What is the payout schedule of the best prop trading firms?

Prop Trading Firm Basics—And What REALLY Matters About Payouts

Here’s the thing. Most brokers and “prop firms” throw out impressive-sounding payout rates and schedules. But unless you’ve navigated their dashboards and payout forms yourself—or know people who have—you’ll miss the nuances. I’ve traded myself and lost a chunk (honesty first!) trying to figure which prop firm would both let me keep my profits and actually pay on time.

We’ll focus mainly on “retail prop firms” like FTMO, MyForexFunds (when valid), Topstep, and The Funded Trader—plus classic institutional firms, with differences noted.

How Prop Trading Payout Schedules Actually Work

1. Payout Frequency & Minimum Holding Periods

• FTMO: According to its official FAQ, the first payout is available 14 calendar days after the first trade on your funded account. Afterwards, you can request profit withdrawals every 14 days (so, essentially, biweekly).
• Topstep: As per their payout help page, you can request a payout once you’ve earned $50 in profit and trade for at least 5 trading days. Further payouts are available every 7 calendar days. See: Topstep Payouts
• The Funded Trader: Tends to follow the 14-day initial payout, then weekly if requested (confirmed via multiple Reddit user reports and their own site).
• MyForexFunds (before closure): Used to do every 14 days, but extensive delays were noted before regulatory shutdown (see Reddit discussion).
• Classical institutional firms (e.g. Jane Street, Jump): Usually monthly, or quarterly on statements, with more complex legal payrolls involved—think contract or W-2 in the US, employer to employee, not “payout”.

Here’s a real screenshot from an FTMO dashboard payout request I made (the first time I ever withdrew real profits—over-excited and a bit clumsy, but genuine):
FTMO payout screen with biweekly request enabled and previous payout history visible (sensitive info hidden).

2. Payout Methods & Common Traps

• Bank Wires: Available at nearly every top prop firm.
  Pro tip: Your local bank will sometimes hold international wires (especially under $1000, weirdly) for a compliance review. I had a €800 payout delayed 6 business days by Commerzbank in Germany—no explanation, just “routine check.”
• PayPal: Quick, easy for most, but fees and country limits. FTMO and The Funded Trader offer PayPal for “smaller” amounts.
  Warning: If your PayPal gets “flagged” for unverified business transactions, you may face a 3-5 day review hold. Happened to me once due to mismatch between my prop account name and PayPal registered name.
• Crypto (BTC, USDT, ETH): Many firms let you withdraw to a crypto wallet—fastest in some cases (<1 hour if blockchain congestion is low). Still, you pay gas/network fees and (increasingly) compliance checks for KYC.
• Skrill/Neteller: Popular among non-US traders, especially in EU, Africa, Asia. Quoted as “instant,” but in practice Skrill has randomly held my funds for “merchant verification” up to 24 hours.

FTMO’s official FAQ spells out all options, and they also note, “We send the payout within 1–2 business days after your request is processed, but your bank/payment provider can introduce delays outside our control.”

Screenshot: Funded Trading Plus’s payout interface, with available methods:
Here you pick USD, GBP, EUR pipes—bank, PayPal, or crypto. Missing a KYC document? No payout until cleared.

Profit Splits & Fees—What Do You Really Keep?

Nearly all major prop firms offer “80/20” or “90/10” profit splits—meaning you keep 80% or 90% of profits, they keep the rest. FTMO and The Funded Trader are openly 80/20 to 90/10, and Topstep advertises “100% first” up to a profit threshold.

What’s less obvious: Some firms subtract payout method fees from your profit—a $50 wire fee on a $2000 profit can sting. Also, if you blow the account in the withdrawal waiting period (those two weeks), you forfeit your pending payout.

A friend of mine, Anna, learned this the hard way—she grew an account to $3000, requested the payout, went “revenge-trading,” and blew her funded account two days before payout. FTMO’s support was blunt: “You must have a live, non-breached account until payout is processed.” Ouch.

For a detailed policy comparison, see PropFirmMatch’s comparison spreadsheet (extensive, frequently updated).

What Happens If a Payout’s Delayed—or Never Arrives?

• Crypto withdrawals: Almost always the fastest—unless flagged for country sanctions or KYC.
• Insufficient verification/KYC: The #1 reason for “stuck” payouts is missing or mismatched verification docs. Example: My passport expired, but FTMO only flagged this when I tried a big withdrawal. Took 4 days to update and approve.
• Platform error or account breach: Self-explanatory. Breach your drawdown limit, no payout. Even a single day “violation” precludes profit sharing.

Fun fact: Regulatory enforcement matters! The US CFTC does not directly regulate non-U.S.-based prop firms, but increasing cross-border scrutiny (see recent CFTC actions) makes some banks hesitate to process large payouts from “unregulated” prop sources.

International Differences: Trade Verification, Regulation & “Verified Trade” Standards

Country/Bloc	"Verified Trade" Definition	Legal Basis	Enforcement Agency
USA	CFTC-regulated broker, mandatory ID, AML check	Commodity Exchange Act; CFTC regs	CFTC, NFA
EU	MiFID II, proof of “investment service” and payout under KYC/AML	MiFID II Directive, local AML	ESMA, national regulators
Australia	AFS license, specific “prop firm” exemptions (case-by-case)	Corporations Act, ASIC rules	ASIC
Offshore (BVI, SVG, etc)	Self-certified, effectively “buyer beware”	Loose/no local law	None (in practice)

One concrete case: In 2023, a Canadian trader working with a US-based prop firm was denied a $12,000 payout after their bank flagged the funds as “possible gaming winnings.” After months of arguing, the trader got their payment—but only after submitting detailed screenshots of all trades, account statements, and a verification letter from the prop firm. Story cited with partial redactions at ForexFactory forums.
Industry analyst (paraphrased): “Prop trading is still the wild west. Regulators focus on consumer protection, banks focus on compliance. The less regulated the firm, the higher your chance of payout hassle.”

Hands-On: Step-by-Step Payout Request (FTMO Example)

1. Login to trader dashboard (browser or app).
2. Open “Withdraw / Payout” section (visible after first 14 trading days).
3. Pick method: bank, PayPal, crypto; fill amount.
4. Upload ID/KYC docs if requested (first payout is often checked manually).
5. Confirm account status is live/no breach, double-check personal info.
6. Click “Request payout.” Screenshot your request confirmation—mistakes happen! (Seriously, once the withdrawal was stuck because I mis-typed my IBAN by one digit. Had to email support—took two more days.)
7. Wait 1–2 business days for processing; check your bank or wallet for credit.

Official FAQ: FTMO payout process

Common Mistakes, Real-Talk Tips (From Personal & Community Experience)

• Rushing payouts: Wait for a peaceful week; don’t trade aggressively after sending a payout request—it’s easy to lose your earnings pre-payout.
• Mismatched documents: Use the same name on all prop firm, payment, and ID documents. One letter off, and support will pause (or deny) withdrawals.
• Not reading “payout cut-off” timings: Some firms batch-process payouts once daily/weekly! Miss the cutoff by 15 minutes, and you’re waiting another week.
• Forgetting about holidays: Bank holidays at the firm’s and your bank/payment processor’s countries can add surprise waits.

Conclusion: Honestly, Are Prop Firm Payouts Reliable?

In practical—lived—experience, the best-known prop trading firms (especially FTMO, Topstep, The Funded Trader) are generally prompt, fair, and efficient about payouts, assuming traders follow the rules, avoid risking their account after requesting profit, and get KYC right.
Still, anecdotal evidence and public forum threads (see Trustpilot FTMO) show the same recurring issues: bank/payment delays, documentation mismatches, and emotional trading ruining profits pre-withdrawal.

My advice: Treat every payout as a mini-audit. Triple-check details, use transparent payment channels, and stash screenshots. Don’t chase more profits right after requesting payout (seriously—it ends in tears often enough).

If you’re outside the EU/US/Australia, or working with a little-known offshore firm, budget extra time for bank compliance checks and never bank on “instant” payments.

For those wanting more, check out FTMO’s official resources and seek direct trader experiences on forums like ForexFactory or Reddit’s r/forex. Or DM me—happy to share uncensored log screenshots.