Telegram Stars explained for creator agencies

Telegram Stars are the in-app currency fans use to pay for digital goods inside Telegram. A fan buys Stars in Telegram, spends them to unlock a paid media, and the Stars land on the balance of the creator's bot. For an agency, the number that matters is not the gross Stars but the net sales after Telegram's share and refunds.

This post explains the flow from the seller's side, what Telegram controls, and how LanaChat counts the money.

What are Telegram Stars?

Stars are Telegram's own payment unit. Fans buy them inside the app, through the payment options Telegram offers. They then spend them on things sold by bots and channels, such as a locked photo or video.

For a creator agency, this has one big benefit: the fan pays without leaving the conversation. There is no checkout page to open, no card form to fill, and no redirect where buyers drop off on the way.

It also has a limit you should know. Stars follow Telegram's rules, not yours. Telegram decides how Stars are bought, how a Star converts to real money, and what happens when you withdraw.

How does a Telegram Stars payment bot flow work?

When people search for a Telegram Stars payment bot, they usually mean this flow. Here are the steps, from the fan's side and the seller's side.

1. The creator has an account, and a bot is linked to it.
2. The fan chats and sees a blurred media with a price in Stars.
3. The fan taps to unlock. If he has no Stars, Telegram offers to buy them.
4. Telegram takes the payment and unlocks the media in the chat.
5. The Stars are credited to the balance of the creator's bot.

In LanaChat, this is how every paid media works. Items in the Vault are set to Free, Teaser or Paid, and paid items can cost from 1 to 25,000 Stars. The AI or your team sends the item at the price you set, and each sale shows up in your numbers. See Vault and paid media for how items are priced and described, and how to sell locked media on Telegram for the full selling setup.

What does Telegram control, and what do you control?

It helps to draw a clear line.

Telegram controls:

• how fans buy Stars and what they pay for them
• the value of a Star in real money
• Telegram's share of each payment
• how and when Stars can be withdrawn

You control:

• the price in Stars on each item
• which media is offered, to whom, and when
• who sends the offer: the AI or a teammate
• your refund and discount decisions

Because Telegram sets the conversion and the withdrawal rules, we do not quote a Stars to USD rate here. Any number we wrote would be out of date soon. Check the current rate inside Telegram before you build a price list, and check it again from time to time.

Telegram Stars to USD: how should you think about it?

People often search for "Telegram Stars to USD" to price their content. A practical approach:

1. Look at the current value of a Star in Telegram, and note that it can change.
2. Decide the dollar amount you want for each tier of your price ladder (entry, mid-range, premium).
3. Convert that into Stars, and round to prices that look natural.
4. Revisit the list when Telegram changes its rules or its rates.

Keep the ladder simple. Three or four price points are easier to manage than twenty. For how to build one, read how we price media so fans actually buy.

How does LanaChat count net sales and commission?

This is where agencies often get confused, so here it is plainly.

LanaChat charges $19 per Telegram account per month (packs: 10 for $170, 25 for $375, 50 for $650), plus a commission on net sales. Net means after Telegram's share and after refunds.

• AI sales: 12% up to $30,000 of workspace net sales in a month, 10% from $30,000 to $100,000, and 8% above.
• Manual sales (sent by a teammate from Live Convs): 4%, 3% and 2% on the same tiers.

The tier counter adds up the net sales of the whole workspace for the calendar month, and it resets on the 1st. Which rate applies depends on who sent the paid offer: the AI or a person.

A refund confirmed within 7 days gives the commission back and lowers the counter. Every sale in the Activity tab shows its commission and the balance after it. The billing guide has the full detail and a worked example.

You prepay a balance in USDT or USDC. The minimum top-up is $25. When the balance reaches zero, the AI pauses until you top up, so keep a few days of commission on it.

What should agencies watch out for?

• Gross is not net. A dashboard that shows gross Stars will make you feel richer than you are. Judge your results on net sales.
• Telegram can change its rules. Plan for it. Do not build a business that only works at one exact rate.
• Refunds happen. Count them in your forecasts.
• Stars are not the only option. Payment links exist as well, and they settle differently. For these, the amount actually settled is what counts as net.
• Adults only. Keep content and audiences within Telegram's rules and your own.

FAQ

Where do Telegram Stars go after a fan pays?

They are credited to the balance of the bot linked to the creator's account. How and when you can withdraw them is set by Telegram.

Does LanaChat set the Telegram Stars rate?

No. Telegram sets the value of a Star and its own share. LanaChat counts your commission on net sales after that share and after refunds.

Can a fan pay without Stars?

Yes. Besides Telegram Stars, fans can pay through your own payment links. Net sales are then counted on the amount the link actually settled.

What is the maximum price for one paid media?

25,000 Stars per item, and the minimum is 1 Star. You set it on the item in the Vault or on the script step.

Is LanaChat open to everyone yet?

Not yet. It is in private beta, and we announce each onboarding wave and how to apply on our Telegram channel.