What are Telegram Stars?
Last updated: 2026-05-29
Telegram Stars are an in-app virtual currency on the Telegram messaging platform. They are used to pay for digital goods and services inside the Telegram app and the bots, channels, and mini-apps that run on it. Telegram introduced the Stars system in 2024 to comply with Apple App Store and Google Play in-app purchase rules for digital goods.
What can you spend Stars on?
- Paid Telegram bots and mini-apps. Bot developers can charge in Stars for digital features, in-game items, premium content, or subscriptions.
- Paid channel subscriptions. Channel admins can set a monthly Stars price for access to private content.
- Paid messages and reactions. Channel owners can charge Stars for paid reactions or to send messages into restricted comment sections.
- Telegram Premium gifts. Stars can be converted to Telegram Premium subscriptions as gifts.
- Story boost and visibility. Some channels accept Stars for prominence in story sections.
How do you buy Stars?
The primary way to purchase Stars is through the Telegram app itself, using Apple App Store, Google Play, or the desktop client. Prices are roughly 50 Stars per US dollar at the in-app rate, with small discounts on larger packs. See the Stars calculator for reference conversions.
Stars can also be obtained through:
- TON conversion. Holders of TON (the cryptocurrency on which Telegram’s blockchain layer is built) can convert TON into Stars at a published rate.
- Bot rewards. Some bots distribute Stars as user rewards.
- Receiving Stars as a gift. Other Telegram users can send Stars directly.
Stars vs. Telegram Premium
Telegram Premium is a flat-rate monthly subscription that unlocks features inside the Telegram app for the user (faster downloads, custom emoji, larger uploads, etc.). Stars are a virtual currency spent on specific digital goods inside the platform. Premium and Stars coexist: a user can have an active Premium subscription and a separate Stars balance.
Stars vs. TON
TON (The Open Network) is an open public cryptocurrency originally associated with Telegram. TON is a real on-chain asset with market price and independent wallets. Stars are a closed-loop in-app currency managed by Telegram for internal purchases. There is a documented conversion path between the two, but they are different categories of asset.
For merchants and developers
Telegram provides a public Bot Payments API for accepting Stars (and other payment rails) inside bots and mini-apps. Apple and Google’s in-app purchase rules require that digital goods sold inside the Telegram app use Stars rather than external payment processors. External (web-based) checkout flows are not subject to this rule and may use Stripe, PayPal, or other web payment providers.