Day Traders

Consistency

Evaluation

• 50% consistency rule for Evaluation accounts.

Funded

• 30% consistency rule for Pro accounts.
• 20% consistency rule for S2F (Straight to Funded) accounts.

How Consistency Is Measured

• The rule is measured per "trading cycle." A trading cycle runs from your last approved payout request (or your first trading day, if you have not yet been paid out) to the time of your next payout request.
• Violating the rule does not breach the account — it only blocks the payout until your largest single-day profit falls below the allowed percentage of total cycle profit. You can keep trading to dilute the high day's weight.
• DayTraders provides an in-dashboard Consistency Calculator for tracking real-time consistency on the active account.

Algorithmic Trading

All Account Types

• Manual trading is required. High-Frequency Trading (HFT) — automated systems that execute many trades within very short time intervals (e.g. multiple trades per second/minute) — is strictly prohibited.
• Algorithmic / automated systems aimed at exploiting price discrepancies in milliseconds or microseconds are not allowed.
• Excessive trade volume over short windows characteristic of HFT is monitored automatically and will be flagged without discretion.
• Confirmed HFT activity results in account suspension or permanent closure, and any HFT-derived profits are forfeited.

Scalping Rules

All Account Types

• DayTraders.com does not have specific restrictions on scalping.
• Traders may scalp freely as long as the manual-trading and HFT rules are followed.

News Trading

All Account Types

• News trading is allowed without restrictions.
• Trading during news is not recommended as liquidity can drastically decrease and volatility can drastically increase, potentially leading to unfavorable fills.
• Traders should exercise caution during these times.

Inactivity Rule

Activity requirements depend on whether you're on a Monthly or Lifetime plan. The purpose is account verification, not trade volume.

Monthly Accounts (Monthly Recurring Fee)

• Minimum 1 trading day within each 30-day billing cycle.
• That trading day must meet the minimum daily profit threshold for your account size.
• Consistency is not required for the activity check itself.

Lifetime Accounts (One-Time Fee)

• Minimum 4 trading days within each rolling 30-day period.
• Each of those days must meet the minimum daily profit threshold for your account size.
• Consistency is not required for the activity check itself.

Failure to Meet Activity

• The account may be marked inactive, which can lead to interruptions, delays returning to trading, or issues requesting withdrawals or progressing.

Copy Trading

Policy

• Copy trading is allowed.
• Your account is personal — it cannot be shared, and you remain responsible for all activity on it.
• Any copy trading setup must comply with all other rules (HFT prohibition, hedging prohibition, etc.).
• Hedging across accounts (long in one, short in another) is strictly prohibited.

DCA (Dollar Cost Averaging)

Allowed

• DCA is allowed during both the Evaluation and Pro account phases.
• Traders may use DCA as part of their trading strategy without restrictions.

Passed Accounts

Account Limits

You may keep passed evaluation accounts as reserves. DayTraders allows up to 15 active evaluation accounts, and up to 15 total Sim Funded accounts at any time. The 15 funded slots can be any mix of Pro Static, Pro Trailing, S2L, and S2F — with one constraint: a maximum of 5 of those 15 may be S2F (Straight to Funded) accounts.

Examples

• 12 Pro accounts + 3 S2F = 15 total
• 7 Pro Static + 3 Pro Trailing + 3 S2F + 2 S2L = 15 total
• 10 Pro accounts + 5 S2F = 15 total

Max Number of Accounts

You can have up to 15 active evaluation accounts and up to 15 funded accounts at the same time, with the S2F sub-cap of 5 noted above.

DayTraders Account Tracks

DayTraders offers three distinct tracks to a funded environment, each with its own rules and progression path. Understanding which track you're on determines which consistency rule, drawdown style, and payout schedule applies.

S2F (Straight to Funded) Accounts

What Makes S2F Different

• S2F accounts skip the evaluation phase and begin trading in a simulated funded environment immediately upon purchase.
• S2F accounts use an End-of-Day (EOD) trailing drawdown — the drawdown only updates based on the highest balance at the close of each trading day, providing more flexibility than intraday trailing.
• S2F accounts use the 20% consistency rule (vs 30% on Pro accounts).
• S2F accounts have their own qualifying-day count (10) and per-cycle profit targets — see the Payout Rules document for the full schedule.

S2F Limits

• Maximum of 5 active S2F accounts at a time.
• S2F accounts count toward the overall 15 funded-account cap.

S2L (Straight to Live) Evaluations

What Makes S2L Different

• S2L is an evaluation track that goes directly to a live account on passing — bypassing the entire Sim Funded phase.
• No activation fee on S2L accounts.
• No fixed deadline to pass — S2L accounts are subject only to standard activity requirements.
• The S2L evaluation uses an intraday trailing drawdown and a 25% consistency rule (different from both Pro's 30% and S2F's 20%).

S2L Evaluation Specs

• Real-time data is free during evaluation (a $55 value).
• Free platform license for Onyx and Quantower during S2L evaluation.
• No scaling on S2L evaluations — full contract limits available from day one.
• Up to 5 active S2L evaluation accounts at the same time.

After Passing an S2L Evaluation

1. Submit required documents on the "Live Docs" tab in the dashboard.
2. Sign the live account agreement for that account.
3. Live account setup typically takes 1-5 business days.
4. Important: all other active accounts (Pro / S2F / Evaluation) are closed when you transition to live. You cannot trade live and sim simultaneously.

Live Account Parameters After S2L Pass

The live account that follows a passed S2L evaluation matches the standard DayTraders Live program (CORE / EDGE / ULTRA at 80/20 split, daily payouts, intraday trailing drawdown, no consistency rule, no minimum daily profit) — see the Live Account Plans table further down for the full live parameters.

S2L Limits

• Maximum of 5 active S2L evaluation accounts at a time.
• Up to 5 live funded accounts simultaneously after passing.

Trading Day Definition

• A trading day runs from 6:00 PM ET to 5:00 PM ET the following day. Trades placed during this window count toward the same trading day.

Clear Path to Live

Transition Eligibility

• There is no fixed milestone, payout count, or balance threshold required to be moved to live. Progression is performance-based and at the company's sole discretion.
• The Risk Team continuously evaluates trading performance, consistency, risk management, and behavior. Traders may be selected for live allocation at any time.
• Approximately 1% of traders coming through the sim funded program are transitioned to live.

Live Transition Payout Rule

• If you are moved to live during a payout and your total payouts exceed $10,000:
  • 50% of the payout will be sent to your payout method
  • 50% will be allocated to your live account, with that portion serving as at minimum your live MLL
• Specific live account parameters are discussed with a Risk Manager at the time of transition.
• If you have multiple Pro Accounts, the Risk Team evaluates overall performance and decides whether to consolidate or structure the live allocation accordingly.

Country & Continuation Notes

• If your country restricts live trading, your Risk Manager will discuss alternative options with you.
• Once you are transitioned to the Live Program, you can no longer continue trading your Pro Accounts.

Live Account Plans

DayTraders offers three live plans, reachable either by Pro/S2F transition or by passing an S2L evaluation. All operate on an 80/20 profit split, intraday trailing drawdown, daily payouts, no consistency rule, and no minimum daily profit.

All plans support a maximum of 5 total live accounts, free activation, free real-time data ($150 value), free Onyx platform license, 1–5 business day setup, and scaling. Note that the live contract limits are tighter than the eval contract limits (e.g. CORE eval allows 2 minis but CORE live drops to 1 mini).

Live Drawdown Lock

• The live drawdown is intraday trailing until the account's highest unrealized balance reaches Starting Balance + Total Drawdown (e.g. $52,000 on CORE, $154,500 on EDGE, $307,000 on ULTRA), at which point the drawdown locks at the initial balance and stops trailing.

Live Withdrawal Buffer

• All live accounts require a $1,000 buffer above the initial balance — withdrawals can only be taken from amounts above (Initial Balance + $1,000). Trading is allowed within the buffer; withdrawing into it is not.

Live Failure & Re-entry

• If a live account is failed, the account closes. Traders may return by passing a new Straight-to-Live (S2L) evaluation. There is no cooldown — a new S2L can be started immediately.

Live Platforms

• Onyx is the included live platform (free DayTraders-provided license). Onyx is a Rithmic-powered trading platform with full charting, multi-chart layouts, DOM (Depth of Market), risk and profit bracket setup, performance stats, a built-in trade copier, a trading lockout feature, and a journaling system. It runs on Windows and macOS, with mobile access available.
• Quantower is supported, but a license must be brought by the trader.
• If the trader holds licenses, the following are also supported: ATAS, MotiveWave, EdgeProX, Sierra Chart, Bookmap.
• NinjaTrader and Tradovate are not supported on live accounts.

S2L Evaluation Platforms (Pre-Pass)

• During S2L evaluation, both Onyx and Quantower licenses are provided free.

Pro Account

Requirements

1. You must meet the 30% consistency rule (no single trading day can exceed 30% of total simulated profit in the payout cycle).
2. You must complete at least 8 qualifying trading days (QDays) per payout cycle, with each day meeting the minimum daily profit for your account size:
   • $100 per day for 25K accounts
   • $200 per day for 50K accounts
   • $300 per day for 100K accounts
   • $300 per day for 150K accounts
   • $400 per day for 300K accounts
3. Minimum payout request is $500.
4. Each payout request must be in $500 increments.

Withdrawal Frequency

• You may request payouts any day once all requirements are met.
• The day you request a payout does not count as a qualifying day.
• After your payout is approved, the next session counts as Day 1 of a new cycle.
• Average payout approval time is 32 minutes.

Minimum Account Balance & Maximum Withdrawal

Maximum Withdrawal Limit per User

• The total withdrawal cap per trader is $150,000 across all accounts.
• Once a trader's payouts approach the cap or accumulate enough qualifying milestones, the Risk Team will evaluate performance and may initiate a transition to a live funded account (see Live Transition Payout Rule below).

Profit Split

• 100% simulated profit split on Pro Accounts (subject to the per-size withdrawal limits above).

S2F (Straight to Funded) Account

Requirements

1. You must meet the 20% consistency rule (no single trading day can exceed 20% of total simulated profit).
2. You must complete at least 10 qualifying trading days (QDays) per payout cycle, with each day meeting the minimum daily profit for your account size:
   • $100 per day for 25K accounts
   • $200 per day for 50K accounts
   • $300 per day for 150K accounts
3. The per-cycle profit target must be generated between payouts.
4. Minimum payout request is $500.

Withdrawal Frequency

• You may request payouts once the cycle's profit target is met and all other requirements are satisfied.
• The day you request a payout does not count as a qualifying day.
• After your payout is approved, the next session counts as Day 1 of a new cycle.

Per-Cycle Profit Targets and Max Per Request

S2F Payout Example — $50K Account

• Starting balance: $50,000
• Payout 1: Earn $3,500 in profit (reach $53,500), then request a $2,000 payout → new balance $51,500
• Payout 2: From the new balance, earn $3,000 (reach $54,500), then request a $2,000 payout → new balance $52,500
• Payout 3+: From the current balance, generate the profit target before each subsequent payout

How It Works

• After each approved payout, the payout amount is deducted from the account balance.
• Future profit targets are calculated as a fixed dollar amount starting from the updated post-payout balance.

Maximum Withdrawal Limit per User

• The total withdrawal cap per trader is $150,000 across all accounts.

Account Failure Policy

• Pro accounts must pass an evaluation before entering funded status; if a Pro account fails, a new evaluation is required.
• S2F accounts are activated directly (no evaluation), so a fresh purchase is required if an S2F account breaches drawdown or other failure rules.

Live Transition Payout Rule

If a trader is moved to live during a payout and total payouts exceed $10,000:

• 50% of the payout will be sent to the trader's payout method.
• 50% will be allocated to the live account, with that portion serving as at minimum the live account's MLL.
• Specific live account parameters are discussed with a Risk Manager at the time of transition.

Live accounts themselves operate on an 80/20 profit split with daily payouts, no consistency rule, and no minimum daily profit. Full live-account parameters (CORE / EDGE / ULTRA plans, drawdowns, DLLs, withdrawal buffer rules) are detailed in the Detailed Rules document.

S2L (Straight to Live) — No Sim Payout Phase

S2L evaluations have no sim payout phase. On passing the S2L evaluation, the trader transitions directly into a live account, and from that point payouts follow the standard Live Account rules:

• 80/20 profit split.
• Daily payouts.
• $1,000 buffer above the initial balance must be maintained — withdrawals can only be taken above (Initial Balance + $1,000).
• No consistency rule, no minimum daily profit on the live side.
• Drawdown locks at the initial balance once the highest unrealized balance reaches Starting Balance + Total Drawdown.

S2L evaluation specs themselves (profit target, qualifying days, eval consistency) live in the Detailed Rules document — they govern eval pass criteria, not payout disbursement.

Violations & Disqualifications

• Violating account rules — including hedging across accounts, HFT, or other prohibited practices — may void payout eligibility.
• Fraudulent activity (identity fraud, payment fraud, or account sharing) results in removal from the platform.
• If an account is blown after a payout request, the payout is honored only if it was approved before the breach.

General Payout Information

• All withdrawal requests are the amount removed from the trading account; the payable amount depends on the account type and applicable profit split.
• Payouts are paid via a configured payout method (e.g. Plane).
• Payouts approved before 5:00 PM ET will reflect the same day.
• Place one trade after submitting a payout request — this generates a report the system uses to validate the request.
• U.S. traders receive a 1099-NEC by January 31. Non-U.S. traders do not receive tax forms. Consult a tax professional for guidance.