- Three speeds: instant pays 5% less, 7 days pays the standard quote, 21 days pays 5% more.
- 7 days is the default. Do nothing and the standard amount releases on its own.
- Nothing is locked. A held payout can be released early from the app at any time.
- The quoted amount never shrinks after you choose, and the app always shows exact dollar figures first.
When you sell Telegram Stars in Star Ledger, one new thing happens right after the sale: instead of the money simply appearing in your balance, a small screen asks how fast you want it. Instant, 7 days, or 21 days. Faster pays a little less, slower pays a little more.
If that screen made you pause, this post is for you. Two minutes from now you will know exactly what each option means, what happens if you close the app without choosing, and why the difference exists in the first place.
Why there are three options at all
Here is the honest version. Paying you instantly costs the service more, because the full amount has to be sitting in a hot wallet, ready to move, the second you tap sell. Keeping that much liquidity on standby all the time is expensive.
When you agree to wait a week or three, that pressure disappears, and the saving does not vanish into our pocket. It is shared with you as a better rate. That is the entire mechanism. Users who need money now pay a small premium for speed; users who can wait get paid for their patience.
What this is not is a lock-in. The default option releases automatically with zero action from you, the amount quoted when you chose never shrinks afterwards, and a held payout can always be released early. There is no scenario in which waiting costs you the money.
The three options, side by side
Take a concrete sale: 1,000 Stars with a standard quote of $8.00 (the standard rate is $0.008 per Star, more on rates in how much Telegram Stars are worth). Here is what each speed pays:
| Option | You receive | Versus the quote | Money available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instant | $7.60 | 5% less | Right away |
| 7 daysDefault | $8.00 | Exactly the quote | After 7 days |
| 21 days | $8.40 | 5% more | After 21 days |
Instant releases the payout immediately, at 5% below the standard amount. It exists for the moments when you simply need the money today and the discount is worth it to you.
7 days pays the standard amount, exactly what was quoted at sale time, down to the cent. This is the default, and for most people it is the right choice: full value, short wait, zero effort.
21 days pays 5% above the standard amount. If the money is not urgent, this is the best value on the table. You are effectively being paid to let the payout sit for three weeks.
The 5% figures are the current standard and can be tuned over time. The app always shows the exact dollar amounts for all three options before you choose, so what you see on that screen is always the authoritative number. Occasionally the instant option may not be offered on a particular sale; the 7 and 21 day options are always available.
What happens if you do nothing
Close the app, lose your phone, forget the sale ever happened: you still get paid. If you make no choice, the standard 7 day option applies automatically, and when the week is up the money releases into your balance on its own.
There is no deadline to meet, no button you have to remember to press, no expiry after which the payout is forfeited. Nothing is ever lost through inaction. The waiting period is a timer working in your favour, not a task on your to-do list.
Changing your mind and early release
Picked 21 days on Monday and need the money on Thursday? That is fine. Any held payout can be released early from the app, whenever you want.
Early release uses the instant rate, so you receive 5% less than the standard quote, exactly as if you had chosen instant at the start. You do not get to collect part of the waiting bonus for partial waiting, but you are never stuck. Think of the higher rates as a reward for completing the wait, and early release as the exit door that is always unlocked.
Open Star Ledger, enter an amount, and the app shows the exact figure for all three speeds before you commit to anything.
When the money arrives, and the reminder
About 3 days before a held payout releases, the bot sends you a reminder so the arrival never comes as a surprise.
On release day, the money lands in your Star Ledger balance. From there it works like any other balance: withdraw to any TON wallet address, whenever you like. If you have never withdrawn before, the step by step selling guide walks through the wallet part in detail.
One more detail worth knowing: if a friend invited you to Star Ledger, their referral commission on your sale is also paid out at release time, not at sale time. The whole transaction settles at once.
Frequently asked questions
Is my money locked?
No. The default 7 day option releases automatically with no action from you, and the amount quoted at sale time never shrinks. If you need the money sooner, you can release a held payout early at any time from the app at the instant rate.
What if I forget about it?
Nothing is lost. You get a reminder about 3 days before your payout releases, and even if you miss that, the money still lands in your Star Ledger balance on its own. There is no deadline to meet and no button you have to press.
Can I get it earlier after choosing 21 days?
Yes. Open the app and release the payout early. Early release uses the instant rate, so you receive 5% less than the standard quote, the same as if you had picked instant on day one.
Why is instant 5% less?
Instant payouts cost the service more, because the full amount has to be sitting ready the moment you sell. When you wait, that pressure disappears, and the saving is shared with you. The percentages are the current standard and the app always shows the exact dollar amounts before you choose.
Do bigger sales get the same percentages?
Yes. The percentages apply to the quoted amount, which already includes any volume bonus. A 100,000 Star sale and a 100 Star sale get the same 5% adjustment either way.
The short version
Need it now: take instant and accept 5% less. Not in a hurry: leave everything alone and the full quoted amount arrives in 7 days by itself. Genuinely patient: pick 21 days and collect 5% extra. Whatever you choose, the exact amounts are on screen before you decide, and the exit door is never locked.