01
Check your current subscription
Open Telegram settings and the Telegram Premium section. Find the status, end date and registration method. If you paid through the App Store or Google Play, check your subscription also in the corresponding store: the gift itself does not mean the cancellation of auto-renewal.
Specify what exactly you plan to receive: a direct Premium gift or a code. Please check the terms and conditions of a specific offer before purchasing.
Premium status.
End date.
Payment channel and auto-renewal.
02
If you received a gift code
Open a gift in Telegram on the desired account. If the app reports that Premium is active until a certain date, do not consider the code used or automatically added to the due date. Save the message, check the code conditions and contact support if the status is unclear.
Telegram technical documentation describes a separate PREMIUM_SUB_ACTIVE_UNTIL error when trying to apply a gift code to an active subscription. This is a reason to check the result in your account, and not to promise the addition of periods.
The scenario may be different for a direct gift and a gift code; refer to the Telegram message upon receipt.
03
How to avoid extra charges
If your current Premium renews automatically, decide in advance whether the next payment is required. Cancel auto-renewal in the service where you subscribed and check its expiration date. Don't buy a second gift just because the first one didn't show up immediately.
Check renewal with your provider.
Save gift message and receipt.
After activation, check the end date in Telegram.