The short answer
- 1Subscribers can pay Stars or Toncoin to suggest a post; it arrives as a direct message to the channel.
- 2The channel is paid 24 hours after posting, and an early removal refunds the payer in full.
- 3Only the owner withdraws, through Fragment, with the Two-Step Verification password.
In this article
Paid suggested posts, from the channel's side
Subscribers can suggest a post to a channel and attach Telegram Stars or Gram (the coin formerly called Toncoin) as payment for publishing it. The suggestion arrives as a direct message, so the channel first needs direct messages turned on; see turning on direct messages for a channel. Instead of haggling over an ad in chat, the offer, the edits and the payment all happen inside the app.
When an offer comes in, the owner can accept it as it is, suggest changes to the text, media or price, schedule it for a set time, or decline it. Nothing is published until both sides agree.
When the money actually arrives
| Moment | What happens |
|---|---|
| Both sides agree | The post is published now or at the agreed time |
| 24 hours after posting | The channel receives its reward |
| Post removed before then | Telegram returns the full amount to the person who paid |
The channel receives a share of the price, not all of it; the rate is set by Telegram and shown in the app. Payment always runs from the person suggesting to the channel, never the other way round.
Withdrawing what the channel earns
- Only the owner can withdraw. Admins can be allowed to see revenue, but the withdrawal itself belongs to the owner's account.
- It asks for your Two-Step Verification password. Turn it on well before you need it; see turning on Two-Step Verification.
- It goes through Fragment to a TON wallet. Telegram opens a Fragment page where you enter the wallet address. There is a minimum balance, and the app tells you when the next withdrawal is possible.
- Or spend it on ads. Earned Stars can pay for Telegram ads for your own channel at a discount, without withdrawing at all.
The full withdrawal steps are in withdrawing Stars earnings.
Before you accept an offer
- Read the post as your readers will. A paid post sits in your channel's feed with your name on it. If it would make you unfollow a channel, decline it, whatever the price.
- Label it. Readers forgive a paid post they were told about far more easily than one they discover.
- Keep it inside the app. The 24-hour hold and the automatic refund protect both sides only when the payment goes through the suggestion itself. Anyone who asks you to send money first, or to take payment outside Telegram, is outside that protection; see Stars scams.
Other ways a channel earns are Star reactions and Star subscriptions.
FAQ
When does a Telegram channel get paid for a suggested post?
24 hours after the post goes up. If it is removed earlier, Telegram returns the full amount to the person who paid.
Is it safer to accept Stars or Toncoin for suggested posts?
Telegram says Toncoin is safer for channels, because the buyer cannot refund it, while Stars can be refunded through app stores.
How do I withdraw what my channel earned?
The owner withdraws through Fragment to a TON wallet, which needs the Two-Step Verification password, or spends Stars on ads instead.
Sources
At a glance
- 1Arrives
As a direct message; owner accepts, edits or declines.
- 2Paid
24 hours after posting, a share of the price.
- 3Withdraw
Owner only, via Fragment, 2FA password.
Updated
