How to Withdraw Telegram Stars

Telegram Stars that a channel or bot has earned can be withdrawn through Fragment, Telegram's marketplace, which pays them out in Toncoin (TON) to a TON wallet you connect. You start the withdrawal from the channel's or bot's balance inside Telegram, confirm it, and finish it on Fragment. Stars you bought for yourself to spend are not withdrawable; only Stars received as earnings are.

This guide covers who can withdraw, what to set up beforehand, the steps for channels and bots, the waiting period, what happens after the TON arrives, and how to solve the problems that stop withdrawals.

Telegram changes its Stars rules and screens from time to time. The steps below describe the process as it generally works. Always check the balance screen in your app and Telegram's own help pages for the current conditions.

Quick background: what Stars are and where earned Stars come from

Telegram Stars are Telegram's in-app currency for digital goods and services. People buy them inside Telegram and spend them in bots, mini apps and channels. For the full picture, read Telegram Stars explained.

From an owner's point of view, Stars arrive in a balance when people pay you. Common sources:

• Paid media posts in channels, where subscribers pay Stars to unlock a photo or video. See Telegram paid media posts.
• Paid reactions, where readers send Stars to support a post. See Telegram paid reactions.
• Channel subscriptions paid in Stars for access to a private channel. See paid Telegram channels explained.
• Bot and mini app sales of digital goods, which Telegram requires to be paid in Stars in many cases. See Telegram bot payments for developers.
• Gifts and other features that Telegram has added over time, which can turn into Stars under certain rules. See Telegram gifts explained.

Each of these credits a balance belonging to the channel or bot that earned it. That balance is what you withdraw.

Who can withdraw Stars, and who cannot

Can withdraw: owners of earning channels and bots

If your channel or bot has earned Stars, its owner can request a withdrawal once the conditions are met. On a channel, the withdrawal is normally available to the channel's owner (creator), not to every admin. Admins with financial permissions may see the balance, but moving money out is an owner action. If you are an admin and cannot see the withdrawal option, ask the owner.

Cannot withdraw: Stars you bought to spend

Stars you buy for your own account are for spending: tipping, unlocking content, paying bots, sending gifts. Telegram does not offer a way to sell them back for money. If you see a service offering to "cash out" your purchased Stars, treat it as a likely scam.

Personal accounts

Telegram has added ways for personal accounts to receive Stars, for example through gifts and some paid features. Whether and how such Stars can be withdrawn depends on Telegram's current rules for that feature. Check the Stars screen in your own settings to see whether a withdrawal option is shown for your balance. If no option appears, the balance is for spending inside Telegram.

Before you start: what you need

Set these up before the day you want to withdraw. Most delays come from one of them being missing.

1. Ownership of the channel or bot. Make sure the account you are using is the owner. If ownership has changed, check that it was transferred properly; see how to transfer Telegram channel ownership.
2. Two-step verification on your Telegram account. Telegram typically asks for your two-step verification password to confirm financial actions such as withdrawals and ownership transfers. If you do not have one, set it up first; see how to set up Telegram two-step verification. Some actions also require the password to have been set for a while, so do not leave this to the last minute.
3. A TON wallet you control. Withdrawals are paid in TON to a wallet address. Use a wallet whose recovery phrase you hold, or a custodial wallet you trust and know how to use. Telegram Wallet explained and TON and Telegram explained help you choose.
4. Earned Stars that are old enough. Earned Stars are not withdrawable the moment they arrive. Currently, Telegram applies a holding period, reported as 21 days, before a given batch of earned Stars can be withdrawn. Your balance screen shows how much is available now.
5. Enough available Stars to meet the minimum. Telegram sets a minimum withdrawal amount. The withdrawal screen will tell you if your available balance is below it.

Step by step: withdrawing Stars from a channel

Menu names change between app versions, so treat these as guidance. If a step looks different, look for "Stars", "Balance", "Monetization" or "Withdraw" in the channel's admin options.

1. Open the channel and tap its name to open the channel info.
2. Open the balance. Depending on your version, earned Stars appear in the channel's statistics under a monetization section, or in a Stars balance option in the channel's admin settings.
3. Check the figures. The screen usually shows your total balance and the amount available to withdraw now. The difference is Stars still inside the holding period.
4. Tap the withdrawal option, which mentions Fragment.
5. Choose the amount, if the screen lets you, or withdraw the available total.
6. Confirm with your two-step verification password when asked.
7. Telegram opens Fragment in your browser or in-app browser, with the withdrawal ready.
8. Connect your TON wallet on Fragment. Fragment uses a standard wallet connection. Approve the connection inside your wallet app.
9. Confirm the withdrawal on Fragment. Fragment shows how much TON you will receive for the Stars you are withdrawing.
10. Wait for the TON to arrive in the connected wallet. Check the wallet's history for the incoming transfer.

Before you confirm on Fragment

Read the amount of TON offered. It is based on the rate Telegram and Fragment apply at the time of withdrawal, which you cannot negotiate. If you are surprised by the amount, read how much Telegram Stars are worth in dollars before going ahead; it explains why the value differs from what buyers pay for Stars.

Step by step: withdrawing Stars from a bot

Bots that sell digital goods for Stars collect them in the bot's own balance. The process is similar, but you start from the bot's settings rather than a channel.

1. Open the bot's management screen. In current apps, owners can manage their bots from Telegram's settings or from @BotFather. Look for an option showing the bot's balance or Stars.
2. Check available Stars, the part that has passed the holding period.
3. Choose the withdrawal option, which leads to Fragment.
4. Confirm with your two-step verification password.
5. On Fragment, connect your TON wallet and confirm.

If you built the bot with a developer, make sure the bot is owned by your account, not theirs. The owner in @BotFather is the person who can withdraw. See how to create a Telegram bot with BotFather for how ownership works, and plan a transfer before the bot earns anything.

Alternatives to withdrawing

You do not have to turn earned Stars into TON. Depending on what Telegram currently offers, you can also spend a channel's or bot's earned Stars inside Telegram.

• Telegram Ads. Earned Stars can be used to pay for Telegram Ads to promote the channel or bot. This keeps the value working for growth without converting it. See the Telegram Ads platform explained.
• Other Telegram features that accept Stars, as Telegram adds them.

Using Stars for ads avoids the conversion to TON and back. If you were going to spend money on promotion anyway, this route is worth comparing with a withdrawal.

What happens after the TON arrives

Your withdrawal ends when TON lands in your wallet. What you do next depends on your goals.

Keep it as TON

You can hold the TON in your wallet or use it for things that accept TON, such as Fragment purchases or Telegram Ads paid in TON. Remember that TON's price in dollars or your local currency moves up and down, sometimes sharply. Holding it means accepting that.

Convert it to your local currency

To turn TON into money in a bank account, you generally need an exchange or service that accepts TON and pays out in your currency. Options depend on your country. Check the service's fees, limits and verification requirements before you send anything, and send a small test amount first.

If you use Wallet inside Telegram, it may offer ways to sell crypto depending on your country and verification level; see Telegram Wallet limits and verification explained.

This guide is general information, not financial advice. Crypto prices are volatile, and you should decide for yourself whether to hold or convert.

Record it for taxes

Earnings from Stars are income in many countries, and converting crypto can also have tax consequences. Keep a record of each withdrawal: date, Stars withdrawn, TON received, and the TON value in your currency on that day. Telegram income and taxes for creators covers the general picture. Rules differ by country; check local rules or ask a tax professional.

Choosing the TON wallet for withdrawals

The wallet you connect on Fragment receives your earnings, so choose it deliberately rather than whatever you installed first.

Self-custody or custodial

• A self-custody wallet gives you a recovery phrase, usually a list of words. Whoever holds those words controls the funds. Nobody can freeze the wallet, but nobody can recover it for you if you lose the phrase either.
• A custodial wallet, such as an exchange account or the custodial part of Wallet in Telegram, holds the funds for you. You log in like any other account and can usually recover access, but the provider can apply limits, verification checks or freezes under its own rules.

Neither is right for everyone. A creator who wants to sell TON for local currency soon after withdrawing may prefer a custodial service that offers that. A creator who wants to hold TON and control it fully may prefer self-custody. Tonkeeper vs Telegram Wallet compares two common choices.

A short wallet checklist

1. The wallet supports TON and can connect to sites such as Fragment.
2. You have written down the recovery phrase offline, if it is a self-custody wallet, and stored it somewhere safe.
3. If it is custodial, you know its verification requirements and limits for receiving and selling.
4. You have received a small transfer into it before, so you know where incoming funds appear.
5. Only you have access to it. A shared wallet makes it unclear whose earnings are whose.

Planning how often to withdraw

There is no rule that you must withdraw as soon as Stars become available. How often you withdraw is a choice with trade-offs.

• Withdrawing often means less of your income is waiting in Telegram, and each withdrawal's value in your currency is close to the time you earned it. It also means more transfers to record and possibly more fees when you sell.
• Withdrawing rarely means fewer transactions and less paperwork, but more of your earnings are exposed to changes in Telegram's rules and to the TON price on the day you finally withdraw.

Many creators settle on a regular rhythm, such as once a month, once the available amount comfortably exceeds the minimum. Whatever you choose, write it down and stick to it; a routine makes records easier and stops you trying to time the TON price, which is guesswork.

A worked arithmetic example

This is illustrative arithmetic with made-up figures, not current rates. Suppose a channel has a balance of 5,000 Stars, of which 3,000 have passed the holding period. The owner can withdraw 3,000 now. Suppose Fragment offers a rate that turns those 3,000 Stars into an amount of TON, and that TON is worth a certain amount in the owner's currency that day. The owner records three figures: Stars withdrawn, TON received and its local value on that date. The other 2,000 Stars become available as each batch passes the holding period, and are withdrawn next month with their own rate and value.

The point of the example is the bookkeeping, not the numbers: each withdrawal is its own event with its own rate.

Channels run by a business or a team

When a channel belongs to a company or is run by several people, withdrawals raise practical questions.

1. Decide whose account owns the channel. The owner account controls withdrawals. For a business, that should be an account the business controls, protected by two-step verification, not a freelancer's personal account.
2. Decide which wallet receives the earnings. Use a wallet that belongs to the business, so earnings do not pass through a personal wallet.
3. Document each withdrawal. Date, amount, wallet address and who did it. This protects everyone if questions come up later.
4. Keep ownership transfers rare. Changing the owner of a channel is a sensitive action with its own waiting rules, and it should be planned rather than done in a hurry before a withdrawal.

Running a Telegram channel as a team explains admin rights and how to separate everyday posting from ownership.

Mobile, desktop and web

Not every Telegram app shows every Stars screen in the same way. New Stars features often appear in the mobile apps first. If you cannot find your balance or the withdrawal option on Telegram Desktop or Telegram Web, try the Android or iPhone app.

Fragment itself works in any modern browser. If you start on a phone and your wallet app is on the same phone, the wallet connection usually opens the wallet directly. If you open Fragment on a computer, the connection is often made by scanning a code with your phone's wallet app. Either way, the approval happens inside the wallet, never by typing your recovery phrase into a website.

Troubleshooting: when you cannot withdraw

Each cause below has its own signs and fix. Work through the one that matches what you see.

The withdraw button is missing

How to recognise it: you see a Stars balance but no withdrawal option, or no balance at all.

Fix:

1. Check that you are the owner, not an admin. Only the owner normally sees the withdrawal option.
2. Update Telegram to the latest version. Older versions may not show newer Stars screens.
3. Try another device, such as the phone app instead of the desktop app.
4. Check whether these are earned Stars. Stars you bought for yourself do not have a withdrawal option.

If it still does not appear: your balance may not be eligible under Telegram's current rules, for example in a region or feature where withdrawals are not offered. Contact Telegram support from the app's settings and describe what you see.

The available amount is zero or lower than the balance

How to recognise it: your total balance shows Stars, but the available amount is zero or much smaller.

Fix: this is usually the holding period. Recently earned Stars become available after the waiting period has passed for each batch. Wait and check again; the available amount grows as older earnings mature.

If it does not change after the waiting period: check whether refunds were issued. Refunded purchases reduce your balance. If the numbers still do not add up, contact Telegram support.

"Amount too small" or a minimum warning

How to recognise it: the withdrawal screen refuses your amount or says you have not reached the minimum.

Fix: wait until the available amount meets the minimum shown on the screen. Earnings accumulate over time, so a small channel may need to collect several weeks of Stars first.

Password problems

How to recognise it: Telegram asks for a password you do not have, or says your password is not set up long enough ago.

Fix:

1. If you have no two-step verification password, set one up in the privacy and security settings.
2. If Telegram requires the password to have existed for a period of time, wait and try again later.
3. If you forgot the password, use the recovery email you set when creating it. Recovery can take time, so plan ahead.

If you cannot recover it: you may need to wait out Telegram's reset period. Never use a service that claims to bypass the password; they are scams.

Fragment will not connect to your wallet

How to recognise it: Fragment opens, but your wallet connection fails, hangs or does not appear.

Fix:

1. Open Fragment in a regular browser rather than the in-app browser, or the other way round.
2. Make sure your wallet app is installed, up to date and supports TON connections.
3. Approve the connection inside the wallet; the request may be waiting there.
4. Disconnect any old wallet session on Fragment and connect again.
5. Try a different TON wallet if one keeps failing.

If it still fails: check whether Fragment or your wallet is having service problems, and try later.

The TON has not arrived

How to recognise it: Fragment says the withdrawal went through, but the wallet shows nothing.

Fix:

1. Check you are looking at the same wallet address you connected. People often have several.
2. Refresh the wallet or reopen it; some wallets update slowly.
3. If your wallet has a "Hidden" or "Spam" filter for incoming transfers, check it.
4. Wait a while. Blockchain transfers are usually quick, but delays happen.

If it is still missing after a reasonable wait: contact Fragment or Telegram support with the date, time and amount. Do not contact anyone who messages you first offering to help.

Your channel or bot was restricted

How to recognise it: the balance is frozen, or you see a notice about a violation.

Fix: Telegram can withhold earnings from content or bots that break its rules, such as scams or prohibited content. Read the notice carefully and use the official appeal option if one is shown. See Telegram channel banned for what restrictions mean and how appeals work.

Worked examples

These are invented scenarios to illustrate the process, not real figures.

A photographer's channel with paid media. She posts paid photo sets and earns Stars over a month. When she opens the balance, the total includes Stars from the last few weeks that are still in the holding period, so the available amount is smaller. She withdraws what is available, connects her own TON wallet on Fragment, and notes the TON received and its value in her currency on that day for her tax records.

A bot developer who built a bot for a client. The client's bot sells digital templates for Stars. The bot was created on the developer's account, so only the developer can withdraw. Before launch, they transfer the bot to the client's account, and the client sets up two-step verification. From then on, the client withdraws directly.

A small channel below the minimum. A new channel earns a handful of paid reactions. The withdrawal screen says the amount is below the minimum. The owner uses the Stars to promote the channel through Telegram Ads instead, which turns small earnings into growth.

Safety: scams around Stars withdrawals

Money attracts scams, and Stars withdrawals have their own.

• Fake "Stars exchange" bots and sites. They offer to buy your Stars for more than Fragment pays, or to cash out purchased Stars. Withdrawals happen through Telegram and Fragment; anything else is suspicious.
• Fake support. Accounts posing as Telegram or Fragment support message owners about a "problem with your withdrawal". Real support does not start chats like this. Never share your login code, two-step password or wallet recovery phrase. Read never share your Telegram login code.
• Fake Fragment pages. Always reach Fragment through the link Telegram opens from your balance screen, and check the address before connecting a wallet.
• Wallet drainers. A malicious site can ask your wallet to approve a transaction that empties it. Read what you are signing; a withdrawal should only send TON to you, never ask you to send anything.

Crypto scams on Telegram covers the wider picture.

Refunds and your balance

Buyers can sometimes get Stars purchases refunded, and a bot owner can also refund a buyer directly. A refund takes Stars back out of the balance that earned them. This is one reason Telegram holds earned Stars for a while before they can be withdrawn: it leaves time for refunds and disputes to settle.

For owners this has two practical consequences:

• Your available balance can shrink if a sale you counted on is refunded before it matures. Do not plan spending around Stars that are still in the holding period.
• Refund disputes are easier to handle before withdrawal. If a customer complains, solving it quickly, including a refund where it is fair, avoids a messier situation later.

Telegram Stars refunds explains how refunds work from the buyer's and the seller's side.

Common mistakes

• Expecting to withdraw purchased Stars. Only earned Stars can be withdrawn.
• No two-step verification password on the day you want to withdraw.
• A developer owning your bot, so you cannot withdraw its earnings.
• Confusing the total balance with the available balance, and thinking Stars are missing.
• Connecting a wallet you do not control, such as a friend's or a shared exchange address you are not sure about.
• Sending a large conversion to an unfamiliar exchange without a test amount.
• Forgetting tax records at the time of withdrawal, when the values are easy to note.
• Trusting anyone who contacts you about a withdrawal.

FAQ

How long does it take to withdraw Telegram Stars?

There are two waits. First, earned Stars must pass Telegram's holding period before they become available. Second, once you confirm on Fragment, the TON transfer to your wallet is usually quick, though delays can happen.

Can I withdraw Stars directly to my bank account?

Not directly. Withdrawals are paid in TON to a TON wallet. To get money into a bank account, you would then need to sell the TON through a service available in your country.

Can admins withdraw a channel's Stars?

Generally the channel owner withdraws. Admins may see the balance depending on their permissions, but the withdrawal itself is an owner action confirmed with the owner's password.

Is there a fee for withdrawing Stars?

The amount of TON you receive is set by the rate shown on Fragment when you withdraw. Your wallet or exchange may charge their own fees when you move or sell TON afterwards. Check each step's fees before you confirm.

Why can't I withdraw Stars I bought?

Purchased Stars are for spending inside Telegram. Withdrawal is only offered for Stars earned by channels, bots and certain other features.

Can I withdraw Stars to Wallet in Telegram?

You need a TON wallet that can connect to Fragment. Whether a particular wallet, or a particular part of Wallet in Telegram, can make that connection depends on the wallet. If yours cannot connect, use a TON wallet that supports connecting to sites, then move the TON afterwards if you want.

Summary

Earned Stars in a channel or bot balance can be withdrawn through Fragment as TON. Before you start, make sure you own the channel or bot, have two-step verification set up, and have a TON wallet you control. Open the balance in the channel or bot settings, check the available amount after the holding period, choose the withdrawal, confirm with your password, then connect your wallet on Fragment and confirm. Keep records for taxes, use only official routes, and never share codes, passwords or recovery phrases. For more ways to earn, see how to make money on Telegram.