Telegram is one of the strongest competitors in the messaging game at the moment. A continuous stream of new features has forced other major players to improve their game. An interesting mention of “Premium” services has appeared in the Beta app on iOS.
The team at Telegram Beta Channel has found references to stickers and reactions marked with “premium access”. It also appears that if a non-paying user tries to view the media, they will be asked to upgrade to a paid service. While it is not an absolute certainty and no concrete details about the possibility, this is suggests that there may be a paid level of access soon.
It makes a lot of sense for Telegram to introduce a payment option; they are, after all, a business. Creating a mixed cohort of clients with paid and free use can also create barriers, and on a communications platform, I’m not sure that’s a good thing.
What are your thoughts on paid access to some features on Telegram?