Telegram Stars are Telegram's own virtual currency for digital goods and services. You buy them through Apple, Google or Telegram's PremiumBot, then spend them in bots, mini apps, paid posts, reactions and gifts. Channel owners and developers collect Stars in a separate balance and, according to Telegram, can withdraw them via Fragment 21 days after they're earned.
Telegram Stars started as a way to pay for things inside bots, and they've grown into the main way creators and channel owners get paid on Telegram. If you run a channel, build a bot or just want to support someone you follow, here's how Stars work, using Telegram's own terms, blog and developer documentation.
What Telegram Stars are
Telegram's Stars terms describe them as virtual items that let users purchase digital goods and services. Telegram launched them on June 6, 2024, saying on its blog that they were built to enable payments for digital goods and services across the Telegram ecosystem.
There's a practical reason Stars exist. Telegram's bot payments documentation says digital goods and services sold by bots must be paid for in Telegram Stars. If you sell an e-book, a course or an in-game item through a bot, Stars is the currency your buyers use.
How to buy Telegram Stars
According to Telegram's blog, you can get Stars through in-app purchases via Apple and Google, or through PremiumBot. The terms add that PremiumBot handles purchases on some versions of the app, including the web and desktop apps.
What you pay per Star depends on the bundle and the route you buy through. Telegram's developer page notes that buyers' costs may vary because of VAT and other fees outside Telegram's control, and its price table is shown as an image rather than text, so I won't quote a rate here. Check the bundle prices in your own app before you buy.
One rule to know before you tap buy: Telegram's terms say all sales of Stars are final, and Telegram doesn't refund unwanted or accidental purchases. If you bought something from a bot or mini app and it wasn't delivered, the developer can refund your Stars.
What you can spend Telegram Stars on
The Stars terms list the main uses:
- digital goods and services from bots and mini apps,
- paid media, such as photos or videos a channel unlocks for Stars,
- donations to creators,
- Telegram gifts.
Telegram's API documentation adds paid reactions on channel posts, subscriptions run by bots and channels, and Telegram Ads. Stars spent on ads for channels and bots get a special rate with a 30% discount, according to the same documentation.
How channel owners earn Telegram Stars
This is where Stars become income. Telegram's terms say developers and creators see a separate balance on the pages of their bots or channels. Different features feed that balance in different ways:
- Paid reactions. Telegram's API documentation says channel owners receive 100% of the Stars from paid reactions.
- Paid media. When a subscriber buys a paid post, the documentation says the Stars move to the channel's balance.
- Paid messages. If you charge Stars for messages from people outside your contacts, the terms say you receive 85% of the Stars paid to send each message.
- Bot sales. Bots selling digital goods receive Stars for each successful purchase.
Telegram doesn't publish what a typical channel earns, and it varies hugely with audience size and how engaged your members are. Your balance on the channel's monetization page is the number to watch.
Withdrawing Telegram Stars through Fragment
Telegram's blog says that, for operational reasons, Stars can be withdrawn 21 days after they're earned. Withdrawals happen through Fragment, Telegram's platform linked to the TON blockchain.
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The developer documentation describes the process. Only the channel or bot owner can withdraw, and only once the balance meets Telegram's minimum. Telegram then gives you a unique link to a Fragment page, where you enter the address of the TON wallet you want the funds sent to. In practice, that means you'll need a TON wallet set up before your first withdrawal, and you'll be paid in cryptocurrency rather than straight into a bank.
Telegram also says withdrawn rewards can be used straight away to buy Telegram Ads or collectibles on the TON blockchain, which some channel owners use to promote themselves without converting anything.
Things to check before relying on Telegram Stars income
- Waiting time. Plan for the 21-day gap between earning Stars and being able to withdraw them.
- Crypto step. Turning TON into your local money involves an exchange or wallet provider with its own fees and rules.
- No refunds on purchases. Buyers can't get Stars back from Telegram for accidental buys, which can lead to complaints you'll have to handle kindly.
- Tax. Income in crypto is still income. Ask an accountant how to report it where you live.
Getting more from Telegram Stars as a creator
Stars work best when your channel already gives people a reason to stay. Paid posts suit exclusive content, paid reactions suit communities that like to cheer you on, and bots suit anyone with a digital product. If you're new to running a channel for business, my guide to using Telegram to market your business covers the groundwork.
It also helps to understand how other platforms value similar fan payments. My explainer on what Facebook Stars are worth to creators shows how Meta's fixed rate compares, and my look at how chat-to-earn platforms work covers another route creators use.
| What | How it works | Source checked |
|---|---|---|
| Buying Stars | In-app via Apple, Google or PremiumBot | Telegram blog |
| Refunds | Sales final; developers can refund undelivered items | Telegram Stars terms |
| Paid reactions | Channel owners receive 100% of the Stars | Telegram API documentation |
| Paid messages | Recipient receives 85% of the Stars paid | Telegram Stars terms |
| Withdrawal | Via Fragment to a TON wallet, 21 days after earning | Telegram blog and API documentation |
| Ads | Stars buy Telegram Ads at a 30% discount | Telegram API documentation |
Frequently asked questions
What are Telegram Stars?
Telegram Stars are virtual items that let you buy digital goods and services inside Telegram, from bot purchases and paid posts to reactions and gifts.
How do you buy Telegram Stars?
Telegram says you can buy Stars through in-app purchases via Apple and Google, or through PremiumBot. Prices depend on the bundle and any taxes or fees.
Can you withdraw Telegram Stars as money?
Channel owners and bot developers can. Telegram says Stars can be withdrawn via Fragment 21 days after they're earned, to a TON wallet.
Can I get a refund on Telegram Stars?
Not from Telegram for unwanted or accidental purchases. If a bot or mini app didn't deliver what you bought, the developer can refund your Stars.
How much do channel owners get from paid reactions?
Telegram's API documentation says channel owners receive 100% of the Stars from paid reactions.
