What are Telegram Stars and how do they work?

What Stars are for

Stars exist so that people can pay inside Telegram without leaving the app. Typical uses: unlocking paid photos or videos a creator posts in a channel, paying a bot for a service, sending gifts and paid reactions, and subscribing to some channels.

Prices in Stars are set by the creator or bot owner. Your app shows the equivalent in your currency when you buy a pack of Stars.

How you buy them

Open a paid item and Telegram offers to buy Stars. On iPhone and Android the purchase goes through the app store, which adds the store's commission to the price. On desktop and web Telegram may offer its own checkout, often cheaper. Packs and exact prices change; check what the app shows you at the moment of purchase.

How creators receive and cash out

Stars land in the creator's balance. Telegram lets creators withdraw them after a holding period, through its blockchain-based rewards system, with Telegram keeping a share. The details (holding time, minimum amount, conversion rate) are Telegram's and have changed several times, so creators should read Telegram's current terms rather than rely on this page for numbers.

Stars versus paying directly

Stars are convenient and keep the payment inside Telegram, but app store fees make them expensive on mobile and the creator receives only part of what you pay. In a private chat, a creator will often tell you how they prefer to be paid. TeleSearch does not handle payments: we connect you to the creator's personal account and the two of you decide.

Staying safe

Only buy Stars through Telegram's official flow. Never send Stars, crypto or gift cards to someone who contacted you first, and never pay before confirming the username against the creator's other public profiles.