Prop firm payout rules: qualifying days, buffers, minimums

Having profit on a funded account is not enough to get paid. At Apex and at Tradeify alike, the payout request button only shows up when several conditions are met at the same time: a number of qualifying days, a minimum balance or buffer, a minimum amount, and sometimes a consistency rule. These conditions are published, but most traders only read them after their first denied request.

This article lays them out firm by firm, based on the official help center pages reviewed on October 3, 2026. It does not cover how the money then reaches you (payout provider, timing, fees): that is covered in our article on prop firm payouts.

The four types of payout conditions

Whatever the firm, payout eligibility rules fall into four groups. The names change, the logic does not.

• Qualifying days. A minimum number of days with profit above a set threshold. A day below the threshold does not count, even if it is green.
• A balance floor. Apex calls it the safety net, Tradeify calls it the buffer. It is a balance level below which no withdrawal is possible.
• Amount limits. A minimum per request, and a cap per request or per cycle.
• A consistency rule. A limit on how much of your profit a single day can represent, or a requirement to be net positive since your last payout.

Apex EOD accounts: five qualifying days and a permanent safety net

Apex's official "EOD Payouts" page sets the rules for EOD Performance Accounts. You need at least 5 qualifying trading days, each with net profit at or above the threshold for your account size.

What the page spells out, and what saves a lot of frustration:

• The days do not have to be consecutive, and there is no deadline to complete them. Five qualifying days in the same week allow a request that same week.
• The safety net equals the account's drawdown plus $100, and it stays in place for the lifetime of the account. Only profit above it can be withdrawn.
• The minimum payout is $500 per request, regardless of account size. The minimum balance in the table already includes the safety net and that $500.
• The 50% consistency rule: no single winning day can account for 50% or more of the profit earned since your last approved payout. If it does, the request option stays hidden until the ratio drops. The math is broken down in our article on the Apex consistency rule.
• Six payouts maximum per Performance Account, with a per-request cap that rises over time. On a 50K EOD account: $1,500, $1,500, $2,000, $2,500, $2,500, then $3,000. After the sixth, the account is closed.

Intraday accounts follow the same structure with lower daily thresholds: $100, $200, $250 and $300 depending on size, with the same safety nets.

The trap after you submit

Apex lets you keep trading after a payout request. But the page tells you to trade as if the requested amount has already left your balance. If your balance falls below the required threshold before the request is processed, it is denied automatically. The account stays active, and you can request again once every condition is met.

Tradeify Select Flex: five winning days, no minimum balance

After passing a Select evaluation, Tradeify has you choose between two payout policies, and the choice is permanent for that account. The first, Select Flex, pays out in five-winning-day blocks.

• Winning day threshold: $100, $150, $200 and $250 for the 25K, 50K, 100K and 150K accounts.
• No minimum balance: the page says you can request a payout as soon as you have 5 winning days, whatever your balance.
• Amount: up to 50% of total profit (current balance minus starting balance), with a cap per payout. For accounts purchased after September 1, 2026: $1,250, $2,500, $3,500 and $4,500. The minimum per request is $250.
• The drawdown lock: it freezes at $100 above the starting balance, either at the end of the session when the balance reaches the threshold ($52,100 on a 50K), or when you submit your first request, whichever comes first.

Tradeify Select Daily: a buffer and a continuity rule

The second policy makes you eligible every day, in exchange for a tighter frame: a daily loss limit and a buffer.

• The buffer: $1,100, $2,100, $2,600 and $3,600 above the starting balance, depending on size. No withdrawal can take the balance below that level.
• The continuity rule: you can request up to twice the profit earned since your previous request, up to a cap. For accounts purchased after September 1, 2026: $600, $1,250, $1,750 and $2,500.
• The minimum: $250 per request. The official example makes the point: with $100 of profit since the last payout, twice $100 is $200, below the minimum. You need at least $125 of profit to reach the minimum request.

The rule both policies share

From the second payout on, both Flex and Daily require positive net profit in the current cycle. If you lose after a payout, you must earn those losses back first. And only one payout request can be open on an account at a time.

Side by side on a 50K account

The Tradeify caps shown apply to accounts purchased after September 1, 2026. Older accounts keep their previous caps.

What these rules change in how you trade

Read together, these rules say one simple thing: a payout is prepared in how you run the account, not on the day you request it. Three habits make the conditions predictable instead of something that happens to you.

1. Count qualifying days, not green days. A +$120 day on an Apex 50K EOD account is green but does not qualify. Write your account's threshold in your trading journal and tick every day that clears it.
2. Know your floor before you open the platform. Safety net or buffer, it is a fixed number. Knowing it means you will not discover at request time that you are $200 short.
3. Treat a request as money already withdrawn. Apex says so in plain words. At Tradeify, an open request blocks the next one. Either way, the same caution applies: the requested amount is no longer part of your margin.

The core rules around these accounts (drawdown, daily loss limit, consistency) are gathered in our guide to understanding prop firm rules. Current values by firm and account size are in our prop firm data tool.

FAQ

How many days do you need before requesting an Apex payout?

At least 5 qualifying trading days, each with net profit at or above the threshold for your account size ($250 on a 50K EOD account). The days do not have to be consecutive and there is no deadline to complete them.

What is the difference between the Apex safety net and the Tradeify buffer?

Both are balance floors below which no withdrawal is possible. At Apex, the safety net equals the drawdown plus $100 and stays in place for the life of the account. At Tradeify, the buffer only applies to the Select Daily policy; Select Flex has no minimum balance.

Can you keep trading after submitting a payout request?

Yes at Apex, but the official page says to trade as if the amount had already been withdrawn: if your balance falls below the required threshold, the request is denied. At Tradeify, only one request can be open on an account at a time.

Rules reviewed on the official help centers of Apex and Tradeify on October 3, 2026. These rules change often: always check the official source before you trade.

Futures trading involves substantial risk of capital loss. This article is educational and does not constitute investment advice.