Do Mini Apps Lose 30% of Their Revenue? Stars vs TON USDT Payments in 2026

Telegram Mini Apps require all digital goods to be sold using Telegram Stars. These payments are processed through Apple and Google’s in-app purchase systems, where platform fees of approximately 30–35% are automatically deducted. As a result, even if a Mini App generates $1,000 in monthly revenue, developers typically receive only around $700. As revenue scales, this fee structure becomes an increasingly significant burden.

Importantly, Telegram does not enforce Stars payments for physical goods or services consumed outside the app. This distinction has pushed many developers to explore alternative payment options. Among them, TON-based USDT payments have emerged as a popular choice. USDT, a dollar-pegged stablecoin, offers low price volatility, fast settlement, and strong advantages for global payments.

Why Wallet-Based USDT Transfers Are Not Payments

Using USDT alone does not automatically solve the payment problem. Traditional wallet-based USDT transfers can confirm that funds have moved, but they do not allow the server to instantly recognize whether a payment has been completed.

This forces developers to manually verify transactions, match transfers to orders, and implement custom logic for failed or duplicate payments. While manageable at small scale, this structure quickly turns into operational risk as transaction volume grows.

The issue is not the payment itself, but the structure behind it. Conventional blockchain transfer models handle only the movement of funds. Order management, payment status tracking, and success or failure determination remain entirely the developer’s responsibility. In practice, this approach functions more like a transfer system than a true payment system.

From Transfers to Payments: Why Developers Are Switching in 2026

Building a USDT payment system from scratch is fundamentally transfer-oriented. When developers directly use TON or TRON networks, network fees are unavoidable—approximately $0.03–$0.05 on TON and $1–$4 on TRON, depending on network conditions and wallet settings. This makes microtransactions impractical.

Without automatic payment notifications, developers must also query transactions manually, match orders to payments, and handle failure and duplication logic themselves. The result is higher development complexity and increased operational risk.

USDT payment infrastructures take a different approach. They are designed around payments from the ground up, not transfers. Network fees are absorbed or abstracted at the infrastructure level, removing cost burdens for both developers and users. Even microtransactions as small as 0.000001 USDT can be processed seamlessly.

Once a payment is completed, an automatic event is sent to the server. Payment confirmation, order matching, and failure or duplicate handling are managed at the system level. Developers are freed from blockchain-specific complexity and can focus on business logic and user experience.

This structural difference explains why the Telegram developer community is paying close attention in 2026. USDT payment infrastructure is no longer viewed as a temporary workaround, but as a leading candidate for the next payment standard in the Telegram Mini App ecosystem.

“What Remains Is the Payment Experience”

A representative from NEXSSION.com, which leads the development of PAYchat, summarized the direction of Web3 payments: “Web3 has removed unnecessary intermediaries, and stablecoins have reduced price volatility. What remains now is creating a payment experience that anyone can use effortlessly.”

Industry experts agree that payment choices in the Telegram Mini App ecosystem are no longer just technical decisions. They are becoming a core factor shaping both revenue models and user experience.

Company: NEXSSION CO., LTD.


Contact: Michelle Lim


Email: [email protected]


Website: https://www.nexssion.com