Launching a paid Telegram channel or group in India and earning a recurring revenue from it is absolutely possible with InviteMember.
Indian creators can accept payments and build recurring income streams by choosing the right payment solutions.
Below we outline the payment gateways and methods that work for Indian users on Telegram with InviteMember, along with their key features and limitations.
India-Focused Payment Gateway: Razorpay
Razorpay is the primary payment gateway officially integrated with InviteMember for India.
It’s an Indian platform built for local needs, supporting virtually every payment method your customers might use daily:
Wide Payment Method Support
Razorpay lets you accept credit/debit cards (including RuPay), Netbanking (58+ banks), UPI, EMI, and mobile wallets.
This means your Indian subscribers can pay using familiar options without hassle.
It also supports international cards, so you can accept payments from abroad as well – all settled in INR to your Indian bank account.
Competitive Fees
Razorpay applies different fees for domestic payments and for international cards, Amex, and EMI transactions. GST is added on top of the transaction fee. The latest rates are published on Razorpay’s official pricing page and may change over time.
For international payments, the amount is converted to INR using the processing bank’s exchange rate. The rate is set by the bank, so the INR you receive may differ slightly from market rates.
Recurring Payments
Due to RBI regulations on automatic recurring charges, InviteMember’s Razorpay integration does not auto-charge subscriptions yet.
Even if you set a plan as recurring, subscribers will need to manually renew each cycle (the bot will send a renewal reminder instead of charging automatically).
While this extra step may reduce convenience, it keeps you compliant with Indian e-mandate rules.
Why Razorpay?
For India-focused businesses, Razorpay offers a smooth, localized payment experience.
Customers can pay in rupees using methods like UPI that they trust, without worrying about currency conversions or international card blocks.
In short, Razorpay covers all the bases for Indian payments, making it the go-to choice if you have an Indian subscriber base.
Other Payment Options on InviteMember (for Indian Users)
Aside from Razorpay, InviteMember supports several global payment providers that Indian creators can use – especially if you cater to an international audience or need alternative payment methods.
Here are the options and what to know about each:
Access Codes (Offline Payments, Gifts, Promotions)
Access Codes let you give plan access without a payment gateway. They work worldwide and are available to India‑based projects.
You create codes linked to a specific plan and duration. You can set usage limits (single‑use or multi‑use) and set an expiry date. You can also revoke a code if needed.
For easy onboarding, these codes can be shared as access link so users activate in one tap/click (no typing).
Use cases are simple:
- Offline payments: Take payment outside the bot (for example, UPI or a bank transfer), then send the code or access link to activate the plan. If they don’t renew the code, they’re removed.
- Gifts: Issue a free code to grant access (e.g., to partners, moderators, or winners of a giveaway).
- Promotions: Create limited‑time or limited‑quantity codes for campaigns.
Access Codes are very useful Telegram payments when a user cannot pay via your main telegram payment methods (Razorpay, PayPal, Stars). They help you keep sales moving and still build recurring income: users can renew by paying you offline again and you send a new code.
For compliance in India, keep your own records and invoices for these offline payments.
PayPal
A well-known worldwide payment system, and usable with InviteMember. Indian merchants can use PayPal to accept payments from abroad, but cannot receive domestic INR-to-INR payments (PayPal India works only for cross-border transactions).
With a PayPal Business account linked to InviteMember, you can charge international customers in 25+ supported currencies and even enable subscription billing.
Caution on fees: PayPal’s fees for Indian users are quite high – roughly 4.4% per transaction plus a fixed fee, and then about 3–4% more as currency conversion markup when converting foreign currency to INR. Also note, any money received via PayPal in India is automatically converted to INR and withdrawn to your bank (you can’t hold a PayPal balance in India).
Bottom line: PayPal is convenient for global reach (many overseas customers prefer it and it offers buyer/seller protection), but it’s not suitable for local Indian transactions.
Stripe
Stripe is a popular payment processor globally, known for developer-friendly card payments and subscriptions. However, in India, Stripe is currently not freely available to most users.
As of 2025, Stripe’s services in India are “invite-only” – you can’t simply sign up online for a new Indian Stripe account without an invitation.
Only a limited number of Indian businesses (particularly those with international focus) are being onboarded during this restricted phase.
CoinPayments (Cryptocurrency)
As an alternative, InviteMember allows you to accept crypto payments through its CoinPayments integration. You can receive Bitcoin, Ethereum, and over 2,200 other cryptocurrencies from your members.
This method is only for one-time payments (recurring subscriptions can’t be automated in crypto, since users must manually send a coin transaction each time).
Crypto payments might appeal if you have a tech-savvy audience or international members who prefer using digital assets. It also sidesteps traditional banking – no bank or card needed.
That said, consider the downsides: volatility (the value of coins can fluctuate wildly), and the extra steps to convert crypto into INR. CoinPayments will deposit the crypto to your wallet for a small processing fee, but you as the merchant bear the risk of exchange rate changes until you convert the coins to rupees.
Telegram Stars (In-App Payments)
In 2024, Telegram introduced Telegram Stars – an in-app digital currency – as a new way to monetize channels and bots.
InviteMember supports Telegram Stars as a payment method alongside the traditional gateways. With this system, your subscribers can pay for membership entirely inside the Telegram app using Stars, which they purchase via Apple/Google in-app purchases or Telegram’s @PremiumBot.
For creators, Stars offer a frictionless way to collect payments globally without setting up a third-party gateway – users just tap and pay through Telegram.
Notably, Telegram doesn’t take a cut: channel owners receive 100% of the Stars paid by users. Just consider how you get the money out: Stars aren’t cash, but they can be converted to Toncoin (a cryptocurrency) and then withdrawn.
Telegram requires that you accumulate at least 1,000 Stars (and wait 21 days) before you can withdraw; then you exchange the Stars for TON on Telegram’s Fragment platform and sell the TON for INR.
While this adds a layer of complexity, it is an official, globally-available solution that complies with app store rules and avoids payment gateway fees.
Bottom line
Indian creators can absolutely accept payments and build recurring income on Telegram using InviteMember. The key is to choose the payment option that best fits your audience:
For an Indian customer base, Razorpay is the best choice due to its support for UPI, cards, and local wallets with low fees and direct bank settlements.
For charging international subscribers in foreign currency, PayPal can be used, and if Stripe becomes fully available it will be another powerful option, but for now it’s mostly out of reach in India.
Additionally, Telegram Stars provide a new, convenient in-app way for anyone anywhere to subscribe to your channel, with you getting the support directly through Telegram (and later withdrawing it).
With these solutions, you don’t have to feel limited by India’s regulations – you can confidently monetize your Telegram channel or group and start earning recurring revenue!
