buy Pro")        // grammY swaps ⭐ XTR for the Star icon automatically
  .row()
  .text("Cancel", "cancel");

Telegram Business

Telegram Business lets a paid Business user delegate their account to a bot — the bot reads and replies to that user's regular DMs.

Subscribe to a Business account

The user adds your bot in Telegram Settings → Business → Chatbots. Telegram then sends a business_connection update:

bot.on("business_connection", async (ctx) => {
  const conn = ctx.businessConnection;
  // Persist conn.id → conn.user.id mapping
  await saveBusinessConnection(conn.id, conn.user.id, conn.can_reply);
});

Send and react to Business messages

Updates use the business_message / edited_business_message / deleted_business_messages types:

bot.on("business_message", async (ctx) => {
  // ctx.businessMessage = the message in the Business user's chat
  if (ctx.businessMessage.text?.toLowerCase().includes("hello")) {
    await ctx.api.sendMessage(ctx.businessMessage.chat.id, "Hi! Owner is away — I'll relay your message.", {
      business_connection_id: ctx.businessMessage.business_connection_id,
    });
  }
});

Always include business_connection_id when calling sendMessage / sendPhoto / etc. on behalf of the Business account. Without it Telegram treats the call as coming from your bot, not the Business user.

Limitations

• Only Business-tier users can connect a bot.
• The connection can be revoked at any time — handle business_connection.is_enabled === false.
• You cannot start a conversation; you can only reply within existing chats unless conn.can_reply is true and the contact is a Business contact.

Telegram Games

Games let your bot host an HTML5 game inside Telegram and post scores.

Set up a game in BotFather

/newgame in BotFather → upload a 640×360 preview image → set the short name (e.g. space_invaders) and game URL.

Send a game

await ctx.replyWithGame("space_invaders");

The game appears as a special message with a Play button.

Handle the Play callback

When the user taps Play, Telegram sends a callback_query with game_short_name (no data):

bot.on("callback_query:game_short_name", async (ctx) => {
  const game = ctx.callbackQuery.game_short_name;
  // Return the URL of your game (with the user id signed into a token)
  await ctx.answerCallbackQuery({
    url: `https://yourgame.com/play?u=${signUser(ctx.from.id)}`,
  });
});

Submit a score

From your game's backend (when the user finishes):

await bot.api.setGameScore(
  userId,
  score,
  { chat_id: chatId, message_id: messageId, force: false },
);

force: true allows decreasing scores.

const high = await bot.api.getGameHighScores(userId, { chat_id, message_id });

Quick decision tree