- Telegram Gateway costs $0.01 per delivered verification code, with refunds for undelivered ones (core.telegram.org/gateway, 2026).
- It only reaches users who have Telegram AND voluntarily shared their number with your service - it is not an SMS replacement, it is an opt-in channel.
- SMS reaches every phone without an app; through SMSRoute a US code costs $0.0125, floor $0.004, paid in crypto with an email-only signup.
- The practical architecture is checkSendAbility first, Telegram when possible, SMS fallback for the rest.
What is the Telegram Gateway API?
The Telegram Gateway API is Telegram's verification-code delivery API priced at $0.01 per delivered code with prepaid credits, refunds on non-delivery, and a free checkSendAbility probe. It sends codes inside Telegram, not over SMS.
You prepay credits and get charged solely on successful delivery. Failed attempts refund the credit at once. Call the free checkSendAbility method first to learn whether the target number is available through Gateway. Codes appear only as Telegram messages inside the app. Nothing touches the SMS channel or any carrier. The one-cent rate applies exclusively to delivered messages, giving a clear unit cost for backends that already hold Telegram-reachable numbers. Integration is straightforward REST with your own credit balance to monitor.
Who can actually receive a Telegram Gateway code?
Only Telegram users who already shared their phone number with your service and explicitly agreed to receive codes from you can receive a Gateway code. Telegram keeps every number private and never discloses the list to your backend.
That limit is the real cost of the low sticker price. Anyone missing the Telegram app or who skipped the number-share step stays unreachable here no matter what you pay. SMS covers every GSM handset, so ship Gateway codes to your confirmed Telegram cohort and keep an SMS path for the rest of your user base.
- Telegram Gateway price
- $0.01 per delivered code (refund if undelivered)
- Gateway reach
- opted-in Telegram users only
- Number disclosure
- Telegram never reveals user numbers to you
- SMS reach
- every GSM handset, 149 countries via SMSRoute
When is SMS still the right channel?
SMS is still the right channel whenever you need every GSM handset without an app or prior opt-in, which is exactly the long tail of users and countries that never touch Telegram Gateway.
You send through routes that cover 149 countries starting under half a cent per message. That combination handles the users and destinations Gateway cannot reach while keeping unit cost far below a cent on most traffic. Delivery works on any GSM handset in those markets, no client app required, and the same API call pattern your backend already uses for OTP just points at a different provider.
What does the hybrid setup look like?
You probe with checkSendAbility, deliver the code through Telegram Gateway at one cent when the user is opted in and reachable, and route everyone else over SMS.
That split keeps the cheap channel for your Telegram-heavy users while the prepaid credits stay locked on Telegram's side with no withdrawal option, so you only load what you expect to burn there. The decision rule is binary and automatic: Gateway for confirmed deliverable numbers, SMS for the rest. This matters because it avoids wasting Gateway credits on unreachable handsets and lets SMS cover the long tail without forcing every user through an app opt-in.
- checkSendAbilityfree probe: can this number receive a Telegram code?
- Deliverable -> Gatewaysend the code inside Telegram at $0.01
- Not deliverable -> SMSfall back to SMS (US $0.0125 via SMSRoute)
- ReconcileGateway refunds undelivered codes; SMS shows delivery receipts
What does each option really cost at 10,000 codes?
At ten thousand codes a pure Telegram run costs one hundred dollars and pure US SMS costs one hundred twenty-five dollars per the table assumptions.
That arithmetic only holds for the extremes. The reachable-mix ratio is the whole game because Gateway never leaves Telegram. Non-US SMS destinations range $0.009 to $0.035 so blended cost tracks how many users sit outside the opt-in set. Choose the channel per user or you overpay for unreachable attempts.
| Scenario | Arithmetic | Total |
|---|---|---|
| All reachable on Telegram | 10,000 x $0.01 | $100 |
| All SMS to US (SMSRoute) | 10,000 x $0.0125 | $125 |
| 60/40 Telegram/SMS mix | 6,000 x $0.01 + 4,000 x $0.0125 | $110 |
Non-US SMS destinations range $0.009-$0.035 (smsroute.cc/prices, 2026).
Telegram Gateway: $0.01/code - reaches ONLY opted-in Telegram users
SMS (SMSRoute): US $0.0125, floor $0.004 - reaches every GSM handset
hybrid: checkSendAbility -> Gateway, else SMS fallbackFrequently asked questions
Is Telegram Gateway cheaper than SMS?
Per delivered code Telegram Gateway at $0.01 can undercut per-message SMS rates, yet only for the subset it reaches. Fallback SMS volume sets the true cost, and failed messages get automatic credit back so you never pay for undelivered SMS.
Can Telegram Gateway send marketing messages?
No. Per its terms Telegram Gateway sends only verification codes to opted-in numbers. Marketing messages are not supported at all. SMS gateways that include built-in STOP-keyword handling let you run compliant promotional traffic to any handset.
Does using Telegram Gateway require KYC?
Telegram Gateway does not require KYC. It only needs prepaid credits and numbers from users who already opted in by sharing them with your service. SMSRoute signs up with an email address alone, never requests identity documents, and settles in major coins.
Can I send a Telegram code to someone without Telegram?
No. You cannot send a Telegram Gateway code to someone without Telegram. checkSendAbility exists precisely to detect that unavailability. You need an SMS fallback for those numbers, and adaptive multi-route delivery handles the failover automatically across destinations.
Browser open, number typed, price shown before you send — from $0.004 per message, US $0.0125, paid in crypto.
Try it with test creditsemail-only signup · BTC, ETH, USDT, XMR, LTC, SOL