Telegram Business Explained (2026): Features, Pricing and How to Set It Up
Millions of small businesses already talk to customers on Telegram — usually from a personal account, answering the same questions over and over, late into the night. Telegram Business turns that account into a proper business tool: opening hours, a location, automatic replies, saved answers and even a chatbot that responds for you.
This guide explains every Telegram Business feature, what it costs, how to set it up in about ten minutes, and when it makes sense to add a custom bot on top.
Short answer: Telegram Business is a set of business features for your Telegram account — hours, location, start page, quick replies, greeting and away messages, chat links and chatbot support. It is included with Telegram Premium at no extra cost; there is no separate business plan.
Telegram Business Features
Opening hours
Show your working hours on your profile, so customers immediately see whether you're open — and when to expect a reply.
Location
Add your address and show it on a map in your profile. Ideal for shops, restaurants, salons and clinics.
Start page
Choose the text and sticker people see in an empty chat with you before they send the first message — a great place to show what you sell or how to order.
Quick replies
Save answers to common questions — prices, delivery times, payment details — and send them by typing / in a chat. Quick replies can include several messages, formatting, links, media and files. They work in private chats.
Greeting messages
Automatically welcome people who message you for the first time (or after a long gap) with useful information, so no new customer waits in silence.
Away messages
Send an automatic reply when you're offline or outside your opening hours, telling customers when you'll be back.
Links to chat
Create links that open a chat with you with a message already filled in — useful on your website, ads or Instagram bio, and for tracking which campaign a customer came from.
Chatbots
Connect a bot to your account and let it reply to customers in your private chats — answering questions, taking orders, booking appointments — while you choose which chats it can manage and step in whenever you want.
How Much Does Telegram Business Cost?
Telegram Business is included in Telegram Premium. You pay for Premium monthly or yearly — the price depends on your country and app store — and all business features come with it, along with Premium perks like larger uploads, faster downloads and voice-message transcription. There is no per-message fee and no separate business subscription.
If you connect a chatbot, the bot itself is free to run on Telegram's Bot API; the only extra cost is building and hosting it. See Telegram bot development cost and hosting costs.
How to Set Up Telegram Business
- Subscribe to Telegram Premium (Settings → Telegram Premium).
- Open Settings → Telegram Business.
- Add your location and opening hours.
- Customize your start page with a short intro and sticker.
- Create quick replies for your five to ten most common questions.
- Turn on greeting and away messages.
- Create links to chat for your website and social profiles.
- Optionally, connect a chatbot under Chatbots and choose which chats it can access.
Want a chatbot that answers your business chats, takes orders and books appointments? We build custom bots that connect to Telegram Business and your CRM or calendar.
Built-In Features vs a Custom Bot
Quick replies and greeting messages save time, but they can't think: they send the same text every time. A connected chatbot can actually handle the conversation.
| Task | Built-in Business features | Custom chatbot |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome new customers | Greeting message | Personalized welcome with buttons |
| Answer FAQs | You send a quick reply manually | Answers automatically, 24/7 |
| Take orders | Manual | Catalog, cart and payment in the chat |
| Book appointments | Manual | Shows free slots, syncs with your calendar, sends reminders |
| Capture leads | Manual | Qualifies leads and saves them to your CRM or Google Sheets |
| After hours | Away message | Keeps helping customers while you sleep |
A sensible path for most small businesses: start with the built-in features this week, track the questions customers ask most, then automate those with a bot. Our guides to Telegram bots for business and business automation show what is possible.
Who Should Use Telegram Business?
- Shops and online sellers who take orders by message.
- Service providers — salons, clinics, tutors, consultants — who book appointments.
- Freelancers and agencies who talk to clients on Telegram.
- Restaurants and cafés taking orders or reservations.
- Anyone answering the same customer questions every day.
The Bottom Line
Telegram Business is one of the cheapest ways to look professional and respond faster on Telegram: it comes free with Premium and takes minutes to set up. Use the built-in features to cover the basics, and when your chat volume grows, connect a chatbot to handle FAQs, orders and bookings automatically — so customers get instant answers and you get your evenings back.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Telegram Business cost?
Telegram Business features are included with a Telegram Premium subscription at no extra cost. Premium is billed monthly or yearly and the price varies by country and app store. There is no separate Telegram Business plan.
What is the difference between Telegram Business and a Telegram bot?
Telegram Business upgrades your personal account with features like opening hours, quick replies and automatic greeting and away messages. A bot is a separate automated account. With Telegram Business you can connect a bot to your account so it can reply to customers in your private chats on your behalf.
Can a chatbot reply for me on Telegram Business?
Yes. Telegram Business lets you connect a bot to your account and choose which chats it can manage. The bot can answer common questions, take orders or book appointments, and you can step in at any time. Custom bots can connect to your CRM, calendar or inventory.
Do I need Telegram Business to sell on Telegram?
No. You can sell through a Telegram bot, a channel or a Mini App without Premium. Telegram Business is useful when customers message your personal account directly and you want professional tools and automation there.
Can I use Telegram Business on desktop?
Yes. Business features you set up on your phone work across your devices, and quick replies and chats are available on Telegram Desktop and Web as well.