Epoch cut and decay
The epoch cuts at 00:20 UTC daily. Unclaimed vouchers lose 5% at every cut.
The cut
The epoch cuts at 00:20 UTC daily. At the cut, accrued vouchers for the finished epoch are credited to miner escrow accounts, and every voucher already sitting unclaimed in escrow loses 500 bps, a flat 5%. Vouchers you have claimed to your wallet do not decay. Decay is not a penalty for bad behavior; it is a haircut that applies to anyone who does not claim daily, including people who simply did not know.
Decay
Decay is guaranteed. 500 bps comes off every unclaimed voucher at every 00:20 UTC cut. Hold a week without claiming and you have given up roughly a third of the balance. Claim daily or accept the loss.
Worked example
Worked example, one voucher balance left untouched in escrow:
now 100.00 V
after 1 cut 95.00 V (100 * 0.95)
after 2 cuts 90.25 V
after 7 nights 69.83 V (100 * 0.95^7)Seven nights of forgetting costs 30.17% of the balance. Compounding works against you here, not for you.