Short answer: Do not subtract a firm's profit split from total account profit and call the result withdrawable. First calculate the gross amount the stage allows you to request after its protected buffer, safety net, percentage formula, minimum, and cap. Then subtract that gross request from the account balance and apply the profit split to estimate the cash you may receive.
Use this sequence:
gross request = the lowest applicable result from the firm's buffer/formula and payout cap
post-request balance = current balance − gross request
estimated net cash = approved gross request × trader profit split
The firm's dashboard and final approval control. The worksheet helps prevent three common mistakes: treating simulated buying power as a cash balance, treating all profit as requestable, and applying the profit split before the firm's eligibility limits.
Record seven fields before calculating
| Field | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Exact stage | Evaluation, simulated funded, Pro, or live | Evaluation profit normally is not withdrawable |
| Current balance | The stage's displayed balance at request time | This is the starting point for the request calculation |
| Protected amount | Buffer, safety net, locked floor, or retained percentage | The firm may require this amount to remain in the account |
| Request formula | Balance above buffer, percentage of balance, or another rule | “Daily payouts” does not define the request amount |
| Minimum request | Smallest gross request accepted | Being above the buffer may still be insufficient |
| Per-request cap | Stage- and size-specific maximum | A large eligible balance can still be capped |
| Profit split | Trader percentage of the approved request | This converts the approved gross amount into estimated net cash |
Also record the eligibility clock, winning-day or consistency requirement, and any post-payout floor change. Those rules decide whether the request can be made at all; this worksheet calculates the amount only after eligibility is satisfied.
One worksheet, three different payout structures
| Current stage | Request structure | 50K example used below | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topstep XFA | Request 50% of balance, subject to a size/path cap | $6,000 balance on 50K Consistency | No fixed dollar buffer; half the balance remains before other account rules |
| Apex Intraday Performance Account | Request profit above a lifetime safety net, subject to a minimum and sequential cap | $54,000 balance on first 50K request | $52,100 safety net stays in place; first request is capped at $1,500 |
| MyFundedFutures Rapid | Clear a size-specific buffer, then request at least the published minimum | $52,900 balance on 50K Rapid | First $2,100 above starting balance is retained before the $500 minimum |
These rows are not interchangeable. “Buffer” can mean a fixed retained amount, a safety net tied to drawdown, or the portion left behind by a percentage-of-balance formula.
Example 1: Topstep XFA uses a percentage, not a fixed buffer
Topstep's current payout policy says an Express Funded Account can request 50% of its balance, subject to the applicable cap. A 50K XFA Standard request is capped at $2,000, while a 50K XFA Consistency request is capped at $3,000. The general minimum request is $125, and the published profit split is 90/10.
Assume a 50K XFA Consistency account has a $6,000 balance and has completed the three-day, 40%-consistency eligibility requirement:
percentage result = $6,000 × 50% = $3,000
gross request = min($3,000 percentage result, $3,000 cap) = $3,000
post-request balance = $6,000 − $3,000 = $3,000
estimated net cash = $3,000 × 90% = $2,700
The retained $3,000 is the result of the 50% formula, not a permanent $3,000 payout buffer. Topstep also says the Maximum Loss Limit resets to $0 permanently after a payout, and eligibility restarts for the next cycle. Those consequences belong beside the arithmetic.
If the same $6,000 balance were in a 50K XFA Standard account, the $2,000 cap would be lower than the $3,000 percentage result:
gross request = min($3,000, $2,000) = $2,000
post-request balance = $4,000
estimated net cash = $1,800
Example 2: Apex protects a lifetime safety net
Apex's current Intraday Performance Account payout table publishes a $52,100 safety net for a 50K account and a $52,600 minimum balance to request the $500 minimum payout. The safety net remains for the lifetime of the Performance Account. The first 50K request is capped at $1,500, and approved payouts use a 100% split.
Assume the first-request balance is $54,000 and the five qualifying days plus 50% consistency requirement are complete:
profit above safety net = $54,000 − $52,100 = $1,900
gross request = min($1,900, $1,500 first-request cap) = $1,500
post-request balance = $54,000 − $1,500 = $52,500
estimated net cash = $1,500 × 100% = $1,500
The $52,500 post-request balance remains above the $52,100 safety net. If the balance were only $52,450, the account would be $350 above the safety net but still below the published $52,600 minimum balance required to make the $500 minimum request. The request option would not be available.
Apex also says traders can keep trading while a request is reviewed, but should behave as though the requested funds have already been removed. A balance that falls below the required threshold can cause automatic denial.
Example 3: MyFundedFutures Rapid clears a dollar buffer first
MyFundedFutures currently publishes a $2,100 required buffer for a 50K Rapid account, a $500 minimum withdrawal after the buffer, daily request frequency, and a 90% trader split. Its overview says the first payout can be eligible 24 hours after the first trade when the buffer and minimum-profit conditions are met.
Assume a 50K Rapid balance of $52,900:
gross profit = $52,900 − $50,000 = $2,900
profit above required buffer = $2,900 − $2,100 = $800
gross request = $800
post-request balance = $52,900 − $800 = $52,100
estimated net cash = $800 × 90% = $720
At a $52,500 balance, only $400 sits above the buffer. That is below the $500 minimum, so the account has cleared the buffer but has not yet created a valid minimum request.
Copyable payout-buffer worksheet
| Input | Your account |
|---|---|
| Firm and exact product | __________ |
| Account stage | __________ |
| Current balance | $__________ |
| Starting balance, if relevant | $__________ |
| Protected buffer or safety net | $__________ |
| Percentage-of-balance result | $__________ |
| Profit above protected amount | $__________ |
| Minimum request | $__________ |
| Per-request cap | $__________ |
| Maximum gross request | $__________ |
| Planned gross request | $__________ |
| Post-request balance | $__________ |
| Trader profit split | _______% |
| Estimated net cash | $__________ |
| Eligibility days/consistency complete? | Yes / No |
| Post-payout floor or rule change | __________ |
Calculate the candidates separately. Do not combine unlike formulas:
- If the firm uses a protected dollar amount:
balance − protected balance. - If it uses a percentage:
balance × request percentage. - Apply the per-request cap to the applicable result.
- Confirm the result meets the minimum request.
- Subtract the planned gross request from the balance.
- Apply the profit split to the approved gross request, not to the full account balance.
Keep these four numbers separate
Account label
A “50K account” is simulated buying power or a program tier. It is not a bank balance the trader owns or can withdraw.
Current account balance
This is the stage's running balance after trading. It can include profit that must remain in the account under a buffer, safety-net, or percentage rule.
Gross request
This is the amount submitted to the firm before the profit split. Minimums and caps usually refer to this request amount unless the first-party page says otherwise.
Net cash
This is the trader's estimated payment after the split and approval. Taxes, payment-provider charges, currency conversion, and review outcomes are separate from the worksheet.
Common mistakes
Using the payout cap as a promise
A $3,000 cap means the request cannot exceed $3,000. It does not mean a trader with a smaller eligible balance can request the full cap.
Applying the profit split too early
Eligibility, buffer, percentage, minimum, and cap determine the gross request first. The split is applied after that result. Applying 90% to total account profit can materially overstate available cash.
Ignoring the post-request balance
Write the balance that remains after the gross request. That number makes an accidental buffer breach obvious and shows how much room remains for future trading.
Mixing evaluation and funded-stage profit
Topstep says its XFA starts at $0; evaluation performance does not carry into that simulated-funded balance. Use the actual payout-stage balance and rules.
Treating the buffer as the loss floor
A payout buffer or safety net controls withdrawability. A Maximum Loss Limit controls account survival. They can be numerically related, but they answer different questions. Check both after a request.
Forgetting that eligibility resets
Topstep restarts the winning-day or consistency cycle after a payout. Other firms can use different post-request clocks or new-profit requirements. A balance can remain positive while the next request is not yet eligible.
Bottom line
Calculate the maximum gross request before estimating cash. Start with the exact payout stage, use that stage's buffer or percentage formula, then apply the minimum and cap. Subtract the request from the balance and apply the trader split only to the approved gross amount.
The current examples show why one shortcut cannot work everywhere. Topstep leaves a portion of the balance through a 50% request formula; Apex protects a lifetime safety net and sequential cap; MyFundedFutures Rapid protects a size-specific buffer before the minimum request. The worksheet is complete only when the post-request balance and next-cycle rules are visible beside the payout estimate.
Current Firm Offers and Direct Links
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Official sources and verification
- Topstep Payout Policy — checked September 20, 2026, 2:34 PM MDT; XFA Standard and Consistency eligibility, 50%-of-balance formula, $125 minimum, size/path caps, 90/10 split, and post-payout reset.
- Topstep Express Funded Account Parameters — checked September 20, 2026, 2:34 PM MDT; XFA starts at $0, stage distinction, path requirements, and cap summary.
- Apex Intraday Trailing Drawdown Payouts — checked September 20, 2026, 2:34 PM MDT; safety nets, minimum balances, $500 minimum, sequential caps, 50% consistency, six-payout lifetime, 100% split, and pending-request treatment.
- MyFundedFutures Payout Policy Overview — checked September 20, 2026, 2:34 PM MDT; Rapid buffer amounts, first-request timing, $500 minimum, daily frequency, 90% split, and processing language.