Topstep’s rules are easier to understand when the program is separated into three stages: the Trading Combine, the Express Funded Account (XFA), and the Live Funded Account (LFA). Each stage has different objectives, loss controls, and payout conditions.
This guide was researched from Topstep’s official rules and Help Center pages and reflects the information available on August 22, 2026. Rules can change, so traders should confirm the latest details before purchasing or requesting a payout. You can also view our Topstep firm listing for a broader overview.
Topstep Rules at a Glance
The Trading Combine is a simulated evaluation. To pass it, a trader must:
- Reach the profit target.
- Keep the best trading day within the consistency requirement.
- Avoid touching or falling below the Maximum Loss Limit.
- Stay within the permitted maximum position size.
Topstep’s official Trading Combine parameters describe the evaluation as having one core rule—the Maximum Loss Limit—and two objectives: the profit target and the consistency target.
After passing, the trader can activate an Express Funded Account. The XFA is still simulated, but eligible profits can generate real payouts. Traders who demonstrate suitable performance may later be moved into a Live Funded Account.
Trading Combine Account Sizes and Targets
Topstep currently lists three Trading Combine sizes:
| Account size | Profit target | Maximum Loss Limit | Maximum minis | Maximum micros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50K | $3,000 | $2,000 | 5 | 50 |
| $100K | $6,000 | $3,000 | 10 | 100 |
| $150K | $9,000 | $4,500 | 15 | 150 |
Micros and minis use a 10:1 ratio in the Trading Combine and XFA. Position limits represent the maximum open size, not a recommended trading size. A trader can always use fewer contracts.
The profit targets and best-day guidance are confirmed in Topstep’s official consistency explanation. Traders should remember that reaching the target alone is not enough if the consistency calculation increases the amount required to pass.
How the 50% Consistency Target Works
In the Trading Combine, the trader’s best single day should remain at or below 50% of the total profit target. For a $50K account with a $3,000 target, the recommended best day is below $1,500. For the $100K and $150K accounts, the corresponding figures are below $3,000 and $4,500.
The formula is:
Best-day profit ÷ total profit = best-day percentage
If one day is too large, the account is not necessarily failed. Instead, the required total profit increases. For example, if the best day is $2,000, the trader needs at least $4,000 in total profit for that day to represent 50%.
This structure means a Trading Combine cannot be passed in one day. Topstep says it can be passed in as few as two trading days when the profit target and consistency requirement are both satisfied.
Losing days do not erase the best day. If a trader makes $1,500 on the best day and then loses money, the $1,500 best-day figure remains in the calculation. The trader must recover the loss while keeping the overall consistency percentage within the permitted level.
Maximum Loss Limit Explained
The Maximum Loss Limit, or MLL, is the lowest account balance Topstep permits. The official Maximum Loss Limit guide states that the limit is calculated from end-of-day performance but monitored in real time. Both realized and unrealized P&L count.
In a $50K Trading Combine, the MLL begins at $48,000. If the end-of-day balance rises from $50,000 to $50,500, the MLL rises from $48,000 to $48,500. If the trader then loses $500 the following day, the limit does not move back down.
The MLL continues trailing upward until it reaches the original starting balance, where it locks. It never retreats after a losing day.
Touching the MLL intraday is a breach even if the trader expects the position to recover. In the Trading Combine, the account becomes ineligible for funding until it is reset. In an XFA, touching the MLL permanently closes that account.
Maximum Loss Limit in the XFA
An Express Funded Account begins with a $0 reward balance. The $50K, $100K, or $150K label represents buying power, not cash deposited into the reward balance.
Starting XFA loss floors are:
- $50K XFA: -$2,000
- $100K XFA: -$3,000
- $150K XFA: -$4,500
As profits grow, the MLL trails upward. Once it reaches $0, it locks there permanently. After the first payout, Topstep resets the MLL to $0 even if it had not already reached that level. The money left in the account then becomes the trader’s practical buffer above the closure point.
This is why withdrawing the maximum available amount without protecting a sufficient buffer can make an XFA much more fragile.
Is There a Daily Loss Limit?
A Daily Loss Limit is optional in the Trading Combine and XFA, but it is automatic in the Live Funded Account. Topstep’s current Daily Loss Limit policy lists optional fixed limits of:
- $1,000 for a $50K account
- $2,000 for a $100K account
- $3,000 for a $150K account
When the DLL is triggered, open positions are flattened, pending orders are cancelled, and trading is blocked until the next session. Triggering the DLL is a session lockout, not an account breach. The Maximum Loss Limit still applies independently.
A trader may also configure personal risk controls on supported platforms. Personal settings should not be confused with Topstep’s non-negotiable MLL.
Express Funded Account Payout Rules
Topstep offers two XFA payout paths: Standard and Consistency. The selected path cannot be changed after the account is created.
XFA Standard
The Standard path requires:
- Five winning days with at least $150 net profit on each day.
- Positive net profit since the previous payout, except for the first payout.
- A minimum payout request of $125.
- A 90/10 split, with the trader keeping 90%.
Winning days do not need to be consecutive. After an approved payout, the five-day count restarts and the MLL locks at $0.
Base per-request payout caps are 50% of the reward balance, up to $2,000 on a $50K XFA, $3,000 on a $100K XFA, and $5,000 on a $150K XFA.
XFA Consistency
The Consistency path requires:
- At least three trading days with a trade on each day.
- A largest day that does not exceed 40% of total net profit.
- A minimum payout request of $125.
- The same 90/10 profit split.
Base per-request caps are 50% of the reward balance, up to $3,000 for $50K, $4,000 for $100K, and $6,000 for $150K.
After every payout, the three-day count and consistency calculation restart, and the MLL is set to $0. Full details are available in Topstep’s official payout policy.
Live Funded Account Payout Rules
A Live Funded Account uses real market capital and has separate risk controls. Topstep requires five benchmark days with at least $150 in trading profits for each initial payout cycle. Until 30 benchmark days are reached, a trader can request up to 50% of their share of trading profits.
After 30 qualifying benchmark days in the LFA, daily payout access becomes available. The trader may request up to 100% of unlocked profits once per business day, subject to the minimum request and other account conditions. XFA winning days do not count toward this 30-day LFA requirement.
Requesting the entire available balance can close the LFA because the balance reaches its loss floor. Traders should read the current Live Funded Account rules before deciding how much to withdraw.
Trading Hours, Automation and Multiple Accounts
Topstep’s normal trading day runs from 5:00 PM CT to 3:10 PM CT on the following calendar day. Positions must be closed by 3:10 PM CT or by the relevant product’s market close, whichever comes first. CME holiday schedules may shorten these hours.
Automated strategies are permitted with conditions, but the trader remains responsible for errors, duplicate orders, connection failures, and strategy malfunctions. Topstep recommends testing automation first and reviewing its prohibited-conduct rules. Trade copying across accounts is supported, provided the activity complies with all applicable rules.
There is no stated limit on active Trading Combines, but all accounts must remain under one profile. A trader can normally hold up to five active XFAs, while only one Live Funded Account can be active.
Common Topstep Breach Risks
The most common preventable problems are:
- Treating the MLL as an end-of-day-only breach when it is enforced intraday.
- Allowing unrealized losses to touch the MLL.
- Producing a large best day and forgetting that the consistency target has increased.
- Taking an XFA payout without leaving a workable buffer above $0.
- Holding a position beyond the permitted close time.
- Trading the maximum contract allowance before building a risk buffer.
- Assuming profits from the Trading Combine transfer to the XFA—they do not.
Is Topstep Suitable for Every Trader?
Topstep may suit futures traders who prefer a clearly defined evaluation, an end-of-day trailing loss calculation, and a path from simulated funding to a live account. It may be less suitable for traders who routinely hold positions beyond the intraday close, rely on highly concentrated profit days, or struggle to manage a trailing loss floor.
The safest approach is to size positions from the remaining distance to the MLL rather than from the headline account size. A $50K label does not mean a trader can safely risk anything close to $50,000. The actual risk budget begins with the $2,000 MLL distance.
Final Verdict
Topstep’s central rule is straightforward: never touch the Maximum Loss Limit. The practical challenge is managing that limit alongside the Trading Combine consistency target and the payout-related reset to a $0 floor in the XFA.
Traders who understand those interactions can plan their daily risk, profit distribution, and withdrawals more realistically. Before trading, review Topstep’s live dashboard and official documentation because account parameters and payout policies can be updated.