Recently, users have reported that when reactivating their Telegram accounts, a payment is required to receive the verification SMS.
According to the information, this situation is not limited to Azerbaijan; it has also been observed in several other countries.
The reasons are as follows:
- High international SMS rates by mobile operators – the operator charges Telegram a significant amount for each SMS sent to users.
- Frequent account deletion and re-registration or registration with fake numbers – such activity adds extra load to the system. The payment requirement also aims to limit these cases.
- Telegram offers short-term "Telegram Premium" subscriptions to cover SMS costs. This also serves as an additional revenue source for the company.
Therefore, the payment request during registration does not directly stem from Telegram’s policy; it is mainly related to high SMS tariffs charged by mobile operators.
