After a Topstep payout, the MLL becomes zero and the next eligibility window restarts.
The payout changes more than the account balance. The amount left after the withdrawal is the practical distance between an Express Funded Account and closure.
Rules checked 16 October 2026 against Topstep’s official payout policy and Maximum Loss Limit help page. Topstep can change product rules; verify the live policy before trading or requesting a payout.
Topstep offers Standard and Consistency payout paths for Express Funded Accounts. The eligibility test is different, but both start a new window after a payout request.
On the Standard path, Topstep requires five winning days with at least $150 net profit. The winning-day count restarts after a payout. The account must also have positive net profit since the previous payout; the first payout is exempt from that condition.
On the Consistency path, the trader needs at least three trading days and a largest winning day no greater than 40% of total net profit for that window. The consistency calculation resets after a payout and applies to new profit earned afterward.
The balance left in the account is real account cushion, but it does not count as new-window profit for the next consistency calculation.
The Maximum Loss Limit, or MLL, is the lowest balance the account may reach. In an Express Funded Account it starts below zero and trails upward as profits grow. Once it reaches zero, it stays there.
Topstep’s current rule says the MLL is set to zero after the first payout even if it had not reached zero earlier. That makes the remaining balance the effective loss cushion.
Suppose an account shows a $6,000 balance and the trader requests $2,000. After approval, the balance becomes $4,000 and the MLL is zero. The account can absorb $4,000 of net losses before reaching the closure threshold. This arithmetic is illustrative; it is not a recommendation about how much to withdraw.
Unrealised profit and loss matters. Topstep says the MLL is monitored in real time, even though the trailing level updates from end-of-day balances. Touching the limit can close an Express Funded Account.
Topstep currently limits an Express Funded payout request to 50% of the account balance, subject to a dollar cap tied to account size and payout path. The firm also states a $125 minimum payout and a 90/10 profit split under its current general policy.
Those figures answer how much may be requested. They do not answer how much should remain. A trader can meet the payout rule and still leave a very narrow distance above the zero loss floor.
Before submitting a request, calculate both numbers:
The second number is the operating cushion for subsequent trades.
After a Standard payout, the trader starts again at zero qualifying days. A winning day locks at Topstep’s stated cutoff and must meet the $150 net-profit threshold. Days do not have to be consecutive.
The next payout also requires positive net profit since the previous payout. Leaving money in the account does not satisfy that condition by itself. The account must earn new positive net profit after the request.
That distinction is easy to miss: retained balance protects the account, while new profit and new winning days create the next payout eligibility.
The Consistency path uses this calculation:
largest single-day net profit ÷ total net profit in the window
The result must be 40% or lower under Topstep’s current policy. After a payout, the previous window closes. The remaining account balance does not enter the denominator as fresh profit.
For example, if the largest new winning day is $800, total new net profit for the window must reach at least $2,000 for the ratio to be 40%. The example only illustrates the formula.
A trader who takes a payout on the same trading day should also read the live policy’s cutoff language. Topstep says the trading day of the request does not count toward the next window.
Before pressing the payout button, write down:
This separates payout eligibility from account survival. The dashboard may show that a request is allowed; the trader still decides whether the remaining cushion fits the way the account will be traded.
For the broader mechanics of funded-account loss limits, read EOD versus intraday drawdown and daily loss limit rules.
In an Express Funded Account, Topstep says the MLL is set to zero permanently after the first payout. The remaining balance becomes the practical cushion above that floor.
It remains part of the balance, but it does not count as new-window profit for the renewed winning-day or consistency requirements.
The payout itself reduces the balance. The account closes if subsequent realised or unrealised losses reach the zero MLL. Check the live dashboard and policy before requesting.
