Telegram Stars Fees: What Creators Actually Keep
Telegram Stars explained for creators: what fans pay per Star, the $0.013 you receive, the 21-day hold, and how it compares with card payments.
Dropfans Team
·7 min read
TL;DR
Telegram pays creators the equivalent of $0.013 per Star, through Fragment, and Stars can take up to 21 days to become withdrawable. Fans pay more than that per Star, so on every $100 a fan spends you keep about $66 when they bought their Stars in the Telegram app, or about $87 when they bought them on Fragment. A card payment through Dropfans leaves you about $77 of the same $100.
Telegram Stars made paying for content inside Telegram easy. They also made it easy to lose track of what a sale actually earns you, because the price a fan pays for a Star and the amount you receive for it are two different numbers.
Here is the full picture, using Telegram's own published figures.
How the money moves
- A fan buys Stars. Telegram's documentation says users get them "using standard Apple and Google in-app purchases or via @PremiumBot". They can also buy them on Fragment, where 1,000 Stars cost $15.00 ($0.015 each), paid in crypto.
- The fan spends Stars on your content, in your bot, your channel or a Mini App.
- You receive rewards. Telegram's Bot Developer Terms (section 6.2.4) say "developers can receive an equivalent of 0.013 USD worth of rewards for each Telegram Star". Rewards are processed by Fragment.
- You wait. Stars "may not become available for advertising credits or rewards for up to 21 days after their receipt."
- You cash out through Fragment, which pays in crypto (Toncoin), and then convert that to your currency. Telegram's terms also note that Fragment may not be able to process rewards in some countries.
What you keep per $100 a fan spends
| How the fan paid | You end up with |
|---|---|
| Stars bought in the Telegram app (about $0.0198 per Star) | about $66 |
| Stars bought on Fragment ($0.015 per Star) | about $87 |
| Card payment through Dropfans | about $77 |
To be fair to Stars: when fans buy their Stars on Fragment, Stars leave you more per dollar than a card payment. But Fragment is a crypto checkout, and most fans buy Stars in the app, where Apple's and Google's pricing applies. In-app prices also vary by country, so check what your own fans see under Settings → My Stars.
The card figure assumes the default Dropfans setup: you keep 85% of the price you list, and the fan pays a 10% service fee on top at checkout. The Stars figures leave out any cost of converting Toncoin to cash, so in practice they are a little lower.
The waiting time
- Stars: up to 21 days before your Stars become available, then a withdrawal through Fragment and a conversion from crypto.
- Dropfans: each sale is held for 14 days to cover chargebacks and then released, so after your first 14 days money is released daily. You withdraw on request by bank, card or crypto through our payout partner, or Paxum, with no crypto step in between.
Two things most creators miss about Stars
- Stars are worth more as ad credit. Telegram's terms value each Star at $0.02 when you spend it on Telegram Ads, against $0.013 as a cash reward. If you promote your channel with Telegram Ads anyway, spend your Stars there.
- Stars expire. Earned Stars are valid for 3 years. That is generous, but a balance left alone long enough is lost.
When Stars are the right choice
- Inside bots and Mini Apps, Stars are the only option for digital goods. Telegram's terms require it.
- Small, impulsive purchases from fans who already hold Stars. One tap, no card form.
When card payments leave you more
- Bigger purchases. On a $50 or $100 drop, the gap between the routes is real money.
- Fans who have never bought Stars. A card checkout reaches anyone with a card.
- Getting paid to a bank account, without a crypto step in the middle.
Most creators use both: Stars for in-chat micro-purchases, and a card checkout link for everything bigger. The card side has to happen on a website rather than inside a bot; how to sell PPV on Telegram covers the setup.
FAQ
Frequently asked
How much is one Telegram Star worth to a creator?▾
Telegram's Bot Developer Terms set it at the equivalent of $0.013 in rewards per Star, paid out through Fragment.
How long before I can withdraw Telegram Stars?▾
Telegram says Stars may not become available for rewards for up to 21 days after you receive them.
Do Telegram Stars expire?▾
Stars you earn are valid for 3 years from the day you receive them, according to Telegram's terms. Unused Stars after that are forfeited.
Can I use Stars for Telegram Ads instead of cashing out?▾
Yes. Telegram values each Star at $0.02 of advertising credit, more than the $0.013 you would receive in rewards. If you already advertise on Telegram, that is the better use of your Stars.
Can I take card payments instead of Stars on Telegram?▾
Not inside bots or Mini Apps: Telegram requires Stars there for digital goods. You can take card payments through a web checkout link that you post in your channel or send in a message, so the payment happens on the website.
Written by
Dropfans Team
Creator Growth, Dropfans
The Dropfans team writes about creator monetization, pay-per-link selling, and the shift away from subscription platforms. Dropfans is operated by KVIQVIEW AB in Gothenburg, Sweden.
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