Refills and remedies
Decay
Last updated by The PanelCompare editorial team
Why does decay matter to a buyer?
Panels describe both phenomena with the word “drop”, and the difference decides whether a refill is worth claiming. Decay is gradual and continuous, so a 30-day window closes while the loss is still accumulating and the claim you file covers only the part that had already happened. A purge is a single event, so the whole loss lands inside one window and a valid claim covers it — which is also why refill capacity is most strained exactly when everyone claims at once.
The rate is tier-dependent and large at the bottom of the market. Expect 20–60% attrition on sub-$1 Instagram follower tiers within 30 days (PanelCompare domain research, 2026-09-06). Against that, the market’s own refill pricing is the better guide than any adjective: where a panel charges +100% for a 30-day refill on TikTok followers and +3% on Instagram likes, it is telling you which of the two decays.
How does decay show up in a price list?
No catalogue lists a decay rate. The proxies are the refill premium on the same row, the maximum order size, and whether the panel bothers to sell an unguaranteed version at a steep discount.
It is also visible in your own numbers if you record them. Note the start count and the delivered figure at completion, then the same count weekly; a smooth downward line is decay and a single cliff is a purge, and only the second is worth a same-day refill request.
Think this definition is wrong?
Terminology in this market is set by the panels that use it, and it moves. If a panel uses decay to mean something other than what is written here, send us the listing and we will either correct the definition or record the variant. The process is on the about page.