Sell Access with Telegram Stars
The in-app payment of Telegram itself: a member pays in one or two taps without leaving the chat
Some members will never open a checkout page. Telegram sells Telegram Stars through the store credentials already on a member's phone, and your bot can sell a plan for them: no card, no redirect, no account elsewhere. It is one-time, priced in the platform's currency, and switched on with the connector rather than a set of keys.
- Region
- Inside Telegram
- Wherever Telegram sells them
- Buyers pay with
- Apple or Google in-app purchase
- One or two taps inside Telegram
- Currencies
- Priced in Telegram Stars
- Renewals
- One-time charges
- For lifetime plans, passes and fixed periods; a member pays again to continue.
- Test mode
- Live only
- Test with a small amount from your own account.
- Plan sync
- Not needed
- Each charge is created when a buyer pays.
Why creators pick Telegram Stars
No checkout to leave
The member taps Subscribe, confirms with the store on their phone and is admitted. The whole purchase happens inside Telegram, which is also what the app stores' digital-goods rules ask for.
Nothing to connect
The connector is already connected, so there are no credentials. Switch the method on under Payment Methods, and the connector's Built-in payments switch decides whether it is on sale.
Exclusive when you want it
Each native method has an exclusive option that hides every other method inside the bot, so the only way to pay in the chat is the platform's own. The portal is unaffected, so a member who prefers a card can still pay there.
Priced in the platform's currency
A plan sold this way is priced in Telegram Stars, and Subscriby converts the value to dollars for its fee at the rate the platform publishes. It is one-time, since platforms do not run renewals through their in-app currencies.
How to connect Telegram Stars
- 1
Connect the Telegram connector to your project and confirm its Built-in payments switch is on under its Configuration tab.
- 2
In your dashboard open Payment Methods, choose Set Up a Payment Method and pick the native method the connector offers.
- 3
Switch the method on and save; there are no credentials and no test mode, so test with a small amount from your own account.
- 4
Price a plan in Telegram Stars, and choose the exclusive option if the bot should offer nothing else.
- 5
Read how Telegram pays creators out, including any holding period and the currency it pays in, before you rely on the income.
Best for
- Members who buy inside the app and never open a browser
- Small, impulse-priced plans and passes
- Communities that also sell through the portal by card
Often paired with
Every active method is offered at checkout, so a second one widens who can pay you.
Common Questions
Read the setup guideCan members pay with Telegram Stars on the web portal?
No. The payment happens inside Telegram, so the portal filters native methods out of its picker; share the bot for these plans, or create a second plan in a currency your other methods take.
Do plans priced in Telegram Stars renew?
No. Platforms do not run recurring billing through their in-app currencies, so these plans are lifetime or fixed-length purchases.
Is there a test mode for Telegram Stars?
No, the method is live only. Test with a small amount from your own account.
How is Subscriby's fee calculated on a native payment?
The plan's value in Telegram Stars is converted to dollars at the rate the platform publishes, and your plan's transaction fee applies to that amount.
How am I paid out for Telegram Stars sales?
By Telegram, under its own rules. Some platforms pay in cryptocurrency and hold funds for a period; check that you may receive it where you live before switching the method on.
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