Start time is the gap between paying and the first units arriving: the "0-1 hours" line on a service listing. It measures when delivery BEGINS, not when it finishes. Mixing up those two is the most common misreading at checkout.
A service can start in minutes and complete over days, on purpose: drip feed pacing is a feature, not lateness.
Honest listings quote both numbers: a start window and a speed or completion estimate. The start figure is the one guarantees attach to. An order that hasn't STARTED past its window is a support case; an order that started and is pacing is working as described.
Queue mechanics. Automated services (views, likes) begin near-instantly. Hand-made services (comments, some targeted stock) queue for hours because humans compose them. Stalled starts usually mean supply is being re-routed behind the scenes.
A provider honesty tell, free of charge: "instant start" printed on EVERY listing regardless of service type describes marketing, not infrastructure. Written replies cannot start like view counters, and listings that admit it are the ones telling the truth elsewhere too. Compare real listings on the services page.
The first units should appear within an hour of payment. It says nothing about total duration: a large order can start in minutes and pace over days.
Usual causes: inside the stated window and just queued, a changed or private target, or a supply stall. Check the first two yourself, then contact support with the order id.
No: for big orders on small accounts, gradual pacing is the safer shape. Fast start matters; instant completion often shouldn't be the goal.
Related terms
Every definition lives in the full glossary, and the services behind the vocabulary are on the services page.