Do I need a developer to create a Telegram bot?

No. You create the bot in Telegram with @BotFather and copy the token it gives you into your platform.

Can a bot message customers first?

No. A customer has to start the conversation with your bot before it can message them.

Direct or through Infobip?

Direct is quickest and has no provider in between. Infobip makes sense when you already run your channels there and want one provider account for everything.

Does Telegram charge for bots?

Telegram says its bot platform is free for both users and developers.

Telegram Bots for Business Messaging

On Telegram, businesses talk to customers through a bot. Your team still answers like people — the bot is simply the address customers write to. Here is how it works and which way to connect it.

In Short
Create a bot with @BotFather, paste its token into Arino One, and Telegram chats land in your inbox. Connect directly for the simplest setup, or through Infobip if that is where your other channels run.

How Telegram Bots Work

Bots are small applications inside Telegram, and the bot platform is free for users and developers (Telegram).
You create one with @BotFather, which gives you an access token (Telegram tutorial).
Bots can't start conversations: a user has to message the bot first (Telegram Bot FAQ).

Direct Bot vs Through Infobip

	Direct bot	Through Infobip
Setup	Paste the bot token into Arino One	Infobip enables the channel via your account manager, then you connect the token in Infobip
Cost	Telegram's bot platform is free	Per Infobip's pricing on your account
Best when	You want Telegram quickly with nothing in between	You run your other channels on Infobip and want one provider

Infobip's setup steps — create the bot, get the token, ask your account manager to enable Telegram, then connect it — are in its documentation (Infobip docs).

Good Uses

customer support for audiences who prefer Telegram;
order and booking updates for customers who started a chat;
an AI first answer with a hand-over to your team.

Set It Up

Follow Telegram Bot for the steps, and see Telegram overview.