Earning Stars
Telegram Stars Affiliate Programs
Telegram's affiliate programs pay you a share of the Stars that people you refer spend in a mini app. You join from your Stars balance, share a personal link and receive commissions for the period the developer sets.
Updated
How a commission reaches you
- A referral spends Stars in the mini app
- You get the share the developer sets
- 21 daysOn hold
- Stars in your balanceExpire after 3 years
On this page
How the program works
A Telegram Stars affiliate program pays you a commission when people you refer spend Stars in a mini app. The developer sets the rate and how long commissions last. You join, get a personal link and share it.
Telegram launched affiliate programs on 4 December 2024. Any user, channel owner or mini app developer can join one. Only the account that owns a mini app can create its program.
How to join a program
You can join as many programs as you like. Each one gives you a separate link.
- Open Settings > My Stars and go to Earn Stars.
- Sort the list by start date, total revenue or potential profit and pick a program.
- Read the commission rate and the commission period.
- Choose the balance that receives Stars: your account, a channel you own or a mini app you develop.
- Copy the link Telegram creates and share it.
Pick the receiving balance carefully
Stars cannot be moved between balances, and a link stays tied to the balance you picked. To earn into another balance, create a second link for the same program; the first link keeps working.
Each balance spends Stars differently. Personal Stars buy digital goods, subscriptions, paid content and gifts. Channel Stars pay for giveaways and Telegram Ads. Mini app Stars raise message limits, send gifts to users and pay for ads.
When a referral counts and what you earn
A referral counts when someone opens the mini app for the first time through your link. Their Stars purchases in that app then earn you a share until the commission period ends.
Telegram's own example: with a 30-day period, a user who first opens the app on 1 January brings you commissions until 31 January. Example with numbers: at a 20% rate, a referral who spends 500 Stars in the app earns you 100 Stars.
Only digital goods paid in Stars count. Physical products sold through third-party payment providers bring no commission.
When you can use the Stars
Commissions appear in your balance in real time, but Telegram's affiliate terms hold them for 21 days. During that time you cannot use, convert or withdraw them.
If a referral gets a refund from the developer or from Apple or Google, Telegram may take the matching Stars back. Affiliate Stars expire 3 years after you receive them.
If the program changes or ends
A developer can only raise the rate or extend the period. To lower them, they must end the program and start a new one.
When a program ends, its links stop working about 24 hours later. You keep commissions already earned, and users you referred before the end keep earning you Stars until their period runs out.
To leave a program, press and hold it in your Earn Stars list and tap Leave. This revokes your link.
Rules for sharing your link
You can post the link in your channel, stories, groups of friends, other websites or as a QR code. Sending it to strangers or posting it in public groups can lead to temporary limits on your account.
Telegram's terms ban spamming the link, inflating clicks and opening private chats with random users just to share it. Commissions earned this way can be withheld.
You are responsible for taxes and for disclosing affiliate links where local law requires it. Telegram treats commissions as tax-inclusive.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the Telegram Stars affiliate program?
It is a Telegram feature that lets mini app developers pay for referrals. You share a link and earn a share of the Stars your referrals spend in that mini app during the commission period.
How much can I earn?
It depends on the program. Each one shows its rate and period before you join, and you earn that share of what your referrals spend in the app.
When can I spend affiliate Stars?
21 days after you receive them. Until then Telegram's affiliate terms block using, converting or withdrawing them.
Can I change which balance a link pays into?
No. Create a new link for the other balance; the old link keeps working.
Does GiftsWatch run a Stars affiliate program?
No. GiftsWatch links to Portals and Tonnel with its own referral code; the affiliate disclosure page lists these links.
Sources
Primary sources consulted
- Affiliate Programs, AI-Powered Sticker Search, Collages, and More (4 Dec 2024)Telegram Blog · checked
- Affiliate ProgramsTelegram · checked
- Affiliate programsTelegram API documentation · checked
- Terms of Service for Affiliate ProgramsTelegram · checked