How to run a paid Telegram group in Indonesia and Southeast Asia

In Indonesia and the Philippines, most people pay with QRIS, e-wallets like GoPay, OVO, DANA and GCash, or a bank virtual account. Cards are a minority. A paid Telegram group that only takes cards is turning most of its buyers away. Here is how to take the methods people actually use, and how to handle renewals honestly when those methods cannot renew on their own.

Offer the methods people use

Xendit gives you QRIS, the major e-wallets and bank virtual accounts in rupiah and Philippine pesos through one account. A buyer picks a plan in Telegram, pays with the app they already have, and the bot lets them in once Xendit confirms the payment.

No admin has to check a transfer and reply to a DM. The confirmation comes from the payment provider, not from a screenshot.

Renewals without a mandate

Most of these methods are one-time by nature: an e-wallet payment or a virtual account transfer cannot be charged again next month without the buyer approving it. So each period is its own payment.

That works well if the bot does two things: reminds the member a few days before their time ends, with a quick way to pay again, and removes them only once it has actually ended. Longer periods help too. A three-month or yearly plan means fewer renewals to miss.

Price by period, not just by month

Because every renewal is a fresh decision, offer a discount for longer periods: three months, six months, a year. Many groups in the region already sell this way. It improves cash flow and cuts the number of times a member can drift away.

Add a second option for everyone else

Buyers outside the region, or those who prefer it, can pay by crypto or Telegram Stars. Keeping a second option live also protects you when one provider is having a bad day.