Solana basics 3 min read
What is rent on Solana?
Why a token account holds SOL, and when that SOL can return to your wallet.
The short answer
A token account keeps a small SOL balance for its storage. It is a refundable deposit, not a recurring charge. When an eligible empty account closes, its SOL goes to the destination named in the transaction.
The account holds SOL for storage.
On Solana, an account that stores data must keep a minimum balance of SOL. A token account uses that storage to record its token balance and owner. You may hear its minimum called rent or the rent-exempt balance.
This SOL stays in the token account. It is separate from the tokens inside it and from the transaction fee paid when the account was created. Selling every token does not move the storage SOL back to your wallet by itself.
The minimum depends on how much data the account stores and the network's current rules. Token-2022 extensions can make an account larger, so there is no one SOL amount that applies to every token account. Solana provides a way to query the current minimum for a given account size.
Closing an empty account releases its SOL.
A token balance of zero can leave the token account open, still holding its SOL. Closing is a separate transaction. The CloseAccount instruction removes the account and sends all SOL held by that account to the destination specified in the transaction.
For ordinary token accounts, the token balance must be zero. The owner or configured close authority must approve the closure, and some account types have extra conditions. The person who originally paid to create the account does not automatically receive the SOL.
Closing a token account does not close your wallet or affect your other token accounts. If you use that token again, an app can create a new token account and fund a new storage deposit. See how token accounts fit inside one wallet.
An account can also have extra SOL while it stays open.
Sometimes a token account holds more SOL than its current storage minimum. This can happen after a rent reduction or because the account received extra SOL. The amount above the minimum is called excess.
Close an eligible empty account
Its full SOL balance moves. The account is removed.
Withdraw excess
Only SOL above today's minimum moves. The account stays open and its tokens do not change.
Withdrawing excess does not require selling your tokens or closing the account. If you later close the same account, the SOL still held there can be released then. How excess recovery works explains who can do it and what Reclaim supports.
Check the actual balance, then review the costs.
For an eligible closure, the gross recovery is the account's actual SOL balance—not a fixed amount multiplied by the number of accounts. For an account that stays open, only its actual balance above the current minimum may be excess.
Your estimated proceeds can be lower than gross recovery after Reclaim's charges and network fees. The quote shows these before you sign. See fees and eligibility.
See what your wallet actually holds
A scan checks account balances and separates empty-account closure from excess recovery. You can review the estimate before deciding whether to sign.
Check my wallet