Prop firm payout eligibility requirements: four firms read
What The5ers, FTMO, Topstep and FundedNext require before a payout request: waits, minimums, winning days and caps, read from each firm's page.
Prop firm payout eligibility requirements are the gates a funded trader must clear before a payout request is allowed: a waiting period, a minimum profit, sometimes winning days or a consistency limit, a per-request cap, and often a rule that positions be closed. The five gates differ by firm; four firms’ own pages, read on 3 October 2026, follow.
This is eligibility, not speed. How long an approved request takes to arrive is covered in our payout-timing comparison. The question here is evergreen; the table is a dated reading of it, and any row can change when a firm edits its page.
Prop firm payout eligibility requirements, firm by firm
Each cell is what the named page said when this desk read it on 3 October 2026.
| Firm and page | First request allowed | What restarts the clock | Minimum to request | Winning-day or consistency gate | Per-request cap | Positions closed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The5ers, withdrawals FAQ (last update August 24, 2026) | 14 days after funded account activation | Every 2 weeks from the last approved withdrawal; scaling resets the 14-day timer | $150 profit | None stated | None stated | Yes, all open trades |
| FTMO, withdrawal FAQ (undated) | 14th day or later after the first trade on the account | Not stated | $20 closed profit (bank wire), $50 (crypto) | All Trading Objectives fulfilled | None stated; Visa Direct/Mastercard Send up to $20,000 and Skrill up to $3,000 are method limits | Yes, positions and pending orders |
| Topstep Express Funded Account, payout policy (updated 2 October 2026) | Standard: 5 winning days of $150+. Consistency: 3 trading days | After each payout the 5-day count restarts | $125 | Consistency path: largest day at or below 40% of total net profit | 50% of balance, up to $2,000 / $3,000 / $5,000 (Standard) or $3,000 / $4,000 / $6,000 (Consistency) at $50K / $100K / $150K | Not stated on the page read |
| FundedNext Stellar 2-Step, help centre | Standard option: end of a 21-day first cycle | 14-day cycles, only if profit was made and a request filed | $20; below it the amount carries forward | 3 Days option: 3 profitable days of 1%+; On-Demand: 2% growth and 40% consistency | Method limits only, e.g. USDT/USDC up to $1,999 | Not stated on the pages read |
What must a funded trader meet before the first payout?
A clock, then a number. The5ers’ withdrawals FAQ starts its clock at funded activation, not the first trade, and restarts it from the scaling date if the account is scaled, so a promotion can push a first withdrawal back. FTMO’s withdrawal FAQ counts from the first placed trade instead. Both say their funded capital is simulated: FTMO calls it “simulated capital only”, and The5ers’ footer describes an evaluation and training platform, not a broker.
How do winning days and consistency rules gate a payout?
Topstep’s Express Funded Account counts winning days rather than the calendar. Its payout policy says winning days need not be consecutive, a day locks at 4:00 PM CT, and the day a payout is requested does not count toward the next five. After the first payout, a trader also needs at least $0.01 of net profit since the last one. FundedNext’s gates depend on the payout option bought at checkout, so two Stellar 2-Step accounts can face different rules. Only the Stellar 2-Step was read; other FundedNext models were not.
Is there a cap on each payout request?
Of the four firms’ pages read, only Topstep’s states a per-request cap outright. The same page carries a limited-time offer: a Daily Loss Limit added at Trading Combine checkout doubles the Express Funded Account caps, to between $4,000 and $12,000, for new purchases. As of 3 October 2026 the page gives no end date, so it is a current offer, not a permanent rule. FTMO’s and FundedNext’s ceilings are payment-method limits; what those methods cost is in our withdrawal-fee comparison, and the crypto rails in our crypto payout comparison.
Frequently asked questions
How often can a funded trader get paid?
It depends on the firm and the account type. On the pages read on 3 October 2026, The5ers allows a request every 2 weeks after the first, FundedNext’s Standard Stellar 2-Step option runs 14-day cycles after a 21-day first cycle, and Topstep’s Express Funded Account restarts its five-winning-day count after each payout. FTMO’s FAQ gives a day-14 start and no repeat interval.
What are the rules and minimums for a payout?
Each firm sets its own. The pages read give a $150 profit minimum at The5ers, a $125 minimum payout at Topstep, a $20 minimum closed profit for bank wire and $50 for crypto at FTMO, and $20 at FundedNext, below which the request carries forward. The5ers and FTMO also require open positions to be closed before a request.
What is a profit split?
It is the share of an approved payout the trader keeps. Topstep’s policy page states 90/10. FTMO’s FAQ gives 90% on the 1-Step Challenge and 80% on the 2-Step, rising to 90% if Scaling Plan or Premium Programme conditions are met. A split only applies once the eligibility gates above have been met.
Eligible is not the same as profitable
Meeting every gate in the table only means a request is allowed; it says nothing about whether a trader will reach the minimum. This post makes no claim that any of the four firms is regulated. A challenge fee buys an evaluation, not employment. Trading involves substantial risk of loss, and nothing here is financial advice.