How to buy Telegram Stars on iPhone and Android
How to buy Telegram Stars on iPhone and Android: the App Store, Google Play, @PremiumBot and Fragment. Why the in-app purchase can fail, and how to pay with crypto or a card in a bot instead.
Telegram Stars belong to your account, not to your phone: Stars bought on an iPhone show up on Android and in Telegram on a computer, and the other way round. Inside the app they are sold through the app store — the App Store on iPhone and Google Play on Android. If the payment fails there, you can buy Stars on Fragment or in a bot, and they land on the same balance.
How to buy Telegram Stars on iPhone
- In Telegram open Settings → My Stars.
- Pick a package of Stars.
- Confirm the payment in the App Store window — the Stars appear on your balance.
The App Store charges the payment method on your Apple Account: a card, Apple Pay or the Apple Account balance, which you can also top up with an Apple Gift Card. Which methods you can use depends on your country.
How to buy Telegram Stars on Android
- Telegram from Google Play. The same path — Settings → My Stars — and Google Play takes the payment: a card, your Google Play balance or another method on your Google account.
- Telegram from telegram.org. In this version Stars are sold by Telegram's official bot @PremiumBot — the same bot that sells Telegram Premium subscriptions.
@PremiumBot also sells Stars in Telegram Desktop and in the web version. All these payments are processed not by Telegram itself but by the payment service — the App Store, Google Play or the bot's payment provider — so payment issues are settled with them.
Why the in-app purchase may not work
- The store doesn't support your payment method or country. For example, Google Play has paused paid services in Russia since March 10, 2022, and since April 1, 2026 the App Store in Russia takes new purchases, in-app purchases included, only from the Apple Account balance.
- Local rules. Telegram warns that buying Stars may be restricted in some countries, or for some users, by local laws.
More reasons and what to do about them are in can't buy Stars.
Other ways to buy Stars on your phone
Fragment
Fragment is Telegram's own platform. There you buy Stars for yourself or anyone by @username and pay with crypto — GRAM, USDT or USDC — from a crypto wallet. Fragment also handles large purchases.
The Shiba Bank bot
The bot lives inside Telegram, so it works the same on iPhone and Android, and the payment does not go through an app store. The ways to pay depend on your country and currency: crypto from anywhere (USDT, GRAM on TON, crypto payment bots), Russian cards and SBP in roubles, Belarusian cards and ERIP with BYN. The Stars arrive on your account by @username through Fragment, usually within a minute.
- Open the Shiba Bank bot or app and tap "Buy Stars".
- Choose how many and for whom — yourself or a friend by @username.
- Choose where they go: to the Telegram account or to the wallet inside the bot.
- Choose how to pay — the bot shows the exact amount before you pay.
- Pay: the bot checks the payment itself and sends the Stars.
Every way to pay, country by country, is in payment methods; the full walkthrough is how to buy Telegram Stars, and today's prices are on the Stars prices page.
To receive Stars on your Telegram account, the account needs a public username (@username). If you don't have one, set it in Telegram's settings or choose the wallet inside the bot.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy Telegram Stars with Apple Pay?
Yes, if Apple Pay is available for your Apple Account in your country: Stars bought in the app are charged to your Apple Account's payment method.
Can I buy Stars with an Apple Gift Card or Google Play balance?
Yes. An Apple Gift Card adds funds to your Apple Account balance, and that balance pays for in-app purchases in the App Store. On Android, your Google Play balance pays for digital content on Google Play.
How do I buy Stars on Android without Google Play?
In the version of Telegram from telegram.org, Stars are sold by @PremiumBot. Other ways are Fragment with crypto and the Shiba Bank bot.
Why can't I buy Stars on my iPhone?
The App Store may be unable to charge the payment method on your Apple Account, or Star purchases may be restricted where you live. You can buy Stars without the App Store — on Fragment or in a bot.
Will Stars bought in a bot show up on my iPhone?
Yes. Stars are credited to your Telegram account and show on every device you are signed in on, just like Stars bought in the App Store.
