If you trade ES, MES, NQ, or MNQ, this specific metals notice does not identify a new fee for those contracts. If you trade metals, update any daily loss, profit-target, or strategy-cost worksheet that still uses an earlier TopstepX fee table.
01. Current TopstepX metals costs
Topstep defines a round turn as both sides of one completed trade. The figures below are the current all-in totals published by Topstep for one contract, including the exchange fee, Topstep commission, and NFA assessment shown in its schedule.
| Contract | TopstepX round-turn cost | 10 one-contract round turns | 20 sessions at 10 round turns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold (GC) | $4.32 | $43.20 | $864.00 |
| Micro Gold (MGC) | $1.92 | $19.20 | $384.00 |
| Silver (SI) | $4.32 | $43.20 | $864.00 |
| Micro Silver (SIL) | $2.72 | $27.20 | $544.00 |
| Copper (HG) | $4.32 | $43.20 | $864.00 |
| Micro Copper (MHG) | $1.92 | $19.20 | $384.00 |
| Platinum (PL) | $4.32 | $43.20 | $864.00 |
The 10-trade and 20-session columns are arithmetic examples, not separate Topstep quotes. They assume the same one-contract round-turn cost on every completed trade:
round-turn cost × completed one-contract round turns × sessions
Contract quantity matters. Ten round turns in two GC contracts would use 20 contract round turns, not 10. Slippage, platform subscriptions, market-data upgrades, resets, and evaluation or activation charges are separate from these transaction-cost examples.
02. What changed—and what the source does not establish
Topstep’s official TopstepX commissions-and-fees page says the metals exchange-fee increase began July 20 and names GC, MGC, SI, SIL, HG, MHG, and PL. It also publishes the current per-contract round-turn totals used above.
The same page breaks a GC round turn into:
- $3.30 exchange fee
- $0.02 NFA assessment
- $1.00 Topstep commission
- $4.32 total
For MGC, it publishes:
- $1.40 exchange fee
- $0.02 NFA assessment
- $0.50 Topstep commission
- $1.92 total
The NFA’s assessment-fee FAQ says its futures assessment is $0.01 per side from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. That reconciles to the $0.02 round-turn regulatory component shown by Topstep.
One qualification matters before describing the size of the increase. Topstep’s update sentence currently mixes dollar and cent notation when it describes the per-side change. Without an archived prior table or a corrected statement from Topstep, this article does not assign a precise old fee or exact per-contract increase. The current round-turn totals are publishable; a calculated before-and-after delta remains blocked.
03. Why the change matters inside a funded-account program
Transaction charges are deducted as trades occur, so they affect net results even when the evaluation target, maximum loss limit, or payout policy has not changed.
Trading Combine
In the evaluation stage, fees reduce the net progress credited toward the profit target. A grossly profitable metals session can still finish lower after contract-level round-turn charges.
Express Funded Account
Topstep describes the Express Funded Account as the simulated-funded stage where traders can earn payouts. Trading costs reduce the net profit used for winning-day and payout calculations. The fee update does not, by itself, change the Standard or Consistency payout path.
Live Funded Account
The official fee page says the same TopstepX schedule also applies to Live Funded Accounts. Live traders should use the current table in their own per-trade and daily-risk calculations rather than assuming their evaluation-stage spreadsheet remains current.
This is why the affected-page work should distinguish a transaction-cost update from an evaluation-price, payout-rule, or drawdown-rule change.
04. What metals traders should do now
- Replace the cost input in your worksheet. Use the current round-turn total for the exact contract, not a generic “metals” commission.
- Multiply by contracts as well as trades. A two-contract entry and exit produces two contract round turns.
- Recheck high-frequency plans. Small per-trade differences compound fastest for repeated entries and exits.
- Keep gross and net P&L separate. Strategy performance before fees is not the number that reaches a target or payout calculation.
- Save the dated fee page. Topstep says fees are automatically deducted and can update; preserve the version used for your planning.
05. What did not change in this update
The reviewed Topstep fee notice does not announce a new profit target, Maximum Loss Limit, payout cap, funded-account consistency percentage, or account purchase price. It is a transaction-cost change.
The current table still lists Topstep commissions at $1.00 round turn for minis and $0.50 for micros, with a $0.02 NFA regulatory component per futures round turn. The metals line says the exchange-fee component changed. Do not rewrite the Topstep firm seed’s evaluation or payout fields from this source alone.
06. Official sources and verification
- TopstepX commissions and fees — checked July 27, 2026; source for the July 20 effective date, affected contracts, stage scope, components, and current round-turn totals
- NFA assessment-fee FAQ — checked July 27, 2026; source for the $0.01-per-side futures assessment effective July 1, 2026
- CME Group clearing and trading fees — checked July 27, 2026; confirms that exchange transaction fees vary by product and schedule; it is not used to manufacture Topstep’s prior customer fee
- Topstep program overview — checked July 27, 2026; source for the Trading Combine, Express Funded, and Live stage distinctions
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