Topstep LLC is a futures prop firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It operates an evaluation-based model: traders work through a simulated evaluation called the Trading Combine before earning access to a simulated funded account (the Express Funded Account), with the possibility of eventually being called up to trade real capital through a Live Funded Account. The firm focuses exclusively on futures trading. All Trading Combine and Express Funded Account activity takes place in a simulated environment using real market data. Live Funded Accounts trade real capital belonging to Topstep.
The entity operating the funded trading program is Topstep LLC and its affiliate TopstepFunded LLC. The firm notes that it does not provide investment advice, and that commodity trading involves substantial risk of loss. Traders are classified as independent contractors, not employees.
Account Types & Pricing
Trading Combine
The Trading Combine is Topstep’s 1-step evaluation. There is no minimum number of trading days and no time limit. Traders subscribe monthly, pass at their own pace, and then activate an Express Funded Account.
Two structural paths are available, and the path chosen at purchase determines the monthly cost, whether an activation fee applies at the funded stage, and the associated reset pricing. The paths cannot be converted after purchase.
Standard Path: Lower monthly cost; a one-time $149 activation fee is paid when you pass and activate an Express Funded Account.
No Activation Fee Path: Higher monthly cost; no activation fee when you pass.
Pricing below reflects the current retail rates as of April 28, 2026.
| Account Size | Standard Path | No Activation Fee Path |
|---|---|---|
| $50K | $49/month | $95/month |
| $100K | $99/month | $149/month |
| $150K | $149/month | $229/month |
Sales tax may be added at checkout where applicable and is not included in the figures above.
Express Funded Account
The Express Funded Account (XFA) has no monthly subscription fee. There are 2 payout sub-types to choose from at activation (Standard and Consistency) which determine your payout eligibility rules and payout caps. These are covered in full under Funded Account Rules.
The activation fee of $149 applies only if you pass a Standard Path Trading Combine. It is a one-time payment per Express Funded Account earned. No Activation Fee Path traders pay nothing at activation. Fees and rules for the Express Funded Account are covered in the relevant sections below.
Live Funded Account
The Live Funded Account is not purchasable. It is entered only through a discretionary call-up by Topstep’s Risk Team based on sustained performance in the Express Funded Account. There is no subscription fee for the Live Funded Account, but traders are responsible for CME professional data fees ($133/exchange/month), real-money round-turn commissions and exchange fees, and any applicable platform license costs. Topstep covers the data fee for one exchange (CME by default) effective July 22, 2025.
Evaluation Rules
Profit Target
The profit target varies by account size. It is expressed as a dollar amount and must be reached and maintained.
| Account Size | Profit Target |
|---|---|
| $50K | $3,000 |
| $100K | $6,000 |
| $150K | $9,000 |
The consistency rule interacts with the profit target: if your single best trading day exceeds 50% of your total profits, the required profit target increases. This is covered in detail under Consistency Rule below.
Drawdown Rules (Evaluation)
Trailing Drawdown Values
The maximum loss limit (MLL) in the Trading Combine is expressed as a dollar amount and represents the lowest point your account balance is allowed to reach.
| Account Size | Maximum Loss Limit |
|---|---|
| $50K | $2,000 |
| $100K | $3,000 |
| $150K | $4,500 |
Because the Trading Combine account starts at the full account size (e.g., $50,000), the MLL begins $2,000 below that starting balance and trails upward as your balance grows.
Daily Loss Limit
There is no mandatory daily loss limit in the Trading Combine by default. Traders can optionally add a permanent daily loss limit (DLL) at checkout when purchasing a Trading Combine. Once added at purchase, the DLL is fixed for the life of the account and carries over automatically to the Express Funded Account if you pass. It cannot be removed or adjusted after purchase.
If the DLL is not set at checkout, traders can configure a personal daily loss limit within the TopstepX platform via Risk Settings; this version can be adjusted or removed at any time.
The DLL parameters, if selected at purchase, are:
| Account Size | Daily Loss Limit |
|---|---|
| $50K | $1,000 |
| $100K | $2,000 |
| $150K | $3,000 |
Hitting the DLL triggers auto-liquidation for the remainder of that trading session. It is not a rule violation; the account remains eligible for funding and can resume trading at the next session (5:00 PM CT).
Drawdown Calculation Method
The maximum loss limit in the Trading Combine uses EOD trailing: the drawdown level updates only at the end of each trading day based on the closing balance. Intraday highs do not move the level. The MLL trails up from the highest end-of-day balance achieved, never moving down.
Drawdown Lock
The MLL stops trailing once it reaches the starting account balance. For a $50K Trading Combine where the account starts at $50,000, the MLL locks permanently once the balance reaches $52,000 (i.e., the MLL at $50,000 can no longer trail higher). At that point, the MLL is locked at $50,000 for the duration of the evaluation.
Consistency Rule (Evaluation)
A consistency rule applies during the evaluation stage. Your single best day’s profit must remain at or below 50% of your total profits to pass. If your best day exceeds that threshold, the required profit target increases proportionally.
The formula used when a best day exceeds 50%: Best Day Profit ÷ 0.50 = Total Profit Needed.
Losses do not reset your best day. Once locked in at 3:10 PM CT on the day it occurs, a best day value remains on record permanently. A later day can become the new best day only if it exceeds the prior figure.
The recommended best day values to avoid a profit target increase are:
| Account Size | Profit Target | Best Day Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| $50K | $3,000 | Less than $1,500 |
| $100K | $6,000 | Less than $3,000 |
| $150K | $9,000 | Less than $4,500 |
Minimum Trading Days
No minimum number of trading days is required to pass the Trading Combine. You can pass in as few as 2 days if the profit target and consistency rule are both met.
Time Limit
There is no time limit on the Trading Combine. The monthly subscription continues to auto-renew until you pass or cancel.
Position Size & Contract Limits
Maximum position size in the Trading Combine is based on account size and represents the maximum number of contracts that can be held open at one time.
| Account Size | Maximum Position (Minis) | Maximum Position (Micros on TopstepX) |
|---|---|---|
| $50K | 5 contracts | 50 micros |
| $100K | 10 contracts | 100 micros |
| $150K | 15 contracts | 150 micros |
On TopstepX, micros and minis are calculated at a 10:1 ratio toward the position limit. On third-party platforms, micros count as full lots (1 micro = 1 lot).
Certain high-volatility products are subject to temporary additional position restrictions. Current restrictions include caps on energies (CL, QM, RB, HO, MCL) and metals (GC, MGC, SI, SIL, HG, MHG, PL), with some products (SI, HG, PL) currently restricted to 0 contracts in standard accounts. These restrictions are temporary and monitored by the Risk Team.
Activation Fee
Standard Path: A one-time $149 activation fee is paid at the transition from passed Trading Combine to Express Funded Account. This applies per Express Funded Account earned and is not a recurring charge.
No Activation Fee Path: No fee is paid at the transition to funded. The higher monthly subscription cost is the tradeoff.
You have 30 days from passing your Trading Combine to pay the activation fee and activate your Express Funded Account (or 30 days from the next time your active XFA count falls below 5, if you’re already at the cap).
Funded Account Rules
The funded stage at Topstep is the Express Funded Account (XFA). It is a simulated account; you trade in a simulated environment using real market data, but payouts are real. There is only one rule: do not allow your account balance to hit or exceed the Maximum Loss Limit.
When activated, the XFA starts at a $0 balance. The account size ($50K, $100K, $150K) refers to buying power, not your starting balance.
Drawdown Rules (Funded)
Trailing Drawdown Values
The maximum loss limit in the XFA functions differently from the Trading Combine because the account starts at $0 rather than the full account size.
| Account Size | Starting MLL | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| $50K | -$2,000 | Trails up from highest EOD balance; locks at $0 once balance reaches $2,000 |
| $100K | -$3,000 | Trails up from highest EOD balance; locks at $0 once balance reaches $3,000 |
| $150K | -$4,500 | Trails up from highest EOD balance; locks at $0 once balance reaches $4,500 |
Once you take your first payout, the MLL is immediately set to $0 and stays there permanently, regardless of subsequent payout history. From that point, your balance can never fall below $0.
Daily Loss Limit
Rules differ between accounts trading on TopstepX and those trading on other platforms.
For accounts on TopstepX: No mandatory daily loss limit applies unless the trader selected a permanent DLL at checkout (when purchasing the Trading Combine), or unless the trader is enrolled in the Responsible Trading Program (RTP). Traders can also configure a personal daily loss limit voluntarily through Risk Settings; this is optional and adjustable.
For accounts on non-TopstepX platforms: A mandatory daily loss limit applies automatically.
| Account Size | Daily Loss Limit (non-TopstepX platforms, and RTP accounts) |
|---|---|
| $50K | $1,000 |
| $100K | $2,000 |
| $150K | $3,000 |
The same values apply if a permanent DLL was set at checkout. Hitting the DLL triggers auto-liquidation for the remainder of that session. It is not a rule violation.
Drawdown Calculation Method
The maximum loss limit in the Express Funded Account uses EOD trailing, the same method as the Trading Combine. The MLL updates at the end of each trading day based on the closing balance. Intraday highs do not move the drawdown level. Both realized and unrealized P&L count toward the MLL in real time throughout the session.
Drawdown Lock
The MLL trails upward from the EOD balance until it reaches $0, at which point it locks permanently. It never moves down regardless of losses after that point. After the first payout is taken, the MLL is immediately locked at $0 for the life of the account, meaning the balance can never drop below zero.
If your balance hits or exceeds the MLL at any point (including intraday on unrealized P&L), the account is liquidated immediately and closed at end of that trading day. Back2Funded may be available as a reactivation option in that circumstance (see Billing & Account Management).
Consistency Rule (Funded)
The XFA has 2 payout sub-types, each with a different consistency rule. The sub-type is chosen at activation and cannot be changed.
Express Funded Account Standard: No consistency rule applies to payout eligibility. There is no requirement that any single day’s profit stay below a percentage of total profits.
Express Funded Account Consistency: A 40% consistency objective applies to each payout window. Your largest single trading day’s net profit must not exceed 40% of your total net profit during the current payout period. The calculation uses net profit, not gross. Consistency resets to zero after each payout request; the window begins on the trading day following the day you request a payout.
Position Size & Contract Limits (Funded)
The Express Funded Account does not use a fixed maximum position size. Instead, contract limits are governed by the Scaling Plan, which sets limits based on your current end-of-day account balance. Contract limits can increase or decrease from session to session depending on your P&L.
The Scaling Plan tiers for the XFA are published as a chart on Topstep’s website. The XFA starts at the lowest tier of the Scaling Plan, with the ability to increase position size as profits grow. On TopstepX, micros are counted at 10:1 toward the limit. On third-party platforms, micros count as full lots. Contract limits do not increase intraday; if your EOD balance qualifies you for the next scaling tier, you must wait until the following session. Errors corrected within 10 seconds of exceeding the Scaling Plan are generally not penalized.
Profit Split
Traders receive 90% of approved payouts. Topstep retains 10%. This applies to all payouts across all account types and is calculated per trader (not per account).
Traders who joined the program before January 12, 2026 retain 100% of the first $10,000 in lifetime profits. After that threshold, the standard 90/10 split applies.
Payout Rules
First Payout Requirements
Rules differ between XFA Standard and XFA Consistency.
XFA Standard, first payout: Complete at least 5 winning trading days, where a winning day is defined as a net P&L of $150 or more. The 5 days do not need to be consecutive. A trading day is not counted as complete until it locks at 4:00 PM CT. No minimum balance or profitability-since-last-payout requirement applies to the first payout.
XFA Consistency, first payout: Trade a minimum of 3 days (at least one trade per day) with the 40% consistency objective met. A winning day threshold of $150 does not apply; the requirement is simply 3 days of trading activity with the consistency calculation satisfied.
Subsequent Payout Requirements
XFA Standard, subsequent payouts: After each payout, a trader must complete 5 new winning days of $150+ from the date of the most recent payout request. The payout request date itself does not count toward the next cycle. A trader must also be profitable (by any amount, even $0.01) since the previous payout before the next request is eligible. Payout requests from each account do not affect each other.
XFA Consistency, subsequent payouts: After each payout, a trader must complete 3 new trading days satisfying the 40% consistency target. The consistency window resets on the trading day following the payout request. Profits from the payout request day do not carry into the new window.
Payout Frequency
There is no fixed payout schedule. Payouts are requested on demand as long as eligibility requirements are met. Payout requests can only be submitted during CME market hours between Sunday at 5:00 PM CT and Friday at 5:00 PM CT, excluding designated holidays.
Payout Buffer
No formal payout buffer applies in the traditional sense. However, traders are advised to bring their MLL to $0 before requesting a payout (which requires building a balance of $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 depending on account size) to protect the account. After the first payout, the MLL locks at $0 permanently, meaning any subsequent payout that reduces the balance still leaves the account viable as long as the balance stays above $0.
Daily Progression Rule
No daily progression rule applies at the Express Funded Account stage.
Payout Caps & Limits
Each payout request is capped at 50% of your current account balance or the maximum payout amount, whichever is lower. The maximum payout amount depends on your account size and which XFA sub-type you’re on.
The following caps apply to accounts created on or after April 28, 2026:
| Account Size | XFA Standard Cap | XFA Consistency Cap |
|---|---|---|
| $50K | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| $100K | $3,000 | $4,000 |
| $150K | $5,000 | $6,000 |
The minimum payout request across all account types is $125.
Accounts created before April 28, 2026 retain their original payout caps. Resets completed after April 28 follow the updated pricing but retain the old payout cap. This review reflects the caps applicable to new accounts.
Scaling Plan
The Scaling Plan governs the maximum number of contracts allowed in the Express Funded Account at any given time. It is an objective (not a rule); violating the Scaling Plan does not automatically close the account in the same way a rule violation does, but breaches are reviewed. Errors corrected within 10 seconds are generally not penalized.
Your position limit under the Scaling Plan is determined by your end-of-day account balance. As your balance grows, your maximum allowed position increases. As your balance drops, your limit decreases. The specific tier thresholds and corresponding contract limits are published as a chart on Topstep’s website.
What is confirmed: the XFA starts at the lowest tier of the Scaling Plan. The contract limit can grow up to the former maximum position size from the Trading Combine ($50K: 5 / $100K: 10 / $150K: 15) as the account balance increases. On TopstepX, micros count at 10:1 toward the limit. On third-party platforms, micros count as full lots.
Starting July 22, 2025, the Scaling Plan was replaced in the Live Funded Account by the Dynamic Live Risk Expansion system. The Scaling Plan now applies only to the Express Funded Account.
Live Account Pathway
Topstep offers a Live Funded Account beyond the simulated Express Funded Account stage. It is not available on demand; selection is fully discretionary and based on the Risk Team’s review of each trader’s complete trading profile.
Most traders are called up to Live between their 3rd and 5th payout in the Express Funded Account, but the Risk Team reviews each trader individually and the timing may vary. Factors considered include consistency, risk management, position sizing, products traded, use of stops, payout history, and overall account behavior.
Account sizing at call-up: Your Live Funded Account size is based on the average account size of your active, eligible Express Funded Accounts (only accounts that have received at least one payout are included). The average rounds up to the next tier of $50K, $100K, or $150K.
Starting balance: When called up to Live, 20% of your cumulative XFA balance is available for trading immediately, or a minimum of $10,000, whichever is larger. The remaining 80% is held in a Reserve Balance. Additional reserve capital is unlocked in performance-based increments as you hit the same profit targets used in the Trading Combine ($3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000 depending on account size). Each profit milestone unlocks 25% of the remaining Reserve. Capital expansion is reviewed by the Risk Team weekly (after market close Monday), with approved unlocks applied by the following Tuesday.
Maximum Loss Limit (Live): Fixed at $1,000 for all account sizes. It does not trail. If the balance drops to $1,000 or below, the account is liquidated immediately and permanently closed at end of day.
Daily Loss Limit (Live): Mandatory and automatically applied. Starting values are:
| Account Size | Starting Daily Loss Limit |
|---|---|
| $50K | $2,000 |
| $100K | $3,000 |
| $150K | $4,500 |
The DLL is not a rule violation if hit; it triggers auto-liquidation for the session. If the tradable balance drops to $10,000 or below at end of day, the DLL resets to $2,000 regardless of account size, until the EOD balance recovers above $10,000.
The DLL can expand over time through Topstep’s Dynamic Live Risk Expansion system, which increases limits as cumulative net profit in the Live account grows. Expansion requires 10 active trading days at each tier. The full expansion table is published as a chart on the Topstep website. For the $150K account: up to $5,500 DLL at $20K net profit, $6,000 at $15K, rising progressively to $100,000 DLL at $1 million net profit. Values for smaller account sizes scale accordingly. Values for smaller account sizes scale accordingly.
Contract limits (Live): Traders start at the minimum tier of the Scaling Plan and may request increases from the Risk Team as performance is demonstrated. Once a Live trader reaches $100,000 in the account, they can contact the Trade Desk to request higher contract limits.
Drawdown method (Live): EOD trailing for the DLL (the DLL adjusts based on end-of-day balance milestones). The MLL is static at $1,000; it never moves.
Payout rules (Live): To request a payout, Live traders must accumulate 5 winning trading days ($150+ net P&L per day) per payout cycle. Days don’t need to be consecutive. After each payout, the cycle restarts. Once a trader accumulates 30 non-consecutive winning days in the Live account (winning days from the XFA stage do not count toward this total for accounts opened on or after July 22, 2025), they unlock daily payouts and can access up to 100% of their balance per request. The minimum payout request is $125. There are no payout caps in the Live Funded Account.
Call down (Shoulder Tap): If a Live trader shows repeated loss limit breaches, significant inconsistency, or excessive risk-taking, the Risk Team may issue a Shoulder Tap, moving the trader back to a single Shoulder Tap Express Funded Account. This account follows standard XFA parameters and payout policy. Back2Funded is not available for Shoulder Tap accounts. The trader may be called back up to Live after demonstrating renewed consistency, at the Risk Team’s discretion.
When moved to a Live Funded Account, all active Express Funded Accounts are closed. Traders can have only 1 Live Funded Account at a time.
Trading Rules & Restrictions
Permitted Instruments
Topstep traders can trade futures products only, listed on the CME, COMEX, NYMEX, and CBOT exchanges. Stocks, options, forex spot, spot cryptocurrency, and CFDs are not available on Topstep’s platforms and are not permitted.
The tradeable futures include equity index futures (ES, NQ, RTY, NKD, YM and their micro equivalents), foreign exchange futures (6A, 6B, 6C, 6E, 6J, 6S, E7, M6E, M6A, M6B, 6M, 6N), energy futures (CL, QM, NG, QG, MCL, RB, HO, MNG), metals (GC, SI, HG, MGC, SIL, MHG, PL), agricultural futures (HE, LE, ZC, ZW, ZS, ZM, ZL), financial/interest rate futures (ZT, ZF, ZN, ZB, UB, TN), and crypto micros (MBT, MET).
Trading Hours & Overnight Policy
Trading hours are the same across the Trading Combine, Express Funded Account, and Live Funded Account. Permitted hours are 5:00 PM CT (Sunday through Friday) to 3:10 PM CT the following day. All positions must be closed by 3:10 PM CT each weekday, and all pending and unfilled orders are canceled at that time. Swing trading is not permitted; positions cannot be held from one session to the next or over the weekend close.
One exception applies: you may open a position after 5:00 PM CT on Sunday and hold it overnight into Monday morning, up until that product’s market close on Monday.
Some products have earlier individual market closes. CBOT commodity products (Corn, Wheat, Soybeans, Soybean Meal, Soybean Oil) trade Sunday–Monday 7:00 PM–7:45 AM CT and Monday–Friday 8:30 AM–1:20 PM CT. CME agricultural products (Live Cattle and Lean Hogs) trade Monday–Friday 8:30 AM–1:05 PM CT. If you’re trading these products, you must exit before their individual close. There is also a CBOT commodity market pause Monday through Friday between 7:45 AM CT and 8:30 AM CT during which no orders are accepted.
Holiday trading hours follow CME holiday schedules. Abbreviated hours are published on Topstep’s website.
News Trading Policy
There is no blanket prohibition on trading during economic releases. However, purposefully trading your maximum position size into a major news event is listed as a prohibited trading strategy. No distinction is made between evaluation and funded stages for news trading; the prohibition on trading max size into news applies across the program.
Expert Advisors & Copy Trading
Automated trading strategies (EAs and bots) are permitted in both the Trading Combine and the Express Funded Account, with conditions. Topstep does not provide support for setting up or troubleshooting automated strategies and will not make exceptions for errant trades or malfunctions resulting from automated systems.
Copy trading is permitted via Topstep’s Trade Copier feature, which allows traders to duplicate trades across multiple accounts simultaneously. Traders can copy trade up to 5 Express Funded Accounts at once (representing up to $750k of buying power). When a payout request is processing on an XFA engaged in copy trading, the copy-trading connection is automatically disabled and must be manually re-enabled after the payout deduction is complete.
A paid API access subscription is available through TopstepX and the ProjectX platform at $29/month (billed and managed separately from the Topstep subscription). The API allows traders to build and run automated strategies, connect third-party tools, and execute trades directly through their TopstepX account. All trading must originate from the trader’s own device; use of VPS, VPNs, or remote servers is strictly prohibited. Orders made via API are final and not eligible for review or reversal. Automated trading through the ProjectX API is prohibited in the Live Funded Account. It is permitted in Trading Combines and Express Funded Accounts.
Prohibited Practices
The following are explicitly prohibited and may result in account closure, payout denial, or permanent program removal:
Account stacking: repeatedly trading aggressively until the MLL is hit, then switching to another account to repeat the process. Single-user hedging: taking opposite positions across accounts to hedge risk. Multi-user hedging: coordinating trades with other traders to pool or hedge aggregate risk. Spoofing and disruptive practices. Performing trades outside the best bid or offer. Using external or slow data feeds. Circumventing geographical restrictions. Trading on behalf of others or sharing incentives as part of a business arrangement. Using software, AI, ultra-high speed, or mass data entry tools that give an unfair advantage. Exploiting SIM fills: including scalping algorithms, rapid mass trades, gapped-market reckless trades, and strategies designed to take advantage of the simulated environment’s preferential queue position or low slippage. Holding a position within 2% of a product’s price limit. Intentionally depleting a Live Funded Account balance to force a failure. Sharing falsified images or screenshots. Initiating chargebacks against Topstep.
Prohibited conduct is handled on a case-by-case basis and can result in a warning, deletion of the impacted trading day, a reset, or permanent account closure. Unlike rule violations, prohibited conduct violations do not result in a reset fee.
Additional Rules
Account Purchase Limits
Traders can purchase up to 20 new Trading Combine subscriptions per month. Refunded or canceled Combines still count toward the monthly limit. There is no limit to how many active Trading Combines can be traded simultaneously. A maximum of 5 active Express Funded Accounts are permitted at any one time. A maximum of 1 Live Funded Account is permitted at any one time. Traders are limited to 2 Resets per account per calendar day.
Single Profile Policy
Each trader is permitted one Topstep profile. Multiple profiles for a single trader violate the Terms of Use and may result in accounts being closed without warning or a temporary or permanent suspension.
Inactivity Policy
An Express Funded Account may be closed due to inactivity if there is no trading activity for more than 30 consecutive days. Traders can take breaks of up to 30 days without consequence.
Responsible Trading Program
If Topstep identifies unsustainable trading patterns (multiple MLLs hit in one day, excessive position sizing, no stops, overtrading), a trader may be placed in the Responsible Trading Program (RTP). While in RTP, all new accounts automatically include a mandatory Daily Loss Limit, and new Express Funded Accounts are limited to the Consistency sub-type. Traders in RTP may still hold up to 5 active XFAs. The Focused Trader Program (FTP) is a stricter intervention that limits traders to 1 active account at a time and may follow repeated violations.
Trading Platforms
Available Platforms
TopstepX is the only available trading platform for Topstep’s Trading Combine and funded accounts. It is a proprietary platform built exclusively for Topstep’s program. Third-party platforms are no longer supported for new account trading.
TopstepX runs on desktop and includes TradingView charts, trade management tools, proprietary indicators, and a suite of built-in risk management tools: personal daily loss limit, personal daily profit target, trade limits, account lock-out, and contract limits by product. It also integrates the TopstepTV live broadcast and a performance dashboard and journal.
A paid API access subscription is available through the TopstepX/ProjectX integration for traders who want to build or connect automated systems. See Expert Advisors & Copy Trading above for details.
Data Feeds & Connectivity
Level 1 (top of book) live real-time market data is included in the Trading Combine and Express Funded Account subscription at no additional cost. Level 2 (Depth of Market) data is available as an optional upgrade.
In the Live Funded Account, traders are required to subscribe to professional-level CME data at $133 per exchange per month. Topstep covers one exchange (CME by default, effective July 22, 2025). Additional exchange subscriptions (NYMEX, COMEX, CBOT) are at the trader’s expense. Subscribing to all 4 exchanges costs $540/month; Topstep’s one-exchange subsidy brings that to $407/month out of pocket if trading across all exchanges.
Billing & Account Management
Subscription Model
The Trading Combine is a monthly subscription that auto-renews until you pass or cancel. You can pay by credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover; PayPal is not supported) and cancel at any time from your billing page. At least one card must remain on file while a Trading Combine is active. Removing all cards closes the account.
Each rebill generates a Reset Credit, which is banked to your account and can be applied to any active same-size and same-path Trading Combine at any time. Reset Credits expire 1 year after issue and are tied to a specific account size and path. The system applies the oldest eligible Reset Credit first. Resets extend your rebill date by 30 days each time one is applied.
When you pass the Trading Combine, the monthly subscription ends and you are no longer rebilled.
Resets
Reset pricing matches the monthly subscription for the corresponding path and account size. The same April 28, 2026 pricing update that applies to No Activation Fee subscriptions also applies to No Activation Fee Resets.
| Account Size | Standard Path Reset | No Activation Fee Path Reset (as of April 28, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| $50K | $49 | $95 |
| $100K | $99 | $149 |
| $150K | $149 | $229 |
A Reset restores the account to its starting parameters: balance, MLL, and trading history all reset. Traders are limited to 2 Resets per account per calendar day.
Back2Funded is a separate reactivation option for lost Express Funded Accounts (not Trading Combines). It allows traders who lose an XFA before their first payout to reactivate the same account up to 2 times, keeping the same account size and payout sub-type. Back2Funded is available for 7 calendar days after the XFA is closed. Reactivation pricing per account size:
| Account Size | Back2Funded Reactivation Fee |
|---|---|
| $50K | $599 |
| $100K | $699 |
| $150K | $829 |
Each reactivation is purchased separately and is non-refundable. A reactivated XFA starts completely fresh: $0 balance, $0 P&L, winning days counter at 0. Back2Funded is not available for Live Funded Accounts or Shoulder Tap accounts.
Payouts & Withdrawals
Payment Methods
| Method | Availability | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wise | International and domestic | 1–3 business days |
| ACH | US banks only | 1–3 business days |
| International Wire/SWIFT | International | Up to 5–10 business days |
| Aeropay | Coming soon | N/A |
Processing times are estimates. Most providers do not process on weekends or public holidays.
Payouts can only be sent to a bank account in the trader’s own name. Third-party accounts, including family members, are not permitted.
Processing Times
Wise is the fastest and most cost-effective option for international traders, typically processing within 1–3 business days with support for local currency conversion. ACH transfers are available for US banks and also process within 1–3 business days. International Wire/SWIFT transfers may take up to 5–10 business days and may incur additional fees from the receiving bank.
Fees
| Method | Fee |
|---|---|
| ACH | $30 processing fee per payout |
| Wire/SWIFT | $30 processing fee per payout |
| Wise | No fee from Topstep (Wise or your bank may charge separately) |
| Aeropay | No fee from Topstep (Aeropay or your bank may charge separately) |
The 90/10 profit split also applies to all payouts. Example: a $500 ACH payout results in $450 after the 10% split and $420 after the $30 processing fee.
Tax & Eligibility Requirements
Before a payout can be processed, traders must submit the applicable tax form. US citizens and US resident aliens must complete a W-9. Non-US persons must complete a W-8BEN. These forms are submitted as part of the payout request process. US citizens who receive over $600 in payouts in a calendar year receive a 1099-NEC the following year. Traders are classified as independent contractors, not employees.
Restricted Countries
The following countries are confirmed ineligible to receive payouts or earn funding with Topstep: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Burma/Myanmar, Burundi, Chinese Military Companies, Cote d’Ivoire, Crimea (including Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia regions), Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Darfur, Syria, Turkey (Turkiye), Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen.
Performance Statistics
Topstep publishes trader performance statistics on its website. For the period January through December 2025: 16.8% of all Trading Combines initiated were successfully completed and advanced to the funded level; 51.8% of individual participants who entered at least one Trading Combine advanced to the funded level in at least one of their attempts; 33.3% of individual participants at the funded level received at least one payout; and 0.71% of individual participants trading in an Express Funded Account were called up to a Live Funded Account. These figures are published by Topstep as their own statistics and reflect activity across both simulated and live trading environments.