Your DMs used to feel like a sign of success. But now they hold forty unread "hi, quick question?" notes, promo pitches and requests for free advice "in two words." Telegram paid messages fix this in a grown-up way: a stranger pays Stars for every note, and you earn for time you were already giving away.
Still, hiding your inbox or limiting it to contacts cuts off clients, advertisers and readers with real questions along with the spam. A free inbox, on the other hand, quietly turns into unpaid work. That is why in 2026 more experts, creators and channel admins set a small toll at the door.
This guide shows how to switch the fee on in a private profile, a group and a channel, what the sender sees, how refunds work and what you can realistically earn. We also show how to answer such notes without being online all day.
What Are Telegram Paid Messages?
In short, it is a privacy setting that stops people outside your contacts from writing for free. First they see the cost, then they pay it in Telegram Stars, and only then does the note reach you. Also, the fee applies to each note, not to the conversation as a whole.
For a live example of Telegram paid messages, look at Pavel Durov's admin inbox. Every message to its admin costs 5,000 Stars: the empty chat shows a cost card with a Buy Stars button, and the input field reads "Message for ⭐5,000".
As a result, the split is simple: 85% goes to the recipient and the platform keeps 15%. Meanwhile, contacts and anyone you exempt still write for free, so friends and regular clients notice nothing.
The feature arrived in the March 2025 update and works in three places: private chats, groups and channel DMs. Each one is set up differently, so we will go through them in turn. If you are new to the in-app currency itself, start with our explainer on Telegram Stars.
How to Turn On Paid Messages in Telegram
Where you charge decides what you need, because Telegram paid messages work differently in each place. A personal profile requires a subscription, while groups and channels only need admin rights.
Private Chats: Premium Only
For personal DMs, the option is reserved for Telegram Premium users. Without the subscription the item is visible but locked.
- Open Settings. Then go to Privacy and Security, then Messages.
- Pick "Charge for Messages". A price slider appears.
- Set the amount. The slider runs from 1 to 35,000 Stars per note, and the sender sees the cost before writing.
- Save. From now on, every stranger pays for each note.
The screenshot comes from a Premium account: "Charge for messages" is selected, with the price slider and a note that you keep 85% of each fee. If the option is greyed out for you, get Premium first and then come back to this screen.
Exceptions: Who Writes for Free
To begin with, people in your phone contacts never pay. In addition, the Exceptions block on the same screen lets you add users or whole groups who never pay, which is handy for partners, colleagues and long-term customers you never saved as contacts.
If someone has already been charged and you add them to exceptions afterwards, the app offers to give their payment back. For instance, that is a polite move when an old client sends a priced question by mistake.
Groups: A Fee for Every Chat Message
In a group, an admin with the right to ban members switches it on: open group settings, then Permissions, and enable "Charge Stars for Messages." After that each member pays per post, and the earnings build up on the group balance controlled by the owner.
Here is what a member of a real group sees: the input field now reads "Message for ⭐110" instead of the usual placeholder, so nobody writes for free.
Typically, it fits groups people join for a single answer, such as portfolio reviews, consultations or listing boards. However, it will kill a lively community, so leave it off for ordinary discussion chats.
A Channel's Admin Inbox
Besides, a channel can have its own inbox, where subscribers write to the admins without seeing their accounts. In channel settings, open "Messages to admins" and enable "Accept messages." A "Price per message" scale from 0 to 10,000 Stars appears below.
In the screenshot the rate is 100, and the app immediately shows that the owner receives 85%, roughly $1.10 per incoming note. On the other hand, leave it at 0 and that inbox stays open at no cost, which works when you want reader feedback without exposing an admin account.
Telegram Paid Messages in Channel Comments
Comments under posts live in the linked discussion group. So switching on the Stars fee in that group's permissions makes every comment chargeable as well. The app presents this as a way to keep discussions clean and to earn from an active audience.
Still, keep the rate minimal, or skip it entirely, if comments drive most of your reach. Otherwise discussions go quiet and views drop along with them.
Sending a Message for Stars: What the Other Side Sees
First of all, the sender knows about the fee in advance: the card in an empty chat and the input field both show the cost. Type your text and tap the send button with the star. The app then opens a "Confirm payment" sheet: "Pavel Durov charges 5,000 Stars per message." After "Pay for 1 Message" the amount is deducted, and the chat shows "You paid 5,000 Stars to send a message." The "Don't ask me again" box skips this sheet next time, and if the balance is short, the app suggests a top-up.
That is why it pays to be specific when you write to a priced inbox. A greeting plus a question in two bubbles costs double, so put the task, the context and what you expect into a single text.
Meanwhile, the recipient gets an ordinary note with a service line above it, such as "Dmitry paid 100 Stars to send a message." You can see that view below, in the section on automatic replies.
Can You Read or Bypass Telegram Paid Messages for Free?
No. The charge happens server-side, so mods, "cracked" clients and unlock bots open nothing. What they do ask for is a login code or a file download, and the account is gone soon after. We broke down how these tricks work in our guide to common Telegram scams.
Instead, the only honest way to write without paying is to be in the recipient's contacts or exceptions. In other words, ask them to add you or use another contact method listed in their profile.
Who Is Writing: The New Contact Card
Alongside Telegram paid messages, the app added an info block to the first notes from strangers. It shows the country based on the phone number, shared groups, the registration date, roughly when the name or photo last changed, and the account status: official, confirmed by a third-party service, or regular.
For instance, a pricey note from a profile created a week ago that just changed its name deserves a careful read. A long-time follower from a shared group, on the other hand, can get an instant refund and a spot on your exception list.
Balance Too Low to Send?
If your balance falls short, the app offers a top-up right from the payment window. Buy the amount you need in the app, then tap send again.
Refunds and Switching Telegram Paid Messages Off
Only the recipient can give the money back, though. When a note turns out to matter, say it comes from a partner, tap "Remove fee" in that chat. The app asks "Are you sure you want to allow … to message you for free?" and offers a "Refund already paid Stars" checkbox. After "Confirm" the person joins your exceptions and the payment goes back. However, the sender cannot cancel a payment on their own.
If Durov's team refunded our example payment, the sender would see "Pavel Durov refunded 5,000 Stars to you" in the chat. The transaction history would then list two entries, a 5,000 charge for the note and a 5,000 refund, with the balance back at 7,529.
Next, you turn the feature off in the same place you turned it on. In a profile, return to the same privacy screen and choose Everybody or My Contacts. In a group, flip the switch in Permissions, and in a channel set the price to zero or stop accepting DMs.
Why Telegram Paid Messages Are Not Working
When Telegram paid messages misbehave, the cause is usually a setting or an outdated app rather than an outage.
| Symptom | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| "Charge for Messages" has a padlock | No Premium. Subscribe and reopen the screen |
| The option is missing | Old app version. Update the app |
| Someone writes for free | They are in your contacts or exceptions |
| No switch in group settings | The admin lacks the right to ban members |
| Stars will not withdraw | Under 1,000 or the 21 days have not passed |
Finally, if DMs stopped arriving altogether, check whether the account is restricted. Our guide to the Telegram spam block explains how.
Who Should Use Paid Messages on Telegram
In practice, a priced inbox pays off when people come to you for an answer, not when you chase buyers. If your leads arrive by DM, this filter will scare them away.
| Good fit | Poor fit |
|---|---|
| Therapists, lawyers and nutrition coaches flooded with "just a minute" questions | Sellers who expect orders in DMs |
| Creators and models whose fans pay for a personal reply | Brand-new channels with no audience |
| Channel admins buried in ad requests | Customer support and online services |
| Review and consultation groups | Lively communities and discussions |
For example, a therapist charges 50 Stars for a short consultation, a nutrition coach 30 for a meal plan comment, a lawyer 100 for a first contract review and an admin 200 per ad request. Creators often ask 25 for a personal birthday greeting.
For example, it suits AI characters well: a subscriber pays to write to a persona and gets an instant reply. We covered such projects in our piece on AI OFM on Telegram.
Telegram Paid Messages: Pricing and Real Earnings
You pick the price yourself: 1 to 35,000 in private chats, up to 10,000 for channel DMs. As a reference point, a Star is worth about $0.013 at withdrawal, while buyers pay a bit more for a pack. So 100 Stars per note leaves you roughly $1.10 after the commission.
| Price per note | You keep (85%) | ≈ USD | 300 notes a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ⭐ | 8.5 ⭐ | $0.11 | ≈ $33 |
| 50 ⭐ | 42.5 ⭐ | $0.55 | ≈ $166 |
| 100 ⭐ | 85 ⭐ | $1.10 | ≈ $330 |
| 500 ⭐ | 425 ⭐ | $5.50 | ≈ $1,650 |
Note that the table assumes ten notes a day. Keep in mind that a steep price shrinks the flow fast: people pay 500 for a review by a well-known expert, not for small talk. Start around 25–50 and check after two weeks how many senders stay.
Choosing Your Price
First, begin with your hourly rate and the time one reply takes. If a short answer takes five minutes and your consulting hour costs $40, a fair note is about 60 cents, which is roughly 40–50 Stars. For fan notes the price works as a token of attention instead: a 25 fee rarely scares anyone off, yet they filter out empty greetings.
After that, watch the response. If the flow drops to almost nothing, lower the fee, and if you still drown in notes, raise it. You can change the rate any time, and notes already paid for are not affected.
Telling People Before They Write
Since a stranger only sees the cost when trying to send, explain the rules up front in your bio or a pinned post. That way visitors arrive with a ready question.
Bio example: "DMs cost 50 ⭐ and get an answer within an hour on weekdays. Please put your question in one text. Clients from my sessions write for free, you are on my exceptions list."
Earnings are withdrawn through Fragment once you have at least 1,000, and each batch unlocks 21 days after it arrives. You can also spend them in the messenger on ads, gifts or Premium. More ideas live in our overview of how to make money on Telegram.
Answering Star DMs With GramGPT.io
Of course, a person who just spent Stars expects an answer now, not tomorrow night. Replying by hand turns the inbox into a second job. This is where NeuroDialogs help: an AI autoresponder that reads incoming notes and replies on behalf of the account.
- Connect the account with Premium and the charge enabled in the account manager.
- Write a prompt. Describe the role, tone and rules: who you are, how to answer compliments and where to invite people next, for example a private channel.
- Turn on auto-replies. Tune delays and reply length so the chat feels human.
The screenshot shows a prompt for a model: a flirty tone with a light sexual undertone, short replies, and the AI offers the rest in a private channel. Meanwhile, meetings and explicit photos in DMs are ruled out by the prompt.
