The Topstep consistency rule works differently at each stage. In the Trading Combine, your best day can't be more than 55% of your total profit, or your profit target rises. On an Express Funded Account you choose a payout path: Standard needs 5 winning days of $150 or more, while Consistency needs 3 trading days with no single day above 40% of net profit.
Rules checked on Topstep's official help center on November 3, 2026.
Key takeaways
- In the Trading Combine, Topstep's Consistency Target is a hard 55%: if your best day exceeds it, your profit target becomes best day ÷ 0.55.
- Your best day locks at 3:10 PM CT, losing days don't reset it, and extra profit on the same day only raises the target further.
- On an Express Funded Account (XFA), the Standard path pays after 5 winning days of $150+; the Consistency path pays after 3 trading days at 40% consistency, with higher caps.
- XFA payouts are capped at 50% of the balance per request: $2,000 to $5,000 on Standard and $3,000 to $6,000 on Consistency, depending on account size.
- Topstep keeps 10% of each payout, the minimum request is $125, and after your first payout the Maximum Loss Limit sits at $0, so the remaining balance is your loss buffer.
- Live Funded Accounts have no payout cap, and daily payouts unlock after 30 winning days.
Topstep rules at a glance
| Rule | $50K | $100K | $150K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Combine profit target | $3,000 | $6,000 | $9,000 |
| Best-day limit (55% Consistency Target) | $1,650 | $3,300 | $4,950 |
| Maximum Loss Limit (trails the end-of-day balance) | $2,000 | $3,000 | $4,500 |
| Max position size in the Combine | 5 minis / 50 micros | 10 minis / 100 micros | 15 minis / 150 micros |
| Combine price, Standard path | $49/month + $149 activation | $99/month + $149 activation | $199/month + $149 activation |
| Combine price, No Activation Fee path | $95/month | $149/month | $229/month |
| XFA Standard payout cap | $2,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| XFA Consistency payout cap | $3,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 |
Prices are Topstep's monthly subscription list prices. Topstep often runs its own discounts, so your checkout total may be lower.
What is the Topstep consistency rule in the Trading Combine?
Topstep Trading Combine consistency target. Source: help.topstep.com, checked Nov 3, 2026.
The Topstep Trading Combine has one rule, don't hit the Maximum Loss Limit, and two objectives: reach the profit target and meet the 55% Consistency Target. Your single best day must stay at or below 55% of your total profit. Topstep calls it a hard line: it isn't rounded and there is no buffer.
| Account size | Profit target | Best day to stay under |
|---|---|---|
| $50K | $3,000 | $1,650 |
| $100K | $6,000 | $3,300 |
| $150K | $9,000 | $4,950 |
What happens when your best day is too big
Breaking the 55% line doesn't fail the Combine. It raises your profit target to best day ÷ 0.55. Suppose you're trading a $50K Combine and make $1,800 on your best day. Your target rises from $3,000 to $3,273, and no later day can exceed $1,800 without raising it again. If your next day makes $2,200, that becomes your new best day and the target moves to $4,000.
- Your best day updates during the session and locks at 3:10 PM CT.
- Losing days don't reset it. A $1,800 best day still counts even if losses pull total profit down to $1,000.
- You can't fix a raised target on the same day. Every dollar you add before the 3:10 PM CT lock adds to that best day. The remaining profit has to come on a later trading day.
- The minimum is two trading days: the Combine can't be passed in one day.
The Topstep trading day runs from 5:00 PM CT to 3:10 PM CT the next day, so a trade at 6:30 PM CT on Tuesday counts toward Wednesday. On TopstepX you can set a personal daily profit target that stops trading before you cross your best-day limit. For how other futures firms set their thresholds, see our prop firm consistency rule explainer.
XFA Standard or Consistency: which Topstep payout path fits you?
Topstep XFA payout paths, caps without the DLL offer. Source: help.topstep.com, checked Nov 3, 2026.
When you activate an Express Funded Account, you choose the Standard or Consistency payout path, and the choice can't be changed later. Standard suits traders with frequent smaller winning days; Consistency suits traders who want a payout sooner and spread their profit evenly.
| XFA payout path | Standard | Consistency |
|---|---|---|
| To request a payout | 5 winning days of $150+ net P&L | 3 trading days (1+ trade each) and 40% consistency |
| Per-request cap ($50K / $100K / $150K) | $2,000 / $3,000 / $5,000 | $3,000 / $4,000 / $6,000 |
| Also required after payout 1 | Net profit since the last payout | Consistency resets; 3 new days |
| Profit split | 90/10 | 90/10 |
On the Consistency path, the formula is largest single-day net profit ÷ total net profit, and the result must be 40% or below. Suppose your best day is $2,000: you need at least $5,000 of total net profit in the window before you can request. The calculation resets after every payout, and profit left in the account from the previous window doesn't count toward the next one.
The Standard path has no percentage at all. A winning day is any day with $150 or more of net profit; days don't need to be consecutive, and they lock at 4:00 PM CT. If your results come from one or two big days a week, Standard is usually easier to meet. If you trade most days with similar results, Consistency gets you to a payout in three days instead of five.
What are the Topstep payout rules on an Express Funded Account?
Every XFA payout request is capped at 50% of the balance.
Every XFA payout request is capped at 50% of your account balance, up to the cap for your path and size, with a $125 minimum. Topstep keeps 10% of each payout. The XFA balance starts at $0 and grows only from your profits; the 50K, 100K or 150K label is your buying power.
- The Maximum Loss Limit starts below $0 ($2,000 below on a $50K XFA) and trails up until it locks at $0. After your first payout it is set to $0 for good, so whatever balance remains is your entire loss buffer.
- From the second payout on, you need positive net profit since your last payout, even $0.01.
- The trading day you request a payout doesn't count toward your next winning-day count.
- A daily loss limit is optional on the Combine and XFA. If you add one at Combine checkout ($1,000, $2,000 or $3,000 by size), Topstep currently doubles your XFA payout caps; adding it later doesn't unlock the higher cap. Topstep calls this a limited-time offer.
- You can hold up to 5 active XFAs, and an XFA with no trading for more than 30 days may be closed.
| Payout method | Availability | Processing time | Topstep fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prop-to-Brokerage | US only | Same day if requested by 12 PM CT | None |
| Aeropay | US banks only | Instant after approval | None |
| Wise | China, Canada, UK | 1 to 3 business days | None |
| ACH | US banks only | 1 to 3 business days | $30 |
| Wire / SWIFT | International | 5 to 10 business days | $30 |
Approval itself can take 1 to 3 business days, and Topstep reviews each request against its prohibited conduct and prohibited strategy rules. Topstep pays by bank and payment services rather than on-chain, so it is not on our on-chain payout tracker and we can't show a verified payout total for it. Topstep's payout policy has the full wording.
How do payouts work in the Topstep Live Funded Account?
The Live Funded Account is the end of a long path, and the call-up is at Topstep's discretion.
A Live Funded Account (LFA) has no payout cap: after 5 winning days of $150 or more in a cycle, you can request up to 50% of your balance. After 30 winning days in the LFA, daily payouts unlock and you can request as much of your unlocked balance as you want once per day, with a $125 minimum.
Moving to Live isn't automatic. Topstep's risk team reviews each trader on consistency, risk management, position sizing, products traded and payout history. Since October 24, 2026, Topstep says more XFA payouts increase the likelihood of a call-up review. When you're called up, all your XFAs close.
- Your Live account size is the average size of your eligible XFAs, rounded up to $50K, $100K or $150K.
- 20% of the transferred balance is available to trade straight away (minimum $10,000); the other 80% sits in a reserve released in four 25% steps each time you hit the profit target for your size.
- Any XFA balance above the account size is forfeited, not banked.
- Live accounts carry an automatic daily loss limit ($2,000, $3,000 or $4,500 by size), and a balance below $1,000 can close the account, with the remainder sent as a final payout.
Requesting a 100% payout closes the Live account, because the balance then sits at the Maximum Loss Limit.
Which Topstep rule changes affect payouts in 2026?
Topstep adjusts its rules often: our Fine Print monitor logged 11 Topstep changes in the 30 days to November 3. These are the ones that change how you trade or get paid.
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2026 | News-window limits on micro copper and silver cut; energies, metals and TP/SL brackets allowed during the window |
| Oct 16, 2026 | $50K XFA limited to $20,000 margin and 1 micro during news events; equity minis blocked |
| Oct 20, 2026 | PPI added to the news restrictions: no new opening positions in the 7:25 to 7:35 AM CT window |
| Oct 21, 2026 | $150K micro crude oil limit cut to 90 contracts |
| Oct 22, 2026 | Live accounts with a balance below $3,000 limited to 1 contract during Tier 1 news events |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Live call-up reviews now weigh the number of XFA payouts more heavily |
During Tier 1 events (CPI, FOMC, NFP and PPI), Topstep blocks new opening positions in equity index and metals minis from five minutes before to five minutes after the release, and limits micros to 1, 3, 6, 9 or 15 contracts by account size. Positions opened before the window can stay open. Every logged change is on our Fine Print updates page.
How Topstep compares with other futures firms
Topstep is one of several futures firms with a consistency rule, and the thresholds, drawdown types and payout caps differ a lot between them. Our side-by-side comparison pages put the rules next to each other: Lucid Trading vs Topstep, Top One Futures vs Topstep, E8 Futures vs Topstep and FundedNext Futures vs Topstep. If one of them fits you better, Lucid Trading, Top One Futures, E8 Futures and FundedNext Futures are partners where code CRITIC gets you the best available offer. For a broader look at the firm, read our Topstep review.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Topstep consistency rule?
In the Trading Combine, your best day must stay at or below 55% of total profit, or your profit target rises to best day ÷ 0.55. On an Express Funded Account, the Consistency payout path requires your largest day to be 40% or less of net profit; the Standard path has no consistency percentage.
Does the Topstep consistency rule apply to funded accounts?
Only if you choose the Consistency payout path when you activate your XFA. On the Standard path you need 5 winning days of $150 or more instead. Live Funded Accounts use winning days, not a consistency percentage.
How much can you withdraw from a Topstep XFA?
Up to 50% of your balance per request, capped at $2,000, $3,000 or $5,000 on the Standard path and $3,000, $4,000 or $6,000 on the Consistency path for $50K, $100K and $150K accounts. Adding a daily loss limit at Combine checkout currently doubles those caps.
How long do Topstep payouts take?
Topstep says approval can take 1 to 3 business days. After that, Aeropay is instant for US banks, ACH and Wise take 1 to 3 business days, and international wires take 5 to 10 business days.
Can you pass the Topstep Combine in one day?
No. Because of the 55% Consistency Target, the minimum is two trading days, and no single day can exceed 55% of your total profit.
What is Topstep's profit split?
Traders keep 90% of each payout. Traders who joined Topstep's new dashboard before January 12, 2026 keep 100% of their first $10,000 in lifetime profits, then 90%.
