Telegram Introduces Paid Posts for Subscription Channels, Viewing Content Requires Payment in Stars

The instant messaging application Telegram continues to expand its ecosystem with the introduction of a feature that allows subscription channels to publish paid posts. This feature, after a brief testing phase, is now available to all subscription channels.

The paid post feature is a tool provided by Telegram to help content creators or bot channels generate revenue. Creators can set how many Telegram Stars are required to unlock a piece of content.

However, the platform's payment system is somewhat complicated. Purchasing stars requires payment through an app store, and on the iOS system, the exchange rate is 1 US dollar for 100 stars.

After users unlock paid content with stars, the content creator receives the corresponding number of stars. Currently, Telegram takes almost no commission. For example, if a user pays 250 stars to unlock content, the content creator will receive 250 stars.

Although these stars are still displayed in dollars, content creators who wish to cash out will need to do so through the cryptocurrency Ton, similar to how channel advertising revenue is paid.

In other words, users purchase stars with fiat currency, but content creators must cash out through cryptocurrency, without the option to directly withdraw fiat currency. The exchange rate of stars is fixed, but the price of Ton fluctuates. Therefore, when content creators cash out, they will receive Ton based on its current price and then sell the Ton for fiat currency.

Although the process is somewhat cumbersome, content creators on Telegram now have more ways to profit. This feature also benefits artists who sell photos or videos, potentially creating competitive pressure for platforms like OnlyFans.