What the token does
Telegram shows the payment form, and a payment provider handles the card. The provider token is what tells Telegram which provider account a given bot pays into. Without it the bot can send an invoice for Stars, but it cannot take a card.
The token belongs to one bot. If you run two bots, each needs its own.
Where it comes from
Open BotFather, choose your bot, go to its payments section and pick a provider. You connect your provider account in the flow that follows, and BotFather gives you the token at the end. Providers usually offer a test token first, which takes fake cards, and a live one for real money. Keep the test one until an order has gone through from start to finish.
How BotLaunch uses it
On a paid Mini App plan, a shop that runs on your own bot can take card payments inside Telegram. You paste the provider token into the dashboard and the checkout starts asking for a card. The money goes to your own Stripe account, not through us. Tokens and other sensitive data are encrypted at rest with AES-256.
On the free plan, and on any shop without a token, orders are fulfilled by you: the buyer orders, and you agree payment with them directly.
When you do not need one
If you sell digital products, Telegram Stars are the other route. The buyer pays in Stars inside the chat and they land on your bot's balance. No provider, no card processing, no token. It is available on a paid App plan with your own bot.
Keep it private
Treat the token like a password. Do not post it in a group or send it to support in plain text. If it leaks, revoke it in BotFather and issue a new one.