"We need an online store" is often the first thing a shop owner in Yerevan says. Sometimes that is right. Often a catalog with order requests does the job for half the price and twice the speed.
Two different tools
Catalog. Product pages with photos, descriptions and prices. A button "Order" or "Ask about this" sends a request to your Telegram. You confirm availability, delivery and payment in a chat.
Online store. Everything above, plus a cart, checkout, online payment, delivery options, stock and order statuses.
Comparison
| Catalog with requests | Online store | |
|---|---|---|
| Customer can pay online | No (pays later) | Yes |
| Personal confirmation of each order | Yes | Optional |
| Works with changing prices and stock | Very well | Needs updating |
| Handles many orders a day | Gets tiring | Yes |
| Kinto price | $1,800 | $4,000 |
| Timeline | about 12 days | about 22 days |
When a catalog is the right choice
- Products are custom or made to order: furniture, cakes, jewelry, printing.
- Prices depend on size, material or quantity.
- Customers usually want to ask something before buying.
- Orders come a few times a week, not dozens a day.
In these cases the conversation is part of the sale. A catalog brings people to it with all the details already in the request.
When you need a full store
- Orders come daily and look alike.
- Customers ask to pay by card.
- You deliver within set zones at set prices.
- Manual order handling causes mistakes.
Then an online store pays for itself in saved time and fewer lost orders.
Payment in Armenia
Online card payment is available through local payment providers and banks, and the exact setup depends on your business and bank. Many Yerevan stores offer both card payment and cash or transfer on delivery. Adding payments to a site costs $600 at Kinto; in a full store it is included in the scope we quote.
A sensible path
- Launch a catalog with clear photos and prices.
- Send all requests to Telegram and track what people order.
- When the volume grows, upgrade to a store using the same products and structure.
This way you do not pay for features you do not use yet, and you learn what your customers really buy.
Languages
If your customers include tourists or the Russian-speaking community, offer the catalog in Armenian, Russian and English. Product names and descriptions need real translation, not automatic widgets. The multilingual add-on is $600.
Next step
Tell us what you sell and how many orders you get via the request form or on Telegram at @kinto_am, and we will recommend catalog or store. We reply within 15 minutes between 10:00 and 20:00. See all prices and website development.
Updated: 2026-10-12