How prop firm payouts work: buffer, minimum days, caps and splits

The buffer

166 of the 261 accounts we track require a buffer: a balance you must build above the starting balance before your first withdrawal — often the point where the trailing drawdown locks. Profit below the buffer stays in the account as protection.

Minimum days and cycles

Most firms want a number of profitable days between payouts — for example 5 days with at least $150 of profit each — or a fixed cycle (every 8 or 14 days). A consistency rule on the funded account adds hidden days: a 20% limit means at least 5 days.

Minimum and maximum payout

Each payout must be at least the minimum (often $250–$1,000) and at most the cap, which often rises with each payout. Some firms limit only the first few payouts; others cap them for the whole life of the account.

Profit split

Your share of the profit: usually 80% to 100%. Many firms use tiers — 100% of the first $10,000, then 90% — which matter only once you've earned past the threshold. We score the long-run rate.

How fast you can get paid

Put together, the rules set a minimum time to your first payout. We calculate it for every account — evaluation days, funded days, consistency, waiting periods — and rank it in fastest to first payout. Firms' real payout records are on the payouts page.

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