Substack + Telegram for Paid Subscribers
Offer your paid Substack subscribers a private community on Telegram. Metricgram sends invitations and manages access as subscriptions change, so you can focus on your newsletter and your readers. They keep subscribing and paying on Substack.
Automation covers subscriptions managed in Stripe. Purchases made through the Apple App Store do not sync automatically with Metricgram.
- Keep your existing Substack subscriptions and payments
- Invite your current paid readers by email
- Automatic invitations for new subscribers
- Access ends when the subscription ends
No credit card required
Set up in 2 minutes
How it works
1
Connect the Stripe account Substack already uses
Use the same Stripe account your publication already uses. Your paid plans are already set up in Substack; you do not need to create new products, prices or payment links to connect them to Metricgram.
2
Choose which Substack plans include Telegram
Metricgram loads your existing subscription options from Stripe. Confirm which ones should include your Telegram group, including monthly, annual, founding member and older plans. There is no new offer to set up.
3
Invite your readers
Send invitations to your current paid readers. Each reader receives a personal button to link their Telegram account and join your group. Once automatic invitations are enabled, new subscribers to the included plans receive one too.
Why add a Telegram group to your Substack
Give your paid readers a place to ask questions, talk with you and meet each other between newsletters. Whether you already have a Telegram group or want to start one, you can make it a benefit of subscribing to your Substack. A private community gives readers another reason to subscribe and stay.
No new checkout and no migration
Your readers stay subscribed to your publication and keep paying on Substack. Their plans and prices stay as they are. Metricgram uses the Stripe account you already have to manage Telegram access, without moving your newsletter or setting up another payment page.
Your monthly, annual and older Substack plans
You do not need to recreate your subscriptions in Stripe. Metricgram reads the plans Substack already uses for your paid readers. Include the plans that should give access to the group, and remember older prices so your long-standing subscribers keep the same benefit.
Readers link their own Telegram account
Each invitation email has a personal button that opens our Telegram bot. The reader taps Start, the bot recognizes their subscription and sends them the link to your group. Readers who can't find the email can open the bot, tap Get link and enter the email address they use on Substack.
Access that follows the subscription
For subscriptions synced from Stripe, Metricgram can remove readers from the group after their paid period and your chosen grace period end, when removal on expiration is enabled. It can also remind them on Telegram 7, 3 or 1 days before access ends. If they subscribe again, they can link again and rejoin.
A whitelist for guests and complimentary readers
The whitelist lets you allow access without a covering Stripe subscription. Add an existing member or tick Add these people to the whitelist when inviting readers by email. Each entry applies to one group and can last indefinitely or have an end date. After it expires, automatic removal applies if enabled and no subscription covers access.
Metricgram vs. Manual Management
| Metricgram | Manual | |
|---|---|---|
| Keeps your Substack billing as it is | ||
| Email invitations for your current paid readers | ||
| Automatic invitations for new subscribers | ||
| Access ends when the paid subscription ends | ||
| Telegram reminders before access ends | ||
| Monthly, annual and older Substack plans | ||
| Trackable invite links for each promotion | ||
| No manual payment checks for connected subscriptions |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Substack have a Telegram integration?
Substack doesn't connect to Telegram groups. Metricgram adds that connection through the Stripe account Substack uses for your paid subscriptions.
Do my readers have to pay anywhere else?
No. Readers subscribe on Substack as usual. Metricgram only uses their subscription to decide who can join your Telegram group.
Do I need access to the Stripe account behind my Substack?
Yes. Substack processes your payments through a Stripe account in your name. You need to be able to sign in to that Stripe account to connect it to Metricgram.
Do I need to create new subscription products in Stripe?
No. You set your paid plans and prices in Substack, which sets up the subscriptions used for billing. Metricgram reads them from the Stripe account your publication already uses. You just confirm which existing plans should include Telegram access.
Which Substack readers get access?
Readers with an active paid subscription or a free trial on the Substack plans you include, as long as the subscription is managed through your connected Stripe account. Readers without a covering Stripe subscription are not included automatically; you can add them to the whitelist or send an email invitation with Add these people to the whitelist ticked.
Does it work with readers who pay in the Substack app?
It depends on how they purchased their subscription. If the subscription is in your connected Stripe account, Metricgram can manage it. App Store purchases do not automatically sync their start, renewal or end. You can add those readers to the whitelist for Telegram access, but must review their entitlement and update or remove the whitelist entry yourself.
What about annual plans and founding members?
Your monthly, annual and founding member plans can be included, along with older prices still paid by existing readers. You do not need to create replacement subscriptions or ask readers to subscribe again. Access automation applies to subscriptions managed through your connected Stripe account.
What happens when a reader cancels?
For subscriptions synced from Stripe, readers keep access until the end of the period they paid for. With removal on expiration enabled, Metricgram removes them after your chosen grace period. You can also send Telegram reminders before access ends.
Does Telegram allow this setup?
Telegram asks that payments for digital goods and services sold inside Telegram, for example through bots or mini apps, use Telegram Stars. With Metricgram, readers pay on Substack, outside Telegram, and the bot only checks who should have access. Telegram hasn't published a specific position on this setup, so we can't speak for Telegram, but we're not aware of any group being banned for using Metricgram.
How much does it cost?
Stripe Connect and subscriber management are included in every paid plan, starting with Basic, and you can try everything free for 14 days without a card. Metricgram takes no share of your Substack revenue.
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