FTMO

Payout Frequency

FTMO rewards are processed on request. Once you have access to the FTMO Account, you can request your reward after a minimum of 14 calendar days from your first day of trading on the FTMO Account (biweekly request cadence).

Minimum profit thresholds apply to cover transaction costs (e.g., $20 minimum for bank transfer, $50 minimum for crypto withdrawals).

FTMO’s evaluation is a two-step process:

• Step 1 – FTMO Challenge: 10% profit target, minimum 4 trading days, and strict loss limits.
• Step 2 – Verification: 5% profit target (reduced by half vs. Step 1), minimum 4 trading days, unlimited time, and consistency-focused evaluation.

After passing, traders receive an FTMO Account (Normal or Swing) and earn a share of simulated profits via performance-based rewards.

Evaluation (FTMO Challenge + Verification): holding trades over the weekend is allowed.

FTMO Account (Normal): positions must be closed before the weekend market close (or if the market break/rollover is longer than 2 hours). Some cryptocurrencies may be tradable during specific weekend hours.

FTMO Account Swing: no restrictions on holding positions over the weekend.

Trade copying tools can be used as long as your trading remains compliant with FTMO’s rules. FTMO’s services are for personal use only: you must not allow any third party to access or trade your accounts, and coordinated/manipulative trade patterns between connected accounts (e.g., opposite positions across accounts for manipulation) are forbidden.

EAs are allowed as long as the strategy is legitimate, replicable in real markets, and does not fall into forbidden practices. Note that automated trading that overloads servers (e.g., excessive server requests) is prohibited, and widely used third-party EAs may risk breaching maximum capital allocation constraints if multiple users run the same strategy.

FTMO prohibits (among other items): exploiting price-feed/display errors or quote delays; using slow/external data feeds; coordinated/manipulative cross-account trading (including opposite positions across connected accounts); using AI/ultra-high-speed tools or mass data entry to gain unfair advantage; ‘gap trading’ around major news or within 2 hours of market close; overleveraging/overexposure/one-sided bets/account rolling; hyperactive EAs that generate excessive server requests; and any third-party account access or account management.

Refund Policy

FTMO’s fee is a one-time payment (not a recurring fee). After you successfully pass the Evaluation Process and receive your first reward payout on an FTMO Account, the FTMO Challenge fee is refunded together with that reward.

3 Percent Rule

FTMO does not enforce a fixed “3% per trade” rule. Risk is controlled primarily through the 5% Maximum Daily Loss, 10% Maximum Loss, and its monitoring/enforcement of forbidden or non-replicable risk behaviors (e.g., overleveraging/overexposure patterns).

Consistency Rules

• Minimum trading days: At least 4 trading days are required in both the FTMO Challenge and Verification.
• Verification purpose: The Verification stage is explicitly designed to confirm the trader can execute their approach consistently over time, not just hit a target in a single day.

Payout Processing

Reward requests go through a review step (typically 1–2 business days). After approval, payments are usually processed within an additional 1–2 business days, depending on the chosen payout method and banking/processor timelines.

FTMO requires identity verification before becoming an FTMO Trader and signing the FTMO Account Agreement. For individuals, this is KYC and typically requires a government-issued ID and proof of address. Businesses may require KYB documentation. Once the verification is complete, the FTMO Account Agreement is unlocked for signing in the Client Area.

Other Risk Rules

• Personal use only: you may not share access or allow third-party trading on your accounts.
• Max volume & server limits: maximum volume per order on Forex is 50 lots; platform/server limits apply (e.g., order/position caps and server-request protections).
• Market integrity: strategies that exploit pricing errors/latency, manipulate via coordinated or cross-account opposite positions, or use prohibited ‘gap trading’ patterns can lead to disqualification/termination.
• EA hyperactivity protection: automated trading that overloads servers (e.g., excessive daily server requests) is prohibited.

FTMO provides both Standard and Raw pricing models. Raw accounts are designed for tighter spreads, while Standard accounts bake more cost into the spread. Exact live spreads vary by instrument, session liquidity, and volatility and should be verified inside the chosen platform.

Orders are executed in real-market conditions where slippage can be positive or negative, especially during volatility, rollovers, or gaps. Traders are expected to manage execution risk (e.g., leaving buffer to loss limits). Strategies that attempt to exploit delays, pricing errors, or gap behavior are classified as forbidden practices.

Martingale is not listed as a standalone banned tactic, but any martingale-style behavior that results in overleveraging, overexposure, one-sided bets, or non-replicable risk patterns can be treated as a forbidden risk-management practice and may lead to disqualification or account termination.

Forex: maximum volume per order is 50 lots. Platform/server protections also apply (e.g., limits on the number of active orders and daily platform activity). EAs that cause excessive platform/server load are not allowed.