What is the minimum payout threshold on Monero pools?

The minimum payout threshold is the smallest amount of Monero (XMR) you must earn in a pool before it sends a payment to your wallet. There is no single minimum for all Monero pools: each pool sets its own rules, and some let you choose a higher threshold.

What the threshold actually means

A mining pool combines your mining work with work from other miners. When the pool earns rewards, it credits you with a share based on its payment rules.

On a traditional pool, that credit usually stays in your pool balance until you reach the payout threshold. It is not yet money you can spend from your wallet.

For example, if a pool’s threshold were 0.01 XMR:

• A balance of 0.008 XMR would stay with the pool.
• A balance of 0.01 XMR would qualify for payment.
• The payment would normally happen during the pool’s next payout run, not necessarily the instant you reached the threshold.

These numbers are an example, not a claim about any particular pool’s current minimum.

How to find a pool’s real minimum

Check the pool’s payment information before you start mining. Look for “minimum payout,” “payment threshold,” or “payout settings.”

Make sure you distinguish between:

• Minimum threshold: The lowest balance the pool allows for a regular payout.
• Default threshold: The setting you start with, which might be higher than the minimum.
• Your chosen threshold: A setting you may be able to change in your account or wallet-address dashboard.
• Payout fee: Any charge taken when the pool sends your payment.

Also check the payout schedule. Reaching the minimum makes you eligible, but a pool may send payments only at set intervals. Some pools offer manual withdrawals with different minimums or fees.

Thresholds can change, so use the pool’s current rules rather than an old review or forum post.

Why the minimum matters for browser mining

If you mine at a low speed, especially in a browser, a threshold can take a long time to reach. A small-looking XMR amount is not automatically an easy target.

You can estimate the wait with:

Time to payout ≈ amount still needed ÷ estimated daily earnings

Use earnings credited by the pool over a useful period, or check a live mining calculator. Your mining speed, time spent mining, pool fees, and network competition all affect the result. An estimate is not a guarantee.

If you stop before reaching the minimum, your balance may remain unpaid. Check the pool’s rules for inactive accounts, leftover balances, and closure payments before committing your time.

If you use a browser-mining service, its withdrawal threshold may be separate from the underlying pool’s payout threshold. Check the rule that applies to your balance.

The P2Pool exception

P2Pool is a decentralized pool, meaning payouts do not depend on one operator holding everyone’s balances. It pays eligible miners directly through newly mined rewards, rather than accumulating balances toward a conventional withdrawal threshold.

That does not mean every tiny amount of mining produces a payment. You still need qualifying work in its reward window. Directly mined rewards also remain locked for 60 blocks—roughly two hours on average.

The bottom line

Choose a pool whose current minimum you can realistically reach. Check its fees, payout schedule, and unpaid-balance rules too: a low advertised threshold is useful only if the overall payment terms work for you.