Telegram Stars economics for creators: what the fan pays, what you actually receive
Telegram Stars are the only currency allowed for digital goods, paid media and paid messages inside Telegram, and every number below comes from a Telegram, Apple, Google or OnlyFans page checked on 11 September 2026. The gap between what a fan pays and what a creator can withdraw ranges from about 8% to 35% depending on where the fan bought the Stars. This page separates the three numbers people mix up, gives worked examples, and explains what we change in operations because of them.
What the fan pays vs what the creator receives (1,000 Stars)
The creator side is the same in every row: Telegram's Bot Developer Terms state that "Developers can receive an equivalent of 0.013 USD worth of rewards for each Telegram Star" (section 6.2.4, checked 2026-09-11), and the Content Creator Terms repeat "an equivalent of 0.013 USD worth of rewards" for paid posts (section 2.2, checked 2026-09-11). The API configuration exposes the same figure as stars_usd_withdraw_rate_x1000 = 1300, i.e. 13.00 USD per 1,000 Stars (core.telegram.org/api/config, checked 2026-09-11).
| Purchase channel | Fan pays for 1,000 Stars | Creator reward value | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS in-app (App Store) | 19.99 USD, 0% VAT (Telegram "Star Pricing" table, core.telegram.org/bots/payments-stars, checked 2026-09-11) | 13.00 USD | 35.0% |
| Android in-app (Play Store) | 19.99 USD, same table, same date | 13.00 USD | 35.0% |
| Web / Desktop via @PremiumBot | Not published by Telegram on a public page. The API reference rate stars_usd_sell_rate_x1000 = 1410 ("number of US dollars required to buy one thousand Telegram Stars", checked 2026-09-11) gives 14.10 USD | 13.00 USD | 7.8% |
| Fragment (fragment.com/stars/buy) | 15.00 USD or 11.09 TON, displayed on 2026-09-11 | 13.00 USD | 13.3% |
Telegram's own breakdown of the 19.99 USD mobile row: 6.00 USD "Apple / Google 30% Commission", 0.99 USD "Telegram Administrative Costs", 13.00 USD "Developer Proceeds" (same table, checked 2026-09-11); amounts "may vary from user to user due to VAT and other applicable fees".
The three numbers people confuse
- The purchase price. What a fan pays for Stars. It depends on the channel: 19.99 USD per 1,000 on iOS and Android (Telegram table, 2026-09-11), 15.00 USD on Fragment (2026-09-11), 14.10 USD reference rate for web and desktop (API config, 2026-09-11). Apple's standard commission is 30% (Apple Newsroom, 18 November 2020; 15% under the Small Business Program below 1 million USD per year, developer.apple.com, checked 2026-09-11). Google Play charges 15% on the first 1 million USD per year and 30% above it (Play Console Help "Service fees", checked 2026-09-11).
- The reward value. 0.013 USD per Star, fixed by Telegram "in its sole discretion" and explicitly disconnected from the purchase price: "this value has no connection, direct or implied, to the historical, present, or anticipated future purchase cost of Stars in any particular region" (Bot Developer Terms 6.2.4, checked 2026-09-11). For comparison, the same Star is worth 0.02 USD if you spend it on Telegram Ads instead of withdrawing (Content Creator Terms 4.3, checked 2026-09-11).
- The exit fees. Withdrawal is processed by Fragment: Telegram "currently outsources the processing of all Content Creator Rewards to Fragment, a non-custodial platform owned and operated by Fragment Corp" (Content Creator Terms 4.4, checked 2026-09-11), and the API returns "a unique URL to a Fragment page where the user will be able to specify and submit the address of the TON wallet" (core.telegram.org/api/stars, checked 2026-09-11). Any Fragment or TON conversion cost on top of the 0.013 USD: not published by Telegram.
Three constraints sit on top: Stars "require 21 days" before withdrawal (Content Creator Terms 4.1; Bot Developer Terms 6.2.4 says "up to 21 days after their receipt", both checked 2026-09-11); minimum withdrawal stars_revenue_withdrawal_min = 1000 Stars, maximum 25,000,000 (API config, checked 2026-09-11); Stars are "valid for 3 years from the date they were received", then forfeited (Content Creator Terms 4.6, checked 2026-09-11).
Example: 20 USD paid on mobile, then on web
On iOS or Android, 19.99 USD buys 1,000 Stars (Telegram table, 2026-09-11). If the fan sends all 1,000 Stars to you, your reward value is 13.00 USD, i.e. 65.0% of what the fan paid.
On desktop or web at the 14.10 USD reference rate (API config, 2026-09-11), 20 USD buys about 1,418 Stars. The same 1,418 Stars are worth 18.43 USD in reward value, i.e. 92.2% of what the fan paid. On Fragment at 15.00 USD per 1,000 (2026-09-11), 20 USD buys 1,333 Stars, worth 17.33 USD, i.e. 86.7%.
Same fan, same 20 USD, 5.43 USD of difference in your balance. Paid messages follow a separate rule: "Those users receive 85% of the Stars paid to send each message" (Terms of Service for Telegram Stars 6.5, checked 2026-09-11).
Comparison with OnlyFans (20% flat)
OnlyFans states: "Our Fee is calculated as 20% of the total Fan Payment and will be deducted from each Fan Payment" (onlyfans.com/terms, "Creator payouts", checked 2026-09-11). The comparison only makes sense if you say which base you are using.
Reading 1: share of the price paid by the fan. What the creator receives when the fan spends 100, 500, 1,000 or 5,000 USD.
| Fan spends | OnlyFans (80%) | Stars bought on iOS/Android (65.0%) | Stars bought on Fragment (86.7%) | Stars bought on web/desktop at reference rate (92.2%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 USD | 80 USD | 65 USD | 87 USD | 92 USD |
| 500 USD | 400 USD | 325 USD | 433 USD | 461 USD |
| 1,000 USD | 800 USD | 650 USD | 867 USD | 922 USD |
| 5,000 USD | 4,000 USD | 3,252 USD | 4,333 USD | 4,610 USD |
Reading 2: share of the reward value. If you price your content in Stars using 0.013 USD per Star as the unit, the sales figure in your dashboard is already the reward value, and Telegram takes nothing further before Fragment; the fan, meanwhile, paid the purchase price of the table above.
Both readings are true: the first is what the fan experiences, the second is what your dashboard shows. Mixing them produces the "Telegram takes 35%" and "Telegram takes 0%" claims you see side by side.
What we do about it as operators
- Encourage Stars purchases off mobile whenever the fan can. Telegram's Terms list "@PremiumBot on the direct version of Telegram for Android, as well as Telegram's Web and Desktop apps" as purchase channels (Terms of Service for Telegram Stars, section 2, checked 2026-09-11), and Fragment shows 15.00 USD per 1,000 Stars (2026-09-11) against 19.99 USD in the app stores. A one-line hint in the pinned message or bio is enough.
- Price in Stars from the reward value, never from the app store price. A 15 USD unlock is 1,154 Stars at 0.013 USD, not 750 Stars. Paid media can be priced up to
stars_paid_post_amount_max = 25000Stars (API config, checked 2026-09-11). - Purchases made inside the chat go through Stars, as Telegram requires for digital goods. A separate external checkout link is a different channel with its own rules: check them for your setup before relying on it.
- Withdraw on a schedule: unwithdrawn Stars expire after 3 years (Content Creator Terms 4.6) and "any reward withdrawals are neither reversible nor refundable" if sent to the wrong wallet (Content Creator Terms 4.4, checked 2026-09-11).
FAQ
How much is one Telegram Star worth to a creator? 0.013 USD when withdrawn (Bot Developer Terms 6.2.4 and Content Creator Terms 2.2, checked 2026-09-11), or 0.02 USD as Telegram Ads credit (Content Creator Terms 4.3).
How much does a fan pay for one Star? About 0.02 USD on iOS and Android (19.99 USD per 1,000, Telegram table, 2026-09-11), 0.015 USD on Fragment (2026-09-11), 0.0141 USD at the API reference rate for web and desktop (2026-09-11).
How long before I can withdraw? 21 days after receipt (Content Creator Terms 4.1 and Bot Developer Terms 6.2.4, checked 2026-09-11).
What is the minimum withdrawal? 1,000 Stars (stars_revenue_withdrawal_min, core.telegram.org/api/config, checked 2026-09-11).
Where does the money arrive? In a TON wallet, through Fragment (core.telegram.org/api/stars and Content Creator Terms 4.4, checked 2026-09-11). Fragment and TON costs: not published by Telegram.
Is adult content allowed in paid media? The Stars Terms and the Content Creator Terms contain no adult-content clause (checked 2026-09-11). The general Telegram Terms of Service prohibit users to "Post illegal pornographic content on publicly viewable Telegram channels, bots, etc." (telegram.org/tos, checked 2026-09-11), and the Bot Developer Terms prohibit "illegal, pirated, regulated or questionable goods and services" (section 5, checked 2026-09-11). Telegram Ads placed with Stars follow the separate Ad Policies.
Sources
- Telegram, Bot Payments API for Digital Goods and Services, "Star Pricing" table: https://core.telegram.org/bots/payments-stars (checked 2026-09-11)
- Telegram, Bot Platform Developer Terms of Service, sections 5, 6.2.2, 6.2.4, 6.2.4.1: https://telegram.org/tos/bot-developers (checked 2026-09-11)
- Telegram, Terms of Service for Content Creators, sections 2.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.6: https://telegram.org/tos/content-creator-rewards (checked 2026-09-11)
- Telegram, Terms of Service for Telegram Stars, sections 2, 3, 4, 6.5: https://telegram.org/tos/stars (checked 2026-09-11)
- Telegram, Terms of Service: https://telegram.org/tos (checked 2026-09-11)
- Telegram API, Telegram Stars, "Withdrawing revenue": https://core.telegram.org/api/stars (checked 2026-09-11)
- Telegram API, client configuration (
stars_usd_withdraw_rate_x1000,stars_usd_sell_rate_x1000,stars_revenue_withdrawal_min,stars_revenue_withdrawal_max,stars_paid_post_amount_max): https://core.telegram.org/api/config (checked 2026-09-11) - Telegram, blog "Telegram Stars", June 2024: https://telegram.org/blog/telegram-stars (checked 2026-09-11)
- Fragment, Buy Telegram Stars: https://fragment.com/stars/buy (prices displayed 2026-09-11)
- Apple Newsroom, App Store Small Business Program, 18 November 2020: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/11/apple-announces-app-store-small-business-program/
- Apple Developer, App Store Small Business Program: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/small-business-program/ (checked 2026-09-11)
- Google Play Console Help, Service fees: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/112622 (checked 2026-09-11)
- OnlyFans, Terms of Service, "Creator payouts": https://onlyfans.com/terms (checked 2026-09-11)