Getting funded on Topstep is a process of passing the Trading Combine, activating an Express Funded Account, and meeting the payout rules without breaking Topstep's risk limits.
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The process is:
- Choose a $50K, $100K, or $150K Trading Combine.
- Reach the account's Profit Target.
- Keep your best trading day below Topstep's 55% consistency threshold.
- Avoid breaching the Maximum Loss Limit.
- Activate an Express Funded Account, or XFA.
- Trade the XFA until you qualify for a payout.
- Build a consistent record for a possible Live Funded Account call-up.
A Topstep XFA is a simulated trading account. Its stated size represents buying power, not cash deposited into your brokerage account. The XFA starts with a $0 balance, and Topstep pays eligible traders based on their simulated results.
Topstep Funding Process at a Glance
| Stage | What you must do | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| Trading Combine | Hit the Profit Target, meet the consistency rules, and avoid the Maximum Loss Limit | Eligibility to activate an XFA |
| Express Funded Account | Follow the Scaling Plan and qualify under the Standard or Consistency payout path | Real-money payouts based on simulated trading |
| Live Funded Account | Demonstrate consistent XFA performance and pass Topstep's risk review | Access to Topstep's live prop-firm capital |
Step 1: Choose a Topstep Trading Combine
Topstep offers $50K, $100K, and $150K Trading Combines. Each account size has its own monthly price, Profit Target, Maximum Loss Limit, and contract limit.
| Account size | Standard monthly price | No Activation Fee price | Profit Target | Maximum Loss Limit | Maximum contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50K | $49 | $95 | $3,000 | $2,000 | 5 |
| $100K | $99 | $149 | $6,000 | $3,000 | 10 |
| $150K | $199 | $229 | $9,000 | $4,500 | 15 |
Micros count at a 10:1 ratio against minis. A $50K account, for example, allows up to five mini contracts or 50 micros. You do not have to trade the maximum.
Standard Path vs. No Activation Fee Path
The Standard Path has a lower monthly subscription but charges a $149 activation fee when you earn an XFA. The No Activation Fee Path costs more each month and does not charge that fee after you pass.
You cannot change paths after purchase.
Choose the Standard Path if you expect to need more time or several attempts. The No Activation Fee Path may make more sense if you expect to pass quickly and want to avoid the activation charge.
Your total cost can include:
- Monthly Trading Combine subscriptions
- Resets
- The $149 XFA activation fee on the Standard Path
- Optional Level 2 market data
- Applicable sales tax or VAT
Level 1 market data is included. Topstep lists Level 2 data at $38 per month.
Step 2: Pass the Trading Combine
You need to meet three conditions before you can activate an XFA.
Reach the Profit Target
You must reach and maintain the Profit Target for your account size:
- $50K account: $3,000
- $100K account: $6,000
- $150K account: $9,000
Keep Your Best Day Below the Consistency Threshold
Your best single trading day must stay below 55% of the Profit Target. The practical limits are:
- $50K account: below $1,650
- $100K account: below $3,300
- $150K account: below $4,950
For example, a $50K Combine with a $1,600 best day and $3,000 total profit is within the 55% threshold. A best day above $1,650 can increase the required Profit Target.
Avoid the Maximum Loss Limit
The Maximum Loss Limit is a trailing drawdown. It rises as your end-of-day balance increases, but it does not move down after a losing day.
In the Trading Combine, the initial thresholds are:
- $50K account: $48,000
- $100K account: $97,000
- $150K account: $145,500
Topstep monitors both realized and unrealized profit and loss. If your account touches the limit during a trade, liquidation can occur even if the final closed balance later appears above the limit.
A Safer Way to Approach the Combine
Do not treat the full account label as money you can lose. Your usable risk buffer is the Maximum Loss Limit.
A more controlled approach is to:
- Trade fewer contracts than the maximum allowed.
- Use a fixed stop-loss for every trade.
- Set a personal daily loss limit below Topstep's limit.
- Stop trading after reaching your daily profit objective.
- Avoid increasing your size because you are close to the Profit Target.
- Leave room below the Maximum Loss Limit for slippage and volatility.
The goal is not to pass in the fewest days. It is to use a risk process that you can maintain after activation.
Step 3: Activate Your Express Funded Account
After you pass the Trading Combine, Topstep closes the evaluation account and cancels its subscription. The dashboard then displays an option to activate your Express Funded Account. The status update can take up to 30 minutes.
During activation, you select one of two XFA payout paths:
| XFA path | Payout eligibility | Consistency requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Five winning days with at least $150 net profit per day | No XFA consistency target |
| Consistency | At least three trading days | Largest winning day must be no more than 40% of total net profit |
These choices are separate from the Standard and No Activation Fee paths selected when you purchase the Trading Combine. You cannot change the XFA type after activation.
Your Trading Combine profits do not transfer to the XFA. The XFA starts at $0, and you build its balance through new trading profits.
Step 4: Qualify for Your First Topstep Payout
Standard XFA Payout Requirements
To request a payout from a Standard XFA, you generally need:
- Five non-consecutive winning days.
- At least $150 in net profit on each winning day.
- Positive net profit since your previous payout, except for the first payout.
- Compliance with the Scaling Plan and Maximum Loss Limit.
After a payout, the winning-day count starts again. Topstep also states that the Maximum Loss Limit resets to $0 after the first payout. The remaining account balance then becomes your effective loss floor.
Consistency XFA Payout Requirements
To request a payout from a Consistency XFA, you need:
- At least three trading days with one or more trades per day.
- A consistency percentage of 40% or less.
Topstep calculates consistency as:
Largest winning day ÷ total net profit
A $400 best day on $1,000 total profit equals 40% and meets the target. A $450 best day on $1,000 total profit equals 45% and does not meet it.
How Much Can You Withdraw From a Topstep XFA?
Topstep's base XFA payout policy allows traders to request up to 50% of the account balance, subject to a maximum per-request cap.
| Account size | Standard XFA cap | Consistency XFA cap |
|---|---|---|
| $50K | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| $100K | $3,000 | $4,000 |
| $150K | $5,000 | $6,000 |
The standard profit split is 90/10. The trader keeps 90% and Topstep keeps 10%. Live Funded Account payouts are not subject to the same XFA dollar caps.
Topstep also documents a limited-time offer that can increase the per-request payout caps when you add a Daily Loss Limit at the time of a new Trading Combine purchase. The offer can change, so confirm the terms at checkout instead of assuming the higher cap applies.
What Happens After the Express Funded Account?
The longer-term goal is a Live Funded Account. Topstep's Risk Team reviews consistent XFA performance before making a call-up decision. The Live Funded Account uses Topstep's prop-firm capital and follows different risk and payout rules.
Live access is not available in every eligible country. Some traders can complete the Trading Combine, receive an XFA, and receive payouts but cannot move to a Live Funded Account because of their jurisdiction.
Traders must be at least 18 and meet Topstep's citizenship and residency requirements.
Mistakes That Can Prevent You From Getting Funded
The most common avoidable errors are:
- Treating the $50K, $100K, or $150K label as cash rather than buying power.
- Trading the maximum contract size immediately.
- Allowing one oversized winning day to create a consistency problem.
- Holding losing trades until the Maximum Loss Limit is breached.
- Ignoring unrealized losses.
- Continuing to trade after reaching a daily objective.
- Choosing an XFA payout path without understanding its requirements.
- Taking a payout too early and leaving too little room for future losses.
Risk control matters more than aggressive returns. Passing the Combine only gets you to the XFA. You still need to protect the account long enough to qualify for a payout and build a record for possible Live consideration.
Which Topstep Route Fits You Best?
Start with the smallest account size that fits your strategy. Your normal losing trades should stay well away from the Maximum Loss Limit, even when volatility increases.
Choose the Standard XFA path if you prefer the five-winning-day requirement. Choose the Consistency path if your strategy naturally produces balanced returns over at least three trading days.
The account label matters less than the risk buffer behind it. A strategy that produces controlled, repeatable profits has a better chance of surviving the XFA rules than one that depends on a single large session.