How prop firm payouts work

Passing the evaluation is only half of it. Every firm has a payout policy that decides when you can ask for money, how much you can take, what share you keep and how it reaches you. These rules differ far more between firms than the headline profit split does.

The five parts of every payout policy

1. When you can ask. Either a calendar rule, such as FTMO's first reward from day 14, or a count of qualifying days, such as Topstep's five winning days of $150 or more.
2. How much you can take. Often a share of profit or balance, a cap per payout, and a minimum.
3. Conditions. A buffer you must keep above the starting balance, a consistency rule, or a requirement to be net profitable since the last payout.
4. Your split. The share of the approved amount you keep. It sometimes rises over time.
5. How you are paid. Bank transfer, Rise, crypto or others, sometimes with a fee.

Real examples (50K accounts)

From each firm's own payout pages, checked October 19, 2026. Firms change these often; each review has the full, dated rules.

The rules that catch people out

Buffers and minimum balances

Many futures firms only pay from profit above a floor. At Apex, a 50K EOD account needs a balance of at least $52,600 to request a payout, and it must keep a $52,100 safety net. So the first $2,100 of profit has to stay in the account, and you need $2,600 of profit before you can request the $500 minimum.

Caps per payout

Even with a large balance, each request is capped. Apex raises its cap with each payout number, from $1,500 to $3,000, and allows six payouts per account. Lucid allows five payouts per LucidFlex account and then moves you to a live account.

Consistency rules on payouts

Several firms check your best day before they pay. Apex will not pay if any single day is 50% or more of the profit since your last payout. Alpha Futures uses 40% on its Standard and Zero accounts. See consistency rules explained for the math.

Splits that change with the amount

Read the split rule, not just the headline number. TradeDay's Quick Pay pays 50% while account profit is below $4,000 and 80% above it. FundedNext's Stellar 2-Step offers 60%, 80% or 90% depending on the payout option you choose at checkout, and that choice cannot be changed later.

Payout fees

Blue Guardian and Goat Funded Trader take 3% of each payout. The5ers charges 3.5% on Rise, crypto and bank transfers, but nothing for its Hub Credits. Topstep charges $30 for ACH and wire transfers. FTMO says it charges no withdrawal commission.

Work out what you actually keep

Put your profit, the firm's split and its first-payout rule into our payout calculator. Then compare the result with the fee you paid using the challenge cost calculator. A 90% split on a capped payout can leave you with less than an 80% split with no cap.