What you'll learn
- Understand how a split is applied
- Know the common payout terms
- Recognise the conditions that void or delay a payout
How the split works
When you request a payout, the firm calculates the profit since the last payout, applies the split, and pays your share. The account balance usually resets to the starting balance after a payout at firms that measure drawdown from it, which means the profit you earned is either withdrawn or lost as cushion; withdrawing it is nearly always right.
Payout terms
| Term | Typical | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Every 14 days or monthly; some on demand | First payout after 30 days is common |
| Minimum | None or a small amount | Minimums that exceed a typical month |
| Cap | None, or a percentage of balance per period | Caps that trap profit on scaled accounts |
| Review | 1 to 5 business days | Open-ended reviews are a warning sign |
| Method | Bank transfer, crypto, payment processors | Fees and countries excluded |
| Fee refund | With the first payout at many two-step firms | Refund conditions |
What voids a payout
- A rule breach found on review: news windows, consistency, copied trades, prohibited strategies.
- Trades the firm judges to exploit the simulation: latency arbitrage, tick scalping, gap trading it deems abusive.
- Identity or account-sharing problems.
- In rare and disqualifying cases, nothing you did: the firm simply does not pay. This is the counterparty risk the next lessons address.
A sensible payout habit
Request at every opportunity. Keep records of each request and payment. Watch the firm's payout announcements and community reports for slowdowns, which have preceded every firm collapse in the sector. And treat the first payout as the real end of the evaluation: until money has arrived in your bank, everything before it is a score on a simulation.
Key takeaways
- The split applies to profit since the last payout; balances usually reset afterwards.
- Frequency, minimums, caps and review time decide what you actually receive.
- Rule breaches found on review can void a payout weeks later.
- Take every payout and treat the first one as the true pass.
Knowledge check
Trading forex, CFDs and other leveraged products carries a high risk of losing money. This lesson is general education, not advice. Risk disclosure.