How to accept payments on Telegram (Stars, TON & Wallet Pay)
Three ways to get paid inside Telegram — Stars for digital goods, TON for crypto-native sales, and Wallet Pay — and when to use each.
Telegram is no longer just a place to post — it is a place to sell. Between Telegram Stars, the TON blockchain and Wallet Pay, you can charge for access, sell digital products and take crypto payments without ever sending a buyer to an external checkout. This guide explains each rail, when to use it, and how to wire up a storefront that converts.
The three payment rails on Telegram
Telegram Stars
Stars are Telegram's in-app currency for digital goods and services. Users buy Stars through the app stores, then spend them on bots and mini apps. Stars are the cleanest way to sell digital items — paid posts, subscriptions, unlocks — because the whole flow stays inside Telegram and is allowed by the app store rules. You can later convert Stars to TON.
TON
TON is the blockchain integrated with Telegram. It suits crypto-native audiences and larger or cross-border payments where you want funds settled on-chain to a wallet you control. Customers pay with TON from their Telegram wallet, and you receive crypto directly — no card processor in the middle.
Wallet Pay
Wallet Pay lets users pay from the balance in Telegram's Wallet, bridging everyday spending with crypto rails. It is a good fit when your audience already keeps a balance in Wallet and you want a fast, familiar checkout.
Which one should you use?
- Selling digital goods to a broad audience? Start with Stars — lowest friction, app-store-compliant.
- Audience is crypto-savvy or you want on-chain settlement? Use TON.
- Want flexibility? Offer more than one — let the buyer choose at checkout.
Setting up payments step by step
- 1Connect your bot to GramMaker and enable payments.
- 2Create products — a paid post, a subscription tier, a downloadable file, or a storefront of items.
- 3Choose accepted methods (Stars, TON, Wallet Pay) per product.
- 4Set prices and, if relevant, recurring billing for subscriptions.
- 5Share the buy link or pin the storefront in your channel.
- 6Track orders and revenue from the dashboard.
Tips for higher conversion
Keep the path from interest to purchase short: a clear price, a single tap to pay, and instant delivery of the product or access. Pin a buy button in your channel, mention the offer in scheduled posts, and use analytics to see which products and prices actually sell.
Try it in GramMaker
Sell on TelegramTelegram payments FAQ
No. Stars are handled inside Telegram. Users buy Stars via the app stores and spend them with your bot; you can convert your Stars balance to TON.
On-chain TON payments are final, like most crypto transactions. Make your delivery and refund policy clear before purchase to avoid disputes.
Yes. With GramMaker you can enable multiple methods per product and let the buyer pick at checkout.