Marketplace: Local Shops in Telegram

Telegram shops are no longer rare: someone sells clothes through a channel, someone runs a coffee spot with pickup in a bot. The trouble is finding them, since everything is scattered across chats. Marketplace is a Mini App that collects such shops in one directory.

A shop window for the messenger

The bot's description reads: find shops nearby on Telegram. The app works as a directory of stores built with a shop builder inside the messenger. That builder, per descriptions, accepts card, Apple Pay and crypto payments, and sellers do not need a legal entity.

The project has two communities, one in English and one in Russian, plus a separate team you can ask for help.

What to expect from a directory like this 🛒

This is not a giant marketplace with millions of items. The audience is small (about 490 people in the catalog), so the app is closer to a neighborhood board: shops nearby, local sellers, cafes with delivery or pickup.

• Local sellers: handy when you can collect the order in person.
• Digital goods and services: payment and delivery right in the chat.
• Cafes and restaurants: orders with delivery or pickup.

How it differs from the big platforms

Large marketplaces have a returns service and buyer protection. Here each shop is a separate seller with its own rules. Return and delivery terms are in the shop's page.

In return you talk to the seller directly, and you enter a shop through the Telegram you already use, with no website sign-up.

Rules for buying safely

1. For an unknown shop, start with a small order.
2. Read return and delivery terms before paying.
3. Pay by card or through a protected service if you have a choice. A crypto payment cannot be reversed.
4. Keep the chat history and the receipt in case of a dispute.
5. Never send SMS codes or passwords: a shop does not need them.

If you are the seller

A shop builder lets you open a store with no legal entity and accept payment in chat. The directory adds visibility among people looking for shops nearby.

Check how to report your income under your country's tax rules: a payment button does not remove those duties.

Getting started

Open the bot, launch the app and browse nearby shops. If the shop you want is missing, look into the project's community, where sellers share new stores. Compare two or three storefronts before placing an order.