Topstep Withdrawal Methods and Payout Speed 2026

Topstep processes payouts daily and offers four withdrawal methods—but the speed difference between them can be anywhere from 1 day to 10+ business days depending on which one you pick.

After tracking payouts across multiple funded accounts and talking to dozens of Topstep traders in their Discord, I can tell you that the fastest route and the cheapest route aren't the same thing. Wise gets your money fastest for most international traders. ACH is cheapest for U.S.-based traders.

Wire is the nuclear option for large amounts. And the payout reset mechanic—where your Maximum Loss Limit drops to $0 after every withdrawal—makes timing your payouts almost as important as choosing the right method.

Learned from testing: I've studied Topstep's rulebook inside and out—Trading Combine parameters, Express Funded requirements, trailing drawdown mechanics, and the funded-stage restrictions that trip up most futures traders. The breakdowns here come from real evaluation experience and community feedback across hundreds of traders.

The biggest trap at Topstep is misunderstanding the trailing drawdown—it follows your equity high, not your balance, and that distinction has blown more accounts than any other single rule. I broke down every rule with real examples and compliance strategies in my complete Topstep rules guide, including drawdown mechanics, consistency requirements, and payout structures. For the absolute latest, check Topstep's website or their Help Center.

Payout Eligibility: What You Need Before Withdrawing

Before you can request a single dollar, you need to meet specific requirements depending on your account type.

Express Funded Account (XFA) Standard

This is the most common path. To request your first payout:

• Accumulate 5 winning days (Net P&L of $150+ each on the new dashboard)
• Winning days don't need to be consecutive
• A trading day isn't "locked in" until 4:00 PM CT after market close
• First payout doesn't require profitability since last payout—subsequent ones do

Once eligible, you can withdraw up to $5,000 or 50% of your account balance, whichever is lower. Minimum payout: $125.

Express Funded Account (XFA) Consistency

New as of February 2026, this alternative path requires:

• At least 3 trading days following a 40% consistency target (no single day exceeds 40% of total net profit)
• Profit greater than $0 since last payout (after first payout)
• Maximum payout cap of $6,000 or 50% of account balance, whichever is lower

Live Funded Account

Once you're trading real capital in a Live Funded Account:

• After 5 winning days ($150+ each): up to 50% of account balance
• After 30 winning days: up to 100% of account balance with daily payouts unlocked
• No payout cap in the Live Funded Account

The Four Withdrawal Methods Compared

Topstep offers four ways to get your money out. Each has tradeoffs in speed, cost, and availability.

Wise: The Speed Champion

Wise (formerly TransferWise) has become the preferred payout method for most Topstep traders, and for good reason. For USD-to-USD transfers, the fee is literally $0.39. Not a percentage—thirty-nine cents flat. And funds typically arrive within one business day for domestic transfers, 1-3 days internationally.

Here's how it works with Topstep: when your payout is approved, Topstep sends the funds to Wise. If you already have a Wise account linked to the same email as your Topstep profile, the money shows up automatically. If you don't have a Wise account, you'll get an email from Wise to create one and claim your funds. You have 7 calendar days to claim it—after that, unclaimed funds are refunded to Topstep and you'll need to contact support.

One detail people miss: if you're converting currencies (say, USD to EUR or GBP), Wise charges a conversion fee on top of the $0.39. These fees are still dramatically lower than bank wire conversion rates, but they're not zero. Check Wise's fee calculator for your specific currency pair before assuming it's free.

ACH: The U.S. Standard

ACH (Automated Clearing House) transfers are the traditional method for U.S.-based traders. They're reliable, widely supported by American banks, and work for any amount. The downside is speed: ACH can take up to 10 business days, though many traders report receiving funds in 3-5 business days.

On the new Topstep dashboard, ACH payouts include a $30 processing fee that gets deducted from your payout amount, and the 90/10 profit split is applied before the fee calculation. So a $500 payout becomes: $500 × 90% = $450, minus $30 fee = $420 net.

ACH makes the most sense for larger payouts where the $30 flat fee becomes a smaller percentage. On a $5,000 payout (the XFA Standard max), that $30 is 0.6%—totally reasonable. On a $125 minimum payout, it's 24%—painful.

Wire / SWIFT: For When You Need Certainty

Wire transfers are faster than ACH (3-5 business days typically) but come with higher total fees. Beyond Topstep's $30 processing fee, your receiving bank may charge its own incoming wire fee ($10-$40 depending on the institution), and intermediary banks can add charges for international transfers.

Wire makes sense in two scenarios: your bank doesn't support Wise, or you're withdrawing large amounts and want the security of a direct bank-to-bank transfer. For standard funded account payouts under $5,000, Wise beats wire on both speed and cost.

International Wire: The Last Resort

For traders in countries where Wise doesn't operate or banks don't accept standard SWIFT wires easily, international wire is the fallback. Expect 5-10 business days and potentially $50-$100+ in combined fees across processing, intermediary banks, and currency conversion. Some international banks also require a verification letter explaining the source of funds—Topstep doesn't provide these, but you can share your Express Funded Account Agreement with your bank as documentation.

The Profit Split: What You Actually Take Home

As of January 12, 2026, the profit split structure works like this:

New traders (joined on or after January 12, 2026): All payouts are subject to a 90/10 split from the very first dollar. Traders keep 90%, Topstep retains 10%. This applies across all your accounts—it's calculated per trader, not per account.

Legacy traders (joined before January 12, 2026): The first $10,000 in total payouts is 100% yours. After that, the 90/10 split kicks in.

This is a significant change from the previous structure, and it affects your real take-home on every payout. On a $2,000 withdrawal, the 90/10 split means $200 goes to Topstep, plus fees. Plan accordingly.

The Payout Reset: The Rule Nobody Reads Until It's Too Late

This is the single most important payout mechanic at Topstep, and most beginners don't understand it until it costs them an account.

When you take a payout, your Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) resets to $0.

Let me explain what that means with a real example:

You have an Express Funded Account with a $52,000 balance. You request a $2,000 payout. After processing, your balance drops to $50,000. Your MLL is now $50,000. If your account balance falls below $50,000 at any point—even by $1—your account is breached.

This means your very next trade after a payout has zero margin for error. One losing trade could end your funded account.

The smart approach: Build your account balance well above your starting point before taking your first payout. For a 50K account, I'd want at least $54,000-$55,000 in balance before requesting a $2,000 payout. After the payout, my balance is $52,000-$53,000 with an MLL of $52,000-$53,000—giving me $0 buffer. Wait. That's still dangerous.

Actually, the safest strategy is to build enough profit so that after the payout, you still have a comfortable buffer above $0 MLL. Since MLL always resets to $0 after payout, your account balance IS your buffer. A $50,500 balance after payout means you can only lose $500 total before breaching. That's tight.

This is why many experienced Topstep traders recommend making your MLL $0 naturally (by building profits equal to the original drawdown) BEFORE taking any payout. For a 50K account, that means building $2,000 in profit to bring MLL to $0, THEN building additional profit on top of that as your withdrawal amount.

Payout Timeline: What a Real Withdrawal Looks Like

Here's a realistic timeline from payout request to cash in hand:

Day 1 (Monday): You've accumulated 5 winning days, your account has sufficient balance, and you submit a payout request through the Topstep Dashboard. You'll need to complete Adobe forms with your banking details and KYC documents if it's your first withdrawal. Use the same email address as your Topstep account—different emails cause delays.

Day 2-3 (Tuesday-Wednesday): Topstep reviews and approves the request. The funds are deducted from your trading account. You should see the deduction on your dashboard.

Day 3-5 (Wednesday-Friday): Depending on your withdrawal method:

• Wise: Funds may already be in your Wise account by Wednesday or Thursday
• ACH: Processing has started; don't expect arrival until next week
• Wire: Usually arrives by Friday for domestic, early next week for international

Day 5-10: ACH and international wire traders receive their funds. Weekends and bank holidays don't count.

One tip that saves frustration: only submit your banking forms once. They stay on file unless your bank details change or your ID expires. Resubmitting them every time creates unnecessary processing delays.

Maximizing Your Payouts: Strategic Approaches

Frequency vs. Size

You can request payouts weekly. But should you? Every payout resets your MLL to $0, increasing account risk. Frequent small payouts keep your account perpetually vulnerable, while less frequent larger payouts give you more breathing room between withdrawals.

My take: withdraw every 2-3 weeks rather than weekly, and aim for payouts of $2,000-$3,000 rather than the minimum $125. This balances income regularity with account safety.

Timing Your Requests

Submit payout requests early in the week (Monday-Tuesday). Processing teams work business days, so a Monday request gets reviewed Tuesday and potentially approved by Wednesday. A Thursday request might not get reviewed until the following Monday, especially if documentation is involved.

Avoid submitting requests on Fridays or before holidays. They'll sit in queue over the weekend, and your account has funds deducted but you can't trade until it processes. That's dead time.

Which Method to Choose

Tax Considerations: Don't Forget Uncle Sam

Topstep traders are classified as independent contractors. Your payout income is taxable—report it as regular income.

• U.S. residents: Complete a W-9 form. Topstep reports your earnings. Set aside 25-35% of payouts for federal and state taxes.
• Non-U.S. residents: Complete a W-8 BEN form to declare foreign status and manage tax withholding. Topstep does not require tax paperwork from non-U.S. countries, but your home country may still require you to report this income.

Keep records of every payout: amount requested, fees deducted, net received, date, and method. You'll thank yourself at tax time.

The Bottom Line on Topstep Payouts

Topstep's payout system is reliable and straightforward once you understand the mechanics. Wise is the best method for most traders—fast, cheap, widely available. The 90/10 profit split is the cost of accessing their capital, and the $30 processing fee on ACH/Wire is worth planning around.

The payout reset mechanic is the hidden complexity that trips people up. Every withdrawal resets your loss limit to $0, making your account more fragile. Build substantial profit buffers before withdrawing, time your requests strategically, and resist the urge to pull money out the moment you're eligible. Patience with payouts is what separates traders who stay funded from those who blow their accounts the week after their first withdrawal.

‍