Take Profit Trader is a futures prop firm that operates an evaluation-based model. Traders purchase a monthly subscription to access a simulated trading test, and those who meet the required profit target and risk rules are awarded a funded PRO account (also simulated) from which they can withdraw profits.
The firm was founded by James Sixsmith, who serves as CEO. The About Us page identifies Sixsmith as a former professional hockey player who transitioned into trading, and references a previous company called Trade Context. No founding year or headquarters address is published on the firm’s site.
The platform focuses exclusively on futures trading. All test and PRO accounts operate in a simulated environment using regulated data providers (Rithmic and Tradovate/CQG). The PRO+ account, available to a discretionary subset of PRO traders, is the only live-market stage. No regulatory disclosures are stated on the firm’s own site beyond a note that TPT is not required to be NFA- or CFTC-registered and that it uses only regulated brokers and CME-approved data providers.
Account Types & Pricing
Trading Test (1-Step Evaluation)
Take Profit Trader offers a single evaluation product: a 1-step Trading Test. There is no 2-step challenge or instant funding option. The test is structured as a monthly subscription: you pay each month until you pass, cancel, or reset.
Five account sizes are available. Retail monthly subscription fees are as follows:
| Account Size | Monthly Subscription Fee |
|---|---|
| $25,000 | $150/month |
| $50,000 | $170/month |
| $75,000 | $245/month |
| $100,000 | $330/month |
| $150,000 | $360/month |
There is no time limit on the test: you can take as long as you need to reach the profit target, and your monthly fee continues to renew until you cancel or pass. When you pass the test, the monthly subscription stops automatically. There are no ongoing monthly fees for PRO accounts.
Activation fee: A one-time $130 fee is charged at the transition from test to PRO account. This is a one-time payment, not a recurring monthly charge, and applies at the point you activate your funded account. The fee is a flat $130 across all account sizes.
Reset fee: A test reset costs $100 regardless of account size. Resetting gives you a fresh account with the same parameters and rules; it does not change your subscription renewal date.
PRO account reset fees (if you lose a funded account and want to skip re-evaluation):
| PRO Account Size | PRO Reset Fee |
|---|---|
| $25,000 | $449 |
| $50,000 | $649 |
| $75,000 | $799 |
| $100,000 | $999 |
| $150,000 | $1,499 |
PRO account resets are optional: they allow you to skip the evaluation and return to a funded account directly. Up to 3 PRO resets are available per account.
Evaluation Rules
Profit Target
Each account size has a fixed dollar profit target. Rules differ across account sizes; see the table below.
| Account Size | Profit Target |
|---|---|
| $25,000 | $1,500 |
| $50,000 | $3,000 |
| $75,000 | $4,500 |
| $100,000 | $6,000 |
| $150,000 | $9,000 |
Profit targets are expressed as dollar amounts only, not as percentages.
Drawdown Rules (Evaluation)
Trailing Drawdown Values
The maximum trailing drawdown applies throughout the evaluation stage. Rules differ across account sizes; see the table below.
| Account Size | Maximum Trailing Drawdown |
|---|---|
| $25,000 | $1,500 |
| $50,000 | $2,000 |
| $75,000 | $2,500 |
| $100,000 | $3,000 |
| $150,000 | $4,500 |
The drawdown trails from your highest end-of-day account balance (not intraday peaks). For example, on a $25,000 account, the starting minimum account balance is $23,500 ($25,000 − $1,500). If your end-of-day balance reaches $26,000, the minimum account balance rises to $24,500, still $1,500 behind the highest EOD balance recorded.
The drawdown level is tracked and displayed in the dashboard as “Minimum Account Balance.”
If your account balance drops to the minimum account balance at any point, through realized or unrealized losses, the account is immediately liquidated.
Daily Loss Limit
No daily loss limit applies during the evaluation stage.
Drawdown Calculation Method
EOD trailing: the drawdown level only updates at the end of each trading day based on the closing balance. Intraday highs and unrealized profits do not move the drawdown level during the trading session.
Drawdown Lock
The trailing drawdown stops trailing once the minimum account balance reaches the original starting account balance. Once the drawdown level locks at the starting balance, it remains fixed and no longer moves upward regardless of additional profits.
For example, on a $25,000 account: the drawdown begins $1,500 below the starting balance, trailing upward with each new highest EOD balance. Once the minimum account balance reaches $25,000, it stops trailing and stays there permanently.
Consistency Rule (Evaluation)
A consistency rule applies during the evaluation stage. There are two components:
1. Minimum trading days: You must trade for a minimum of 5 trading days. A trading day is any day in which at least 1 trade is placed. You may take as long as you need to complete the test, but the 5-day minimum must be met regardless of when you reach the profit target.
2. Profit consistency (50% rule): No single trading day may account for more than 50% of your total net profits. The formula is:
Highest profit day ÷ Net P/L = Consistency Percentage
This percentage must be below 50% to qualify for a PRO account.
If your consistency percentage exceeds 50%, the dashboard automatically calculates an updated profit goal: Net P/L × 2. You must continue trading until your highest day falls below 50% of the new, higher net P/L total.
Minimum Trading Days
A minimum of 5 trading days is required to pass the evaluation. A trading day is defined as any day in which at least 1 trade is placed.
Time Limit
There is no time limit on the evaluation. Your subscription renews monthly until you pass, cancel, or reset. There is no deadline by which you must reach the profit target.
Position Size & Contract Limits
Rules differ across account sizes; see the table below.
| Account Size | Maximum Standard Contracts | Maximum Micro Contracts |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 3 | 30 |
| $50,000 | 6 | 60 |
| $75,000 | 9 | 90 |
| $100,000 | 12 | 120 |
| $150,000 | 15 | 150 |
The micro contract allowance is 10x the standard contract limit. Position size limits apply to the number of contracts open at any one time.
Activation Fee
A one-time $130 activation fee is charged when you transition from a passed evaluation to a funded PRO account. This is a one-time payment triggered at the evaluation-to-funded transition; it is not a recurring monthly charge.
The activation fee is the same regardless of account size. There is no activation fee pathway with lower pricing available as a separate product; only promotional codes may waive this fee.
Funded Account Rules
The funded (PRO) account operates in a simulated environment. Profits generated in the PRO account are real payouts, but the trading itself is conducted on a simulated platform. There are no ongoing monthly fees for active PRO accounts.
Drawdown Rules (Funded)
The drawdown method changes when you move from the evaluation stage to the funded PRO stage. This is a critical difference.
Trailing Drawdown Values
The maximum drawdown at the funded stage equals the maximum drawdown from the passed test. Rules differ across account sizes; see the table below.
| Account Size | Maximum Trailing Drawdown (PRO) |
|---|---|
| $25,000 | $1,500 |
| $50,000 | $2,000 |
| $75,000 | $2,500 |
| $100,000 | $3,000 |
| $150,000 | $4,500 |
The drawdown trails from your peak account balance, which includes both realized gains and unrealized (open) gains intraday.
Daily Loss Limit
No daily loss limit applies at the funded PRO stage.
Drawdown Calculation Method
Intraday trailing: the drawdown level moves up in real time as your unrealized or realized profit grows during the session. Intraday highs set the high-water mark. This is a significant difference from the evaluation stage, which uses EOD trailing.
For example on a $25,000 PRO account: if your unrealized profit reaches $1,000 during a session, the minimum account balance rises to $24,500 in real time. If you then close the trade for a $500 realized gain, your balance becomes $25,500, but your minimum balance stays at $24,500; you are now $1,000 away from hitting the drawdown level.
You can track the intraday drawdown level in real time via the “Auto Liquidate Threshold Value” in RTrader Pro (Rithmic accounts) or via the “Drawdown Auto Liq Level” column in Tradovate (CQG accounts).
If your account balance drops to the minimum account balance at any time, through realized or unrealized losses, the account is immediately liquidated.
Drawdown Lock
The trailing drawdown stops trailing once it reaches the starting account balance. Once the drawdown level reaches the starting balance, it no longer moves upward. This behavior is the same as the evaluation stage, but applies intraday rather than only at end-of-day.
What happens after a payout: TPT does not publish documentation on how the drawdown level is affected following a payout withdrawal from the PRO account.
Consistency Rule (Funded)
No consistency rule applies to payout eligibility at the funded PRO stage. The consistency requirement exists only during the evaluation. Traders in PRO can withdraw from day one without meeting any consistency threshold.
Position Size & Contract Limits (Funded)
Contract limits in the funded PRO account are identical to those in the evaluation stage. There is no scaling plan.
| Account Size | Maximum Standard Contracts | Maximum Micro Contracts |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 3 | 30 |
| $50,000 | 6 | 60 |
| $75,000 | 9 | 90 |
| $100,000 | 12 | 120 |
| $150,000 | 15 | 150 |
Profit Split
The PRO account profit split is 80/20: the trader keeps 80% of profits above the buffer zone.
The PRO+ account profit split is 90/10: the trader keeps 90%.
Payout Rules
First Payout Requirements
You can request your first payout on day one of your PRO account. There is no minimum number of trading days required before the first withdrawal.
However, a buffer must be built before profits above the buffer zone can be withdrawn at the full 80% rate. The buffer zone equals the maximum drawdown amount for the account. You must reach a balance equal to your starting balance plus the buffer amount before withdrawing at the standard 80% split.
| Account Size | Required Balance to Unlock Full Withdrawals |
|---|---|
| $25,000 | $26,500 |
| $50,000 | $52,000 |
| $75,000 | $77,500 |
| $100,000 | $103,000 |
| $150,000 | $154,500 |
Once your balance exceeds the buffer zone level, you can withdraw any amount above it at 80%.
Subsequent Payout Requirements
Conditions do not change after the first payout; the buffer requirement and profit split remain the same for all subsequent withdrawals from an active PRO account. There is no minimum waiting period between payouts.
Payout Frequency
There is no minimum waiting period between payout requests. Traders can request withdrawals on any trading day once above the buffer threshold. Withdrawal requests are processed within approximately 24 business hours, at which point funds appear in the TPT wallet.
Payout Buffer
The buffer zone is equal to the maximum drawdown amount on the account. Profits inside the buffer zone (below the threshold balance) cannot be withdrawn from an active PRO account. However, if the PRO account is terminated or closed, traders may withdraw profits inside the buffer zone, subject to a time-based profit split:
| Time Since PRO Account Opening | Profit Split on Buffer-Zone Profits |
|---|---|
| 60 trading days or fewer | 50% |
| More than 60 trading days | 80% |
The 60 days refers to trading days; the last day counts as the last trading day on the PRO account.
Daily Progression Rule
No daily progression rule applies. There is no requirement that a minimum percentage of each payout must come from profits generated after the previous payout.
Payout Caps & Limits
There is no maximum withdrawal amount. Traders can withdraw any amount above the buffer zone in a single request.
Minimum withdrawal amount: Withdrawals of $250 or less incur a $50 withdrawal fee. Withdrawals over $250 are fee-free (subject to any PayPal platform fees, where applicable). No formal minimum withdrawal floor is published; the fee structure means any amount can be requested, but withdrawals of $250 or less will be reduced by the $50 fee.
Scaling Plan
There is no scaling plan. Contract limits in the funded PRO account are exactly the same as in the evaluation: you receive the same buying power in PRO that you had during your test, with no forced reduction or phased increase.
Live Account Pathway (PRO+)
Take Profit Trader offers a live-market funded stage called PRO+. Advancement to PRO+ is entirely discretionary; the firm reviews trading performance and behavior holistically, and there is no single threshold or objective rule that guarantees promotion.
Selection process: Once a trader becomes eligible, Take Profit Trader sends an official invitation by email. There is no action required from the trader before the invitation. The evaluation considers consistency, risk management, execution patterns, and overall trading discipline over time. The setup process typically takes 1–3 business days after the invitation.
Starting conditions: The PRO+ account starts with a $0 balance. The initial EOD drawdown equals the starting drawdown from the original PRO account (e.g., a $50,000 PRO account would carry a $2,000 EOD drawdown into PRO+, with the account starting at $0).
Frozen capital: When a trader transitions to PRO+, $5,000 in profit from the PRO account is frozen and must remain in the PRO account while PRO+ is active. Any PRO profits above that $5,000 can be withdrawn immediately before the transition.
Key differences from the PRO stage:
| Feature | PRO | PRO+ |
|---|---|---|
| Environment | Simulated | Live market (exchange-routed) |
| Profit split | 80/20 | 90/10 |
| Drawdown method | Intraday trailing | EOD trailing |
| Buffer requirement | Yes | None |
| Daily loss limit | None | None |
Account loss in PRO+: If the PRO+ account is lost, remaining PRO+ profits plus the trader’s share of the frozen $5,000 are eligible for withdrawal. If the PRO+ account ends with a negative balance, that amount is deducted from the frozen $5,000 first; the remainder is available at standard PRO profit split terms.
Resetting PRO+: A PRO+ account cannot be reset. If lost, the trader must reset their PRO account and qualify for PRO+ again.
Trading Rules & Restrictions
Permitted Instruments
Take Profit Trader supports trading of most futures products listed on CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX. The permitted product list is extensive and includes equity index futures, FX futures, energy futures, metals, agricultural, and cryptocurrency futures. A full list of confirmed instruments includes (among others):
ES, NQ, YM, RTY, CL, GC, SI, NG, 6E, 6B, 6A, 6J, 6C, 6S, ZB, ZN, ZC, ZW, ZS, HE, LE, HG, HO, RB, MBT, MET, and their micro counterparts (MES, MNQ, MYM, M2K, MGC, MCL, MNQ, MES, MYM, M6E, M6A, M2K).
The full current list is published in the help center. Traders are responsible for ensuring they are trading the correct contract. If a desired instrument is not on the list, traders can contact support to request a review.
Trading Hours & Overnight Policy
Positions cannot be held from one trading day into the next. All positions must be opened and closed within the permitted daily window.
The trading day ends at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Any position held past 5:00 PM Eastern results in automatic account liquidation and a failed test.
New positions can be opened starting at 6:00 PM Eastern, but any trade opened at or after 6:00 PM counts toward the next trading day’s activity.
Traders are responsible for monitoring product-specific market hours. If a product’s market closes before 5:00 PM Eastern and a position cannot be exited before the product’s close, the account will be liquidated. Holiday schedule changes are also the trader’s responsibility; missing a holiday-adjusted close time results in account liquidation.
News Trading Policy
News trading restrictions apply to funded PRO and PRO+ accounts only. No news restrictions apply during the evaluation stage; traders in the test are free to trade through all news events.
For PRO and PRO+ accounts, traders must be out of all open positions and have no open orders one minute before, during, and one minute after any of the following prohibited news events:
Prohibited for all products:
- FOMC statements/announcements (Wednesdays at 2:00 PM ET; FED speaker events and FOMC meeting minutes are permitted)
- Non-Farm Payroll (NFP): monthly, Fridays at 8:30 AM ET
- Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Prohibited for specific instruments:
- Crude Oil Inventories → prohibited for Crude Oil
- Bond Auctions → prohibited for 10-Year Note and 30-Year Bond
Traders can track prohibited news events via the TPT trader calendar at takeprofittrader.com/user-info/calendar, or by checking forexfactory.com for red-folder USD events.
Expert Advisors & Copy Trading
Automated trading (EAs/bots): No automated or algorithmic trading of any kind is permitted. This applies across all account types: test, PRO, and PRO+. All trades must be manually executed by the trader.
Copy trading / trade copiers: Trade copiers are permitted under specific conditions. Traders may use approved copier tools to synchronize trades across accounts they personally own and control. The following trade copiers are explicitly approved by TPT:
- Tradesyncer
- TradeCopia
- Affordable Indicators
- Replikanto Flowbot (Compliance Edition only)
- Platform-native copier tools (Tradovate, NinjaTrader, MotiveWave, Quantower, etc.)
Unapproved copiers, non-compliance editions, or copier-based services are not permitted. Trade copiers may not be used to coordinate trading activity between different users or to enter opposing or offsetting positions designed to reduce or neutralize risk.
Prohibited Practices
The following behaviors are explicitly prohibited across all account types:
- Automated trading / bots / EAs: all trading must be manually executed
- Counter positions: holding opposite positions in the same or closely related products across accounts under your beneficial control (e.g., long ES on one account, short MES on another) is prohibited; detection results in automatic liquidation of affected accounts and forfeiture of profits
- Wash trading and pre-arranged trades: prohibited in alignment with CME Rules 531, 533, 534, and 539
- Spoofing, layering, and disruptive practices: prohibited under CME Rule 575
- Holding positions past 5:00 PM Eastern: results in automatic account liquidation
- Trading from restricted countries: even a single instance results in account restriction or termination; VPNs and remote connections that route activity through restricted jurisdictions are also prohibited
- Coordinated trading with other users: mirroring another trader’s activity, participating in pass services, or coordinated group trading schemes are prohibited under the Independent Trade Execution Policy
Additional Rules
Weekly Activity Requirement
To keep a PRO or PRO+ account active, traders must trade at least one day per calendar week (Sunday through Friday). A “traded day” is defined as any day in which at least one round-trip has been executed on any permitted instrument. Traders who are unable to meet this requirement due to life circumstances can contact support to request a temporary exception.
Multiple Account Rules
Traders can hold an unlimited number of test accounts simultaneously. For funded accounts, a maximum of 5 active PRO/PRO+ accounts may be held at any one time; this limit applies to the combined total of PRO and PRO+ accounts (e.g., 3 PRO + 2 PRO+ is permitted, but not 5 PRO + 5 PRO+). Up to 10 successfully passed tests may be activated within any rolling 30-calendar-day window.
Limit Up/Down Rule
Traders must exit all open positions before a futures product reaches its CME daily price limit (limit up or limit down). If a price limit is hit while a trader is holding a position, the funded account will be terminated. Traders are responsible for monitoring CME price limits.
Counter Position Rule
Counter positions are prohibited across all account types (test, PRO, and PRO+). This includes not only identical contracts but also closely related contracts; current examples include ES/MES, NQ/MNQ, and YM/MYM pairs. The list is not exhaustive; other correlated pairs may also be treated as closely related. When a counter position is detected, affected accounts are automatically liquidated and all profits forfeited.
Trading Platforms
Available Platforms
Take Profit Trader supports 15+ platforms. Platforms are tied to one of two data feeds, CQG (via Tradovate) or Rithmic, chosen at account setup. Depending on the data feed selected, traders can switch between compatible platforms without notifying TPT.
The following platforms are supported:
| Platform | Data Feed | Free During Test |
|---|---|---|
| TradingView | CQG | Yes (Basic plan) |
| NinjaTrader 8 | CQG or Rithmic | Yes |
| Tradovate | CQG | Yes |
| R|Trader Pro | Rithmic | Yes |
| Quantower | Rithmic | Yes |
| Bookmap | Rithmic | No |
| MultiCharts | Rithmic | No |
| MotiveWave | Rithmic | No |
| Trade Navigator | Rithmic | No |
| VolFix | Rithmic | No |
| ATAS | Rithmic | No |
| Investor R/T | Rithmic | No |
| Finamark | Rithmic | No |
| Jigsaw Trader | Rithmic | No |
| Sierra Chart | Rithmic | No |
Note on TradingView: the Basic (free) plan may have slight data delays, which can result in minor price discrepancies vs. actual fills. TPT has no direct affiliation with TradingView and is not responsible for these discrepancies.
Note on Sierra Chart: TPT provides the Rithmic data feed; however, Sierra Chart has publicly stated it no longer officially supports Rithmic. Traders who use Sierra Chart with Rithmic do so at their own risk.
Data Feeds & Connectivity
Two data feeds are available: CQG (accessed via Tradovate credentials) and Rithmic. Traders select their data feed at account purchase and the choice applies for the life of that subscription.
CQG accounts require signing market data agreements with Tradovate before trading can begin. Rithmic accounts require signing market data agreements via the Rithmic Trader Pro application.
For CQG accounts: simultaneous connection from two platforms is supported on test and PRO accounts. PRO+ connectivity may differ.
For Rithmic accounts: standard two-platform simultaneous connection is not supported, but a plug-in mode allows RTrader Pro and NinjaTrader 8 to run simultaneously.
Market depth (Level 2 data): Available for Rithmic accounts only. One exchange is included at no charge; each additional exchange costs $15/month. Market depth is not available for CQG accounts.
Billing & Account Management
Subscription Model
The Trading Test runs on a monthly subscription. You are charged on the same calendar day each month as the original purchase of your first account under that subscription. Billing continues automatically until you pass, cancel, or the account is disabled. If you break a test rule, your subscription does not cancel automatically; you must manually cancel it from your dashboard.
When you successfully pass the trading test, the subscription is automatically canceled and no further monthly charges are applied. PRO accounts have no recurring subscription fees. There are no ongoing monthly fees of any kind once you are in the funded stage.
If you cancel a subscription, access remains active through the end of the current billing period. You always receive the full 30 days you paid for.
Reset on renewal: TPT resets trading accounts during monthly renewal only if the account is disabled at the time of renewal. If your account is active (not disabled), monthly renewal does not trigger a reset.
Resets
A test account reset costs $100, regardless of account size. A reset gives you a fresh account with the same parameters and rules as your original test. It does not change your subscription renewal date.
The reset fee is a flat $100 and does not match the monthly subscription cost on any account size. No free or courtesy resets are included with subscription renewals; resets are always a paid option.
What a reset restores: a fresh account balance at the original starting balance, with all the same profit targets, drawdown limits, and position size rules as the original test. Previous trading history is preserved under the same subscription for review.
Payouts & Withdrawals
This section covers the mechanics of transferring profits out of the platform. Payout qualification rules (when a trader is eligible, how much they can withdraw, buffer requirements, and the profit split) are covered under H2: Funded Account Rules.
Payment Methods
Take Profit Trader offers 3 payout options:
US Bank Accounts (Plaid): Automated payouts to US bank accounts via Plaid. The bank account must belong to the individual registered at TPT; mismatched identity information will prevent connection. This option is not available for LLC payouts; LLCs must use Wise.
PayPal: Available for US and international payouts. PayPal’s own fees may apply and will be deducted from withdrawal amounts. PayPal is available for LLC payouts if the LLC has an established PayPal account.
Wise: Available for international bank transfers to 160+ countries worldwide. Required for LLC payouts (funds can be sent to a Wise account or forwarded to any US or international bank account). The name on the Wise account must match the registered TPT user.
All payout methods require identity matching: the name and details on the payout account must match the registered user at TPT. Mismatched information results in delayed or denied payouts, consistent with anti-money laundering (AML) compliance.
Processing Times
The withdrawal process involves two steps: first, withdrawing from your PRO account to your TPT wallet (approximately 24 business hours for review); then, withdrawing from the wallet to your bank or payment account.
For Plaid (US bank accounts): once the wallet withdrawal is approved, payment is typically real-time or within a couple of minutes, though some banks may take 1–2 business days to reflect the deposit.
For PayPal and Wise: wallet withdrawals are processed within 12 business hours of approval, though often sooner.
Tax & Eligibility Requirements
Take Profit Trader is a US-based company and complies with US tax regulations. All PRO account users must complete and sign the required tax form before any withdrawal can be processed. Tax forms are handled through the TPT platform using their compliance provider, ComplyExchange.
The tax form type is determined automatically based on the trader’s stored information:
- W-9: for US residents, US citizens, or US-registered companies
- W-8BEN: for non-US residents or companies
After the end of each calendar year, traders receive a tax document summarizing total withdrawals earned from TPT during that year. Each trader is responsible for their own tax filing obligations.
Restricted Countries
Access to the platform, including trading and market data, is prohibited from a significant number of countries. If activity is detected from a restricted country (including via VPN or remote connection), the associated account(s) will be restricted or blocked without exception. The current restricted country list is published in the help center and includes over 100 jurisdictions. The list is subject to change based on regulatory or brokerage updates.
Performance Statistics
Take Profit Trader has published one pass rate figure. According to an FAQ on the homepage, from January 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023, 20.37% of registered traders successfully passed the trading test. This figure is described as the percentage of “currently registered” traders who passed during that period.
No payout rate, funded trader count, total payouts, or other transparency statistics are published on the site or in the help documentation reviewed.