Stripe is widely known as one of the most secure and efficient internet payment processing providers. Even those who don't know what Stripe is, have probably used its software when making online payments. And fortunately for all the entrepreneurs and creatives using Telegram, it is possible to bring all the benefits of Stripe into the world's best messaging app.

Although Telegram included Stripe in its supported payment providers list in 2021, using it as a payment method isn't the plug-and-play experience you would expect. Setting up and using Stripe in Telegram requires some technical knowledge and skills. Unless you're using a Stripe-Telegram integration like InviteMember's, using Stripe in Telegram can be challenging.

This payment platform provider, best known for its safety and reliability, has immense potential for businesses online. However, it wasn't until InviteMember’s Stripe-Telegram integration was created that it became easy to use seamlessly with just a few clicks.

How do Stripe Payments Work in Telegram?

The method for accepting Stripe payments in Telegram will change depending on the integration you're using. If you developed your own integration or hired someone to do it, it will probably work like Telegram's ShopBot in the Demo Store.

Just like with the ShopBot, by integrating Telegram's payment API with Stripe, your customers will be invoiced in Telegram groups and channels and pay for any goods or services you might be selling through the bot.

If you're looking for something more than just accepting live payments in a Telegram group or channel, the InviteMember bot might be the best choice for you. This bot will let you create subscription plans for accessing your private groups and channels. You'll be able to connect your Stripe account, among many other payment options, for receiving one-time or recurring periodic payments directly into your Stripe wallet. This is perfect for subscription-based businesses.

Unlike regular payment bots, the InviteMember bot will never ask for your client's bank account details. All the payment processes will be managed outside Telegram within the safety of Stripe's domain. Neither Telegram nor the InviteMember bot will handle money at any time.

Another great feature of accepting Stripe payments in Telegram with the InviteMember integration is that you'll be able to enable country-specific payment providers such as Google Pay, Apple Pay, iDEAL and Multibanco.

Is it Safe to Use Stripe in Telegram?

Stripe's popularity is due to its safety and efficiency, which can be said about Telegram too. It's no surprise that a Stripe-Telegram integration would have security at its core. This payment provider’s transactions are done over layers of highly secure protocols and certificates to guarantee the integrity and confidentiality of every movement.

Using InviteMember's Stripe-Telegram integration is exceptionally secure. Your clients pay directly on the Stripe checkout page when completing their first recurring payment or any single-time payment. If they're paying for a recurring subscription, Stripe will charge them automatically through secure channels that don’t involve Telegram or the InviteMember platform at all.

To receive Stripe payments in Telegram with just a few clicks, you simply need to start the InviteMember bot in the app, follow the steps prompted for creating your first subscription project, and follow these steps:

  1. Hit the "My Bots" button at the bottom of the bot chat screen
  2. Select the project you've just created and then "Payment options"
  3. Choose "Stripe Test" if you're just testing the integration or "Stripe Live" if you're ready to receive payments
  4. Click "Connect" and confirm with the "Connect Stripe Test/Live" button
  5. Open the "Connect Stripe" link the bot will send you; sign up to your Stripe account, and you're done!

Once you've successfully connected a Test or Live Stripe account, you'll see a success notification and a button to return to the InviteMember bot.

You'll be able to receive Stripe payments in Telegram from now on. And even better, if your subscription plans are set to recurring, your subscribers will be charged automatically at the end of each plan period you've defined.

Disconnecting your Stripe account is even easier. You just need to go to the "Payment Options" menu in the InviteMember bot, select Stripe, and hit the "Disconnect" button. Remember to always disconnect any of your payment options in Test mode if you're ready to go live!

What is the Smart Retries feature?

If you're using InviteMember's Stripe-Telegram integration, and you're selling a recurring subscription plan, you'll be interested in this feature. Smart Retries is a set of rules, so you can give some extra time for your subscribers to pay after a failed charge attempt. By default, Stripe will retry charging failed payments at the most optimal times with a schedule based on machine learning.

You can decide how Stripe will manage Smart Retries in the "Manage failed payments for subscriptions" section in your Stripe dashboard’s Subscriptions and emails page. If you want to disable the Smart Retries feature entirely, you'll just need to select "Use custom retry schedule for subscriptions" in the "Retry schedule section," and remove any rule. Keep in mind that doing this will cause the immediate removal of any subscriber who fails to pay.

Conclusion

Accepting Stripe payments in Telegram is just one of the many great perks this messaging app has to offer. And although creating your own integration can be difficult, InviteMember's solution is super easy to use. It doesn't require you to have any technical knowledge or skills.

If you own a subscription-based business or if you're planning to start one, InviteMember has a wide variety of payment options in addition to Stripe that can also be great for your business. You can begin your membership-based project for free today and upgrade as you grow!