Streaming responses in Telegram bots comes at a cost

Telegram bot developers who want to enable real-time response streaming will have to factor in additional costs.

According to Durov’s Code, total withdrawal expenses for bot developers can now reach up to 50% when user overpayment is taken into account.

What is the feature?

Telegram has introduced a capability that allows chatbots to stream responses to users in real time — particularly useful for AI assistants. Previously, in 2025, this functionality was limited to AI bots.

Starting March 2026, any Telegram bot can enable the feature, allowing replies to appear progressively instead of being delivered all at once.

Is it actually paid?

Telegram does not charge a separate fee for enabling streaming. However, once the feature is activated, the platform applies a 15% commission on all in-bot purchases, Durov’s Code reports.

• The feature is enabled via @BotFather, where it states that additional fees apply to chat branching and real-time response streaming when users purchase services with Telegram Stars.
• This is specified in clause 6.2.6 of Telegram’s bot developer terms.
• All purchases made with Telegram Stars inside the bot become subject to a non-refundable 15% commission, deducted automatically.

Telegram also reserves the right to change or remove the commission at any time depending on business or economic conditions.

Will developers lose more money?

Yes. Developers also lose money on conversion spreads when exchanging Stars into cash.

If a developer earns 1,000 Stars without enabling streaming, they receive about $13 at the $0.013 rate per Star. Given that Stars bought via TON on Fragment cost about $0.015 each, the effective loss is roughly $2, with total fees exceeding 13%.

With streaming enabled, the payout drops to about $11 due to the additional 15% commission. If Stars were purchased via Fragment, losses rise to about $4 and total fees exceed 26%. If Stars were bought through the App Store or Google Play, total withdrawal costs can reach up to 50% when factoring in user overpayment.