# Pledge return without retiring the pool? (lowering the pledge amount) **URL:** \ **Category:** Community Technical Support\ **Tags:** pledge\ **Created:** [1 December 2021 23:36 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312 "2021-12-01T23:36:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Petr\_Mlejnek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/petr_mlejnek/32/46855_2.png) [@Petr\_Mlejnek](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Petr_Mlejnek)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:36 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/1 "2021-12-01T23:36:36Z")
Hi, I’m a newbie to cardano pools, I created my first pool sucessfully and pledged all my ADA I had when registering it. I know it was a mistake, because then I didn’t meet the pledged amount with my active stake. So I decided to lower my pledge expecting that I would get the difference between the original and new amount back to my wallet. This didn’t happen after a new epoch started. My question is: Is there a way how to “only” lower the pledge and get the difference back or the only way is to retire the pool and create a new one to get the pledged amount back? ---
**Author:** ![Alexd1985](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/alexd1985/32/23759_2.png) [@Alexd1985](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Alexd1985)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:38 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/2 "2021-12-01T23:38:06Z")
I think u are reffering to 500 ADA paid for pool registration right? ---
**Author:** ![Petr\_Mlejnek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/petr_mlejnek/32/46855_2.png) [@Petr\_Mlejnek](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Petr_Mlejnek)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:38 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/3 "2021-12-01T23:38:17Z")
exactly 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alexd1985](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/alexd1985/32/23759_2.png) [@Alexd1985](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Alexd1985)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:38 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/4 "2021-12-01T23:38:59Z")
Then submit a pool deregistration certificate and next epoch u will receive 500 ADA back as a reward inside the pool wallet But it’s not very clear for me what u will want to do ---
**Author:** ![Petr\_Mlejnek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/petr_mlejnek/32/46855_2.png) [@Petr\_Mlejnek](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Petr_Mlejnek)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:39 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/5 "2021-12-01T23:39:54Z")
That’s what I thought. Thank you for confirming me that. ---
**Author:** ![Alexd1985](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/alexd1985/32/23759_2.png) [@Alexd1985](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Alexd1985)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:40 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/6 "2021-12-01T23:40:12Z")
Tell me more, why u want to retire it? ---
**Author:** ![Petr\_Mlejnek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/petr_mlejnek/32/46855_2.png) [@Petr\_Mlejnek](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Petr_Mlejnek)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:41 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/7 "2021-12-01T23:41:45Z")
In fact I don’t want to retire it, just lower the pledge. Is the 500 ADA minimum for the pledge? I hope not. ---
**Author:** ![Alexd1985](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/alexd1985/32/23759_2.png) [@Alexd1985](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Alexd1985)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:43 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/8 "2021-12-01T23:43:43Z")
aaa no, u can pledge from 0 to x, you don’t need to retire it to lower the pledge ---
**Author:** ![Petr\_Mlejnek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/petr_mlejnek/32/46855_2.png) [@Petr\_Mlejnek](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Petr_Mlejnek)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:45 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/9 "2021-12-01T23:45:43Z")
But after I lower it the pledged coins are unavailable anyway, right? ---
**Author:** ![Alexd1985](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/alexd1985/32/23759_2.png) [@Alexd1985](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Alexd1985)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:47 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/10 "2021-12-01T23:47:44Z")
What do u mean? The 500 ADA paid for registration? They are gone from your wallet and u will receive them only after u will retire the pool ---
**Author:** ![Petr\_Mlejnek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/petr_mlejnek/32/46855_2.png) [@Petr\_Mlejnek](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Petr_Mlejnek)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:48 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/11 "2021-12-01T23:48:17Z")
yes, exactly these 500 ADA. ---
**Author:** ![Alexd1985](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/alexd1985/32/23759_2.png) [@Alexd1985](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Alexd1985)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:48 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/12 "2021-12-01T23:48:51Z")
U can’t use them there are not in ur wallet anymore ---
**Author:** ![Petr\_Mlejnek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/petr_mlejnek/32/46855_2.png) [@Petr\_Mlejnek](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Petr_Mlejnek)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:50 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/13 "2021-12-01T23:50:36Z")
that’s what I noticed 🙂 So if I retire the pool and create a new one with a smaller registration pledge it should be OK, right? ---
**Author:** ![Petr\_Mlejnek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/petr_mlejnek/32/46855_2.png) [@Petr\_Mlejnek](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Petr_Mlejnek)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:55 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/14 "2021-12-01T23:55:02Z")
I think that I understand now. The 500 ADA is the registration fee and cannot be lowered. Am I right? So it has nothing to do with the pledge. ---
**Author:** ![Alexd1985](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/alexd1985/32/23759_2.png) [@Alexd1985](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Alexd1985)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:56 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/15 "2021-12-01T23:56:00Z")
Exactly, the pledge has nothing to do… if u will retire and create another one u will be exactly in the same situation 500 ADA it’s fixed for pool registration ---
**Author:** ![Petr\_Mlejnek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/petr_mlejnek/32/46855_2.png) [@Petr\_Mlejnek](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Petr_Mlejnek)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:56 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/16 "2021-12-01T23:56:38Z")
OK, now it is clear to me! Thank you for the explanation! ---
**Author:** ![Alexd1985](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.cardano.org/alexd1985/32/23759_2.png) [@Alexd1985](https://forum.cardano.org/u/Alexd1985)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2021 23:56 UTC](https://forum.cardano.org/t/pledge-return-without-retiring-the-pool-lowering-the-pledge-amount/87312/17 "2021-12-01T23:56:54Z")
You are welcome 🍻