How to gift Stars to a friend in Telegram

How to send Stars to a friend in Telegram: buy them straight for their @username, withdraw them from your wallet in the bot, or send them in a group chat with +send.

Updated 2026-09-30 · 2 min read

There are three ways to gift Stars — pick the one that matches where your Stars are. If you want to give a gift rather than Stars, gifts are bought for Stars inside Telegram — see how to send a gift.

1. Buy Stars straight for your friend's account

In the bot tap "Buy Stars", choose the amount, then "as a gift", and type your friend's @username. After payment the Stars arrive straight on their Telegram account.

2. Withdraw Stars from your wallet in the bot

If your Stars are already in your bot wallet, open "Wallet" → "Withdraw" → "To a Telegram account", enter the amount and the recipient's username. There is no fee: whatever you enter is what arrives.

3. Send them in a group chat: +send

In a group with the bot, reply to your friend's message with +send 10 stars — 10 Stars move from your wallet to theirs in the bot. Without a reply: +send 10 stars @username. The word stars is required. The transfer is instant and final. You can add a few words right after the command — they appear on the transfer card.

What can get in the way

• No username. To be credited on a Telegram account, the recipient needs a public username. +send does not need one.
• Paid messages. If your friend charges for incoming messages, Telegram will not let you gift less than that price. The bot checks this before you pay and names the minimum — no money is taken.
• A channel's name instead of a person's. Stars can only go to a user. If the name belongs to a channel, the bot says so before you pay.

Frequently asked questions