Telegram Stars Subscriptions: Sell Monthly Access Without a Custom Bot

What a Stars subscription actually charges

A subscription invoice is still a Stars payment. The buyer confirms a native Telegram sheet priced in Stars (currency XTR). The difference from a normal payment link is the period: access lasts for a set number of days, and an automatic subscription asks Telegram to charge again when that period ends.

Telegram only auto-renews on a 30-day cycle (subscription_period of 2,592,000 seconds). If you want a 7-day pass or a 90-day season, use a manual period. The buyer pays once, access expires, and they pay the same link again to extend it.

Automatic vs manual renewal

How to create one without code

1. Log in with Telegram.
2. Create an invoice and choose Subscription.
3. Set Automatic — every 30 days, or Manual and enter the number of days.
4. Add the amount in Stars, a title (32 characters or fewer) and a description that states the renewal rule in plain language.
5. Choose what is delivered: a file, a photo, a video, an audio file, an HTTPS link, a message, or a private channel.
6. Create the link and share it. A short redirect such as telegram-stars.io/r/members is easier to pin than the raw invoice URL.

Private channel access

Channel access is only available on a subscription, not on a one-off content sale. The channel must be private. You need its ID, which looks like -100 followed by digits. Add the platform bot as an administrator with permission to invite and remove members, and keep your own Telegram account as an administrator too.

• A confirmed payment marks the buyer as active until the period ends.
• When the period expires and they have not renewed, access is removed.
• Say the length and the renewal rule in the invoice description so the payment sheet matches what you promised.

For the editorial side of a paid channel, see how to monetize a Telegram channel with Stars.

What you earn, and when

Each renewal is its own Stars credit. It sits in your balance, becomes withdrawable 21 days after that payment, and can be paid out to a TON wallet from 100 Stars. Telegram Stars Payment Platform takes a flat 3%, with no monthly fee. A 250 Star membership therefore nets 242.5 Stars before the Stars-to-TON rate. The rate itself is covered in Telegram Stars fees explained.

What to write on the payment sheet

• Title: the membership name, not “invoice” or “payment”.
• Description: what they get, for how long, and whether it renews. Example: “Private channel. Renews every 30 days. Cancel any time before the next charge.”
• Price: a pack-friendly amount such as 100, 250, 500 or 1,000 Stars. Buyers often top up in those sizes.

One-off products that should be delivered once, with no period, belong on a content sale. That flow is described in deliver a file after a Stars payment.