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Content Subscriptions

Due to the fact that transactions in TON Blockchain are fast and the network fees are low, you can process recurring payments on-chain via smart contracts.

For example, users can subscribe to digital content (or anything else) and be charged a monthly fee of 1 TON.

tip

This content is specific for wallets of version v4. Older wallets don't have this functionality; it is eligible to change in future versions as well.

danger

Subscription contract requires authorization exactly once, on installation; then it can withdraw TON as it pleases. Do your own research before attaching unknown subscriptions.

On the other hand, user can't get subscription installed without their knowledge.

Example flow​

  • Users use a v4 wallet. It allows additional smart contracts, known as plugins, to extend its functionality.

    After ensuring their functionality, the user can approve the addresses of trusted smart contracts (plugins) for his wallet. Following that, the trusted smart contracts can withdraw Toncoin from the wallet. This is similar to "Infinite Approval" in some other blockchains.

  • An intermediate subscription smart contract is used between each user and service as a wallet plugin.

    This smart contract guarantees that a specified amount of Toncoin will be debited from a user's wallet no more than once within a specified period.

  • The service's backend initiates payments on a regular basis by sending an external message to subscription smart contracts.

  • Either user or service can decide they no longer need a subscription and terminate it.

Smart contract examples​

Implementation​

A good example of implementation is decentralized subscriptions for Toncoin to private channels in Telegram by the @donate bot and the Tonkeeper wallet.