How to Sell a Video Course on Telegram (Step by Step)

Updated: October 2026 · By the TeleCrow team · Facts checked 16 October 2026

The simplest way to sell a video course on Telegram is to put the lessons in a private channel and sell access through a bot. The bot lets in each student who pays and removes them when their access ends. Workbooks, templates and other course files can be sold from a shop bot that delivers them right after payment. Below is how to set up both on TeleCrow, how to price the course one-off or monthly, and a launch checklist.

Two ways to deliver a course on Telegram

Many course creators use both: the lessons live in the channel, and the workbook is a file. The shop's file types are the reason video belongs in the channel: a shop bot can't take MP4 files, and 50 MB is short for a video lesson anyway.

Option 1: lessons in a private paid channel

Prepare the channel

1. Create a new channel and make it private. A public channel can be joined by anyone without paying. If it was public, change it in Telegram: channel › Edit › Channel type › Private, then revoke its old invite links.
2. Turn on Restrict Saving Content in the channel type settings. Telegram then limits forwarding, saving media and screenshots from your posts in its apps. It is not perfect protection, since nothing stops someone filming their screen with another device, but it stops casual sharing.
3. Upload your lessons in order and pin a short welcome post with the lesson list, so new students know where to start.

Connect it to your bot

1. Create a bot in @BotFather (/newbot) and copy the token.
2. In TeleCrow, create a bot, choose Subscription Channel Bot, and paste the token.
3. Open the Chats tab and press Add to a channel. Telegram opens and asks you to make your bot an admin of the channel. Keep Invite users via link switched on: the bot needs it to let students in.
4. Wait for the channel to appear. TeleCrow checks every few seconds and adds it. If the channel is still public, the dashboard warns you and checks again when you fix it.

Set your price and payment method

1. Set your price. Give the plan a name, a price in USD, and how long access lasts (in days, weeks or months), then press Create plan. "More options" lets you add a free trial.
2. Choose how students pay. The next step, "How will members pay?", offers Telegram Stars (students pay in Stars, which Telegram sells them by card or Apple/Google Pay inside the app; they can still use crypto) or Crypto only (students top up a balance in your bot with crypto, then pay from it).
3. Share your bot. The last step gives you a ready-made post with your plans and prices, a Share in Telegram button, a link and a QR code.

Option 2: course files from a shop bot

1. Create a Digital Product bot and open Products & Categories.
2. Add a product and choose the type where every buyer gets the same thing ("Every buyer gets the same item (a course, a script)").
3. Upload the files: PDF, JPEG, PNG, GIF, TXT or ZIP, up to 50 MB each. A ZIP is a good way to send a whole folder of worksheets.
4. Set the price and save.

After paying, the student gets the files in the chat straight away and can download them again later from 📦 My Orders. If a delivery fails, the payment is returned: Stars go back to the buyer, and balance payments go back to their balance. For more on this setup, see how to sell digital products on Telegram.

Pricing: one-off or monthly

• One-off price: sell the files as a product, or create a channel plan with long access (for example 12 months). A channel plan paid once does not renew by itself.
• Monthly price: create a plan that lasts 1 month. When students pay with Telegram Stars, a 1-month plan of up to 10,000 Stars becomes a Telegram subscription: it renews by itself every 30 days until the student cancels it in Telegram › Settings › My Stars, and they keep access until the end of the month they paid for.
• Discounts: a promo code or discounted price is charged once, not as a monthly subscription, so nobody renews at a launch discount forever. Create codes in the Promo Codes tab.
• Free trial: add one under "More options" on the plan. Our guide to free trials for private channels explains how to use them well.

TeleCrow takes 0% commission. With Stars, Telegram keeps part of each payment: at TeleCrow's default of $1 = 50 Stars, a $10 plan is 500 Stars, and you receive $0.013 per Star, about $6.50, when you withdraw (Telegram developer terms, section 6.2.4, checked 16 October 2026).

How students pay and get access

1. The student opens your bot, picks a plan and pays.
2. The bot confirms: "✅ You're in! Your access is active until …" with a button to join the channel.
3. The join link works for 24 hours and sends a join request. The bot approves the request only for the student who paid, so a forwarded link doesn't let anyone else in.
4. Within 3 days of the end date, the student gets a "Your access expires soon" reminder with a Renew now button. Stars subscriptions renew by themselves; other plans are renewed from that button, paid from the balance or with Stars.
5. When access ends without renewal, the bot removes the student from the channel and sends a message with a Renew button. After renewing, they can join again.

Your earnings show on the Earnings & Withdrawals tab. Stars are paid to your bot's Stars balance in Telegram and withdrawn through Fragment; TeleCrow never holds them. Crypto top-ups to TeleCrow's wallet are held by TeleCrow until you press Withdraw; a TeleCrow admin then checks the request and sends it to your wallet by hand (BTC, LTC or USDT TRC20).

Drip lessons over time (optional)

You don't have to release every lesson on day one. Two options:

• In the channel: schedule posts in Telegram so a new lesson goes out each week. Everyone in the channel gets it at the same time, which suits a cohort.
• A free mini-course before the paid one: a separate Autofunnels bot delivers a freebie on the first message, then sends timed follow-ups automatically. Use it for three free lessons that end with a link to your paid bot. Read how to time a Telegram drip sequence before choosing the gaps.

Launch checklist

• The channel is private and old invite links are revoked.
• Restrict Saving Content is on.
• Lessons are uploaded and a welcome post with the lesson list is pinned.
• Your bot is an admin of the channel with "Invite users via link".
• The Chats tab shows the channel and your checklist says "Ready to sell".
• Each plan has a clear name, price and length.
• You chose how students pay, and you tested a purchase from a second Telegram account.
• Workbooks are uploaded as a product, if you sell files too.
• Your share post and the channel's description say what the course includes and how long access lasts.
• You posted the share text from the Share your bot kit outside your paid channel, where new people will see it.

Start selling your course

Create a Subscription Channel bot for your lessons and, if you need one, a Digital Product bot for your files. Sign up free. For a general walk-through of paid channels, see how to make a paid Telegram channel.

Frequently asked questions

How do I sell my course on Telegram?

Upload the lessons to a private channel, connect a bot that sells access to it, set a price and length for each plan, and share the bot link. The bot admits each paying student and removes them when access ends. Course files can be sold from a shop bot that delivers them after payment.

Can I sell videos on Telegram?

Yes. Upload the videos to a private channel, where Telegram allows files of up to 2 GB each (4 GB with Premium), and sell access to the channel through a bot. Shop bots on TeleCrow deliver files up to 50 MB and don't accept video files, so videos belong in the channel.

Can students share the invite link?

Sharing it doesn't help others. The link sends a join request, and the bot approves only the student who paid. The link also expires after 24 hours.

Can I charge monthly for a course?

Yes. Create a 1-month plan. With Telegram Stars, plans of up to 10,000 Stars a month renew automatically every 30 days until the student cancels in Telegram. With balance payments, students get a reminder with a Renew now button and pay again from their balance.

What happens when a student stops paying?

When their access ends, the bot removes them from the channel and sends a message with a Renew button. If they renew, they get a new join link.