Reserves and account objects

A reserve is XRP your account must keep so it can exist and so it can own objects such as trust lines and offers. That XRP is not a fee. It stays yours, but you cannot send it to someone else while those objects exist.

People get stuck thinking they were robbed when a wallet shows less “available” XRP than the balance. Often the rest is locked as reserve for objects they opened.

The ledger charges a base reserve to own an account, plus a smaller owner reserve for each object: a trust line, an offer, a signer list, and others. Close the object and that slice of reserve comes free again. The amounts are set by the network and can change by amendment. They are not chosen by your wallet app.

A fee is different. A fee is destroyed when a transaction is accepted. Reserve XRP cannot be sent to someone else while the objects exist, but it can still pay fees. Close the object and that slice can be sent again.

Real example: on the XRP Ledger, opening several trust lines raises your owner reserve. A wallet may show the full balance and a lower available figure. The gap is the reserve, not a missing payment. Source: Reserves.