How to Accept Payments in a Telegram Mini App Using Stars (Step-by-Step Guide)

Telegram Stars are a built-in payment system for Mini Apps — no Stripe, no App Store fees, no payment gateway needed. Users pay with Stars they already have in Telegram, and you get paid directly. In this tutorial, I'll show you exactly how to implement Stars payments in a Node.js + Express backend, based on what I built for WhisprMe — an anonymous messaging Mini App. What Are Telegram Stars? Stars are Telegram's in-app currency. Users buy them inside Telegram and spend them in Mini Apps and bots. As a developer, you: Create an invoice via the Bot API Handle the pre-checkout query Confirm the payment Deliver the digital good There are zero platform fees for the first withdrawal (Telegram takes a cut on subsequent ones). The entire flow happens inside Telegram — no redirects, no card forms. Prerequisites A Telegram Bot (create one via @BotFather ) Node.js 18+ The telegraf package (or node-telegram-bot-api ) A Telegram Mini App connected to your bot Step 1: Create the Invoice Endpoint Yo