Oct 13, 2026

Topstep Rules 2026: Payouts and Consistency

Topstep is a futures prop firm built around the Trading Combine, a monthly-subscription evaluation. Pass it and you trade an Express Funded Account (XFA), where payouts happen; the strongest traders are called up to a Live Funded Account. Most of the questions traders ask about Topstep are about its rules, especially payout rules and the consistency rule, so that's what this guide covers first.

Rules and prices below come from Topstep's official Help Center as of October 13, 2026. Topstep changes its rules often, so confirm on help.topstep.com before you start.

Topstep Payout Rules

Payouts happen on the Express Funded Account. When you activate an XFA, you choose one of two payout paths, and you can't switch later:

	Standard path	Consistency path
Requirement before each payout	5 winning days of $150 or more	3 trading days, with your best day at 40% or less of net profit
Max per request (50K / 100K / 150K)	$2,000 / $3,000 / $5,000	$3,000 / $4,000 / $6,000
Also capped at	50% of your account balance	50% of your account balance

Rules that apply to both paths:

Profit split: 90%, with a $125 minimum payout.
Fees: ACH and wire cost $30. Aeropay, Wise and Prop-to-Brokerage have no Topstep fee.
After your first payout: your XFA's Maximum Loss Limit is set to $0, so you can't lose below your starting balance.
Live Funded Account: you need 5 winning days of $150 or more, and you can withdraw up to 50% of your balance with no fixed cap. Daily payouts unlock after 30 winning days in Live.

Topstep Consistency Rule

There are two different consistency rules, depending on where you are:

In the Trading Combine: your best single day must stay at or below 55% of the profit target. That's $1,650 on a 50K account, $3,300 on 100K and $4,950 on 150K. If you go over, your target rises to best day ÷ 0.55. For example, a $2,200 best day on a 50K account raises the target to $4,000.
On the XFA, Consistency payout path only: your best day must be 40% or less of your net profit before you can request a payout.

Neither rule fails the account. They change your target or delay your payout.

Trading Combine Rules at a Glance

	50K	100K	150K
Profit target	$3,000	$6,000	$9,000
Maximum Loss Limit (end-of-day trailing)	$2,000	$3,000	$4,500
Daily Loss Limit (optional)	$1,000	$2,000	$3,000
Max position size	5 contracts (50 micros)	10 (100 micros)	15 (150 micros)
Monthly price: Standard	$49 + $149 activation when you pass	$99 + $149	$199 + $149
Monthly price: No Activation Fee	$95	$149	$229

There's no formal minimum number of trading days, so you can pass in as few as 2 days.

Other Topstep Rules to Know

Maximum Loss Limit (MLL): it trails upward based on your end-of-day balance and never moves down. It's monitored in real time, unrealized losses included, and breaching it liquidates your positions immediately. Once it reaches your starting balance, it stops trailing.
Daily Loss Limit (DLL): optional in the Combine and XFA. If you choose it at checkout, hitting it pauses trading until the next session; it isn't a rule violation. Live Funded Accounts have a mandatory DLL.
Trading hours: Topstep is futures only, on CME Group markets. You have to be flat by 3:10 PM CT every weekday, and trading resumes at 5:00 PM CT.
Inactivity: Combines, XFAs and Live accounts with no trades for 30 days can be closed. A Combine subscription keeps billing until you cancel it.
Prohibited: trading your full position size into a major scheduled news event, hedging across accounts, and using a VPN.
Platform: TopstepX is Topstep's trading platform. Quantower can connect through TopstepX for the Combine and XFA.
XFA limits: you can hold up to 5 XFAs at once, with no monthly fee.

Tracking a Topstep Combine in a Trading Journal

Topstep's dashboard tells you where you stand against the rules. A journal tells you why, and helps you stop repeating the trades that put the account at risk.

One account per Combine and XFA. In StonkJournal, create each one as a separate account, so the stats never mix. See the multi-account trading journal.
Set rules tighter than Topstep's. Add risk rules for max daily loss, max position size and drawdown. A personal daily stop at half your MLL means one bad day can't end the Combine.
Watch the consistency rules. The calendar heatmap makes an outsized day obvious before it raises your target or delays a payout. It also shows your $150+ winning days at a glance.
Track contracts, not just P&L. StonkJournal handles futures with the correct contract multipliers, so you can review whether you sized up after losses.
Review by time of day. With a 3:10 PM CT hard close, time-of-day breakdowns show whether your late-session trades are costing you. See trading performance metrics.

More on journaling futures: the futures trading journal and prop firm trading journal pages, and the full How to Pass a Prop Firm Challenge routine.

Other Prop Firm Guides

Apex Trader Funding rules and payouts: one-time-fee futures evaluations
FTMO rules: CFD 2-Step, 1-Step and Instant
FundedNext review: Stellar CFD challenges and futures

More guides are on the StonkJournal blog.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Topstep's payout rules?
Payouts come from the Express Funded Account, with a 90% split and a $125 minimum. On the Standard path you need 5 winning days of $150 or more. On the Consistency path you need 3 trading days, with your best day at 40% or less of net profit. Each request is capped at 50% of your balance, up to a per-size maximum.

Does Topstep have a consistency rule?
Yes. In the Trading Combine, your best day must be 55% of the profit target or less; if it's higher, your target becomes your best day divided by 0.55. On the XFA, a 40% rule applies only if you chose the Consistency payout path.

Is there an inactivity rule with Topstep?
Yes. Accounts with no trades for 30 days can be closed. That applies to the Combine, the Express Funded Account and Live Funded Accounts.

Is Topstep's drawdown trailing?
Yes. The Maximum Loss Limit trails your end-of-day balance and stops once it reaches your starting balance. It's enforced in real time against unrealized losses.

How much does the Topstep Trading Combine cost?
On the Standard path it's $49, $99 or $199 per month for 50K, 100K or 150K, plus a $149 activation fee when you pass. The No Activation Fee path is $95, $149 or $229 per month.