Telegram
How to withdraw Telegram Stars and turn them into dollars
When a fan pays for a locked media in Telegram Stars, the Stars land on the balance of the bot that sold it. Telegram has announced that bot owners can withdraw those Stars in Toncoin through Fragment, and the Toncoin can then be exchanged for dollars. The rate, Telegram's share and the withdrawal conditions are all set by Telegram, and they change over time.
This post follows a Star from the fan's pocket to your books, and lists what an agency should check before it counts Stars as revenue.
Where do Telegram Stars come from?
Stars are Telegram's in-app currency for digital goods and services. According to Telegram's documentation on payments for digital goods, users get Stars through the standard Apple and Google in-app purchases, or through @PremiumBot. They then spend them on things sold by bots and mini apps, such as a paid photo or video.
The same page describes Telegram's own payment flow for bots: when a bot sells digital goods and services inside Telegram apps, the transaction is made in Stars. That is why a locked media unlocked in the chat is paid in Stars. Agencies can also be paid through their own payment links, on their provider's terms: we compare both in Telegram payment links vs Telegram Stars.
Where do the Stars go after a fan pays?
They are credited to the balance of the bot that made the sale. Telegram's Stars terms of service describe it this way: when users pay in Stars for goods and services, developers or creators see a separate balance on the page of the bot or channel.
In LanaChat, each Telegram account of a creator is connected through a bot linked with Telegram's business connection. When a fan unlocks a paid media in that account's chat, the Stars are credited to the balance of the bot that runs the account. That is also why naming accounts and bots clearly pays off later: when you withdraw, you withdraw per bot. Our guide on connecting Telegram accounts shows how the bot and the account fit together.
How do you withdraw Telegram Stars?
Telegram announced, when it launched Stars, that developers would be able to withdraw the Stars earned by their bots in Toncoin via Fragment. In practice, the owner of the bot starts the withdrawal from Telegram, the Stars are converted at Telegram's rate, and the Toncoin arrives on Fragment. From there, Toncoin can be exchanged for dollars or another currency through the service of your choice.
We deliberately do not quote a rate, a minimum or a waiting period here. Telegram sets all three and has changed its rules since launch, so any number we wrote would age badly. Check the current conditions inside Telegram and on Fragment before each withdrawal.
Three practical points for agencies:
- The bot owner withdraws. Make sure the agency controls the Telegram account that owns each bot, and that more than one trusted person knows where that access sits.
- Withdrawals are per bot. A creator with ten accounts may have ten balances. Plan who withdraws, how often, and how the amounts are recorded.
- Exchange costs are separate. Converting Toncoin into dollars goes through a third party with its own fees and rules. Count them in your numbers.
What can reduce what you actually receive?
Gross Stars are not revenue. Several things sit between the price a fan paid and the dollars you can use.
- Telegram's share. Telegram keeps part of each payment, under its own terms.
- Refunds. A seller can refund a Stars payment through the Bot API method refundStarPayment, and Telegram expects sellers to handle payment disputes and answer the /paysupport command. Every refund comes off your sales.
- The conversion rate. The value of a Star in Toncoin, and of Toncoin in dollars, moves over time.
- Exchange fees. Charged by the service you use to sell the Toncoin.
This is why LanaChat reports net sales: the amount after Telegram's share and refunds, per creator and per account. The commission on sales is computed on that net amount, not on gross Stars. Read Telegram Stars explained for creator agencies for how fans buy and spend Stars, and reading your numbers for how the console shows them.
How should you price media in Stars?
Because the Star to dollar value can move, price from the dollar amount you want, then convert:
- Decide the dollar price of each tier of your ladder: entry, mid-range, premium.
- Convert each into Stars at the current rate, and round to a price that looks natural.
- Revisit the list when Telegram changes its rates or rules.
In the Vault, each paid item can cost from 1 to 25,000 Stars, and the AI always sells at the price you set. Our Vault and paid media feature explains how items are priced and described.
Can you spend Stars instead of withdrawing them?
Stars on a bot's balance belong to the seller side, and the ways they can be used are defined by Telegram. Stars a person buys for himself are a different thing: Telegram's terms say Stars in a personal balance can only be used for the purposes Telegram lists, and cannot be sold or withdrawn. Do not mix the two when you plan your cash.
FAQ
Can I withdraw Telegram Stars straight to a bank account?
Telegram has announced withdrawals in Toncoin via Fragment. Turning Toncoin into dollars on a bank account goes through an exchange service of your choice.
What is the Telegram Stars to USD rate?
Telegram sets it and it changes over time, so we do not quote one. Check the current rate inside Telegram before you build or update a price list.
Who can withdraw the Stars a creator's account earned?
The owner of the bot that made the sale. In LanaChat, Stars are credited to the balance of the bot that runs each account.
Does a refund reduce my Stars balance?
Yes. A refunded payment is taken off your sales. LanaChat counts net sales after Telegram's share and refunds.
Is the LanaChat commission charged on gross Stars?
No. It is charged on net sales, after Telegram's share and refunds.