transferGift

Returns: TrueOfficial docs ↗

Transfers an owned unique gift to another user. Requires the can_transfer_and_upgrade_gifts business bot right. Requires can_transfer_stars business bot right if the transfer is paid. Returns True on success.

Parameters

business_connection_idStringRequired

Unique identifier of the business connection

owned_gift_idStringRequired

Unique identifier of the regular gift that should be transferred

new_owner_chat_idIntegerRequired

Unique identifier of the chat which will own the gift. The chat must be active in the last 24 hours.

star_countIntegerOptional

The amount of Telegram Stars that will be paid for the transfer from the business account balance. If positive, then the can\transfer\stars business bot right is required.

Returns

On success, True is returned.

GramIO Usage

// Transfer a gift to another user for free (if the gift allows it)
await bot.api.transferGift({
  business_connection_id: "BIZCONN_abc123",
  owned_gift_id: "gift_unique_id_here",
  new_owner_chat_id: 987654321,
});

// Transfer a gift with a Stars payment (paid transfer)
await bot.api.transferGift({
  business_connection_id: "BIZCONN_abc123",
  owned_gift_id: "gift_unique_id_here",
  new_owner_chat_id: 987654321,
  star_count: 50, // pay 50 Stars from business account for the transfer
});

// List gifts, then transfer the first one to a target user
const gifts = await bot.api.getBusinessAccountGifts({
  business_connection_id: "BIZCONN_abc123",
});

const firstGift = gifts.gifts[0];
if (firstGift?.owned_gift_id) {
  await bot.api.transferGift({
    business_connection_id: "BIZCONN_abc123",
    owned_gift_id: firstGift.owned_gift_id,
    new_owner_chat_id: 987654321,
  });
}

Errors

Code	Error	Cause
400	Bad Request: business connection not found	The business_connection_id is invalid or the business account has been disconnected
400	Bad Request: not enough rights	Bot lacks can_transfer_and_upgrade_gifts right, or star_count > 0 but bot also lacks can_transfer_stars right
400	Bad Request: GIFT_NOT_FOUND	The owned_gift_id is invalid or the gift is not owned by the connected business account
400	Bad Request: GIFT_TRANSFER_NOT_ALLOWED	The gift cannot be transferred — some gifts have transfer restrictions
400	Bad Request: USER_NOT_FOUND	The new_owner_chat_id doesn't correspond to an active Telegram user
400	Bad Request: USER_NOT_ACTIVE	The recipient user hasn't been active in the last 24 hours — Telegram requires recent activity for gift recipients
400	Bad Request: not enough stars	star_count exceeds the business account's Stars balance — check balance first
429	Too Many Requests: retry after N	Rate limit hit — check retry_after, use auto-retry plugin

TIP

Use GramIO's auto-retry plugin to handle 429 errors automatically.

Tips & Gotchas

• Two rights may be required. Always can_transfer_and_upgrade_gifts is needed. Additionally, if star_count > 0 (paid transfer), the bot also needs can_transfer_stars. Both must be granted by the business account owner.
• Recipient must be active in the last 24 hours. new_owner_chat_id must refer to a user who has used Telegram recently. Check this in your application logic before attempting the transfer — there's no pre-check API.
• owned_gift_id comes from getBusinessAccountGifts. This is not the same as a sticker or file ID — it's the unique identifier of an owned gift instance on the business account. Always retrieve it via getBusinessAccountGifts.
• Paid vs free transfer. Omitting star_count (or passing 0) attempts a free transfer; passing a positive value charges that many Stars from the business account balance. Some gifts may only be transferable with payment.
• This is a Business API feature. transferGift only works with bots connected to Telegram Business accounts. The business_connection_id comes from business-related update objects.

See Also

• getBusinessAccountGifts — list owned gifts on the business account
• upgradeGift — upgrade a gift to a unique gift
• getBusinessAccountStarBalance — check Stars balance before a paid transfer
• transferBusinessAccountStars — transfer Stars from business account to bot