Help CenterRules Update Effective 21 October 2026
We are introducing updated Prohibited Trading Strategies, Practices and Methods for TradingCult evaluations purchased on or after 21 October 2026.
The updated rules introduce four requirements:
- Maximum risk of 2% per symbol and direction.
- Minimum trade duration of 30 seconds.
- Maximum trade size of 5 times the median historical trade size, applicable after 10 trades have been completed.
- Mandatory Stop Loss placement within 2 minutes of opening a trade.
Which rules apply to your account?
- Evaluations issued before 21 October 2026 will remain subject to the previous Prohibited Trading Strategies, Practices and Methods.
- Evaluations issued on or after 21 October 2026 will be subject to the updated Prohibited Trading Strategies, Practices and Methods.
The applicable rules will remain in effect as the evaluation progresses to subsequent stages and any resulting funded account, in accordance with the rule version assigned to the original purchase.
All other evaluation conditions and requirements remain unchanged.
Please review the applicable Trading Rules carefully. A violation of any applicable rule will result in an account breach and failure.
Prohibited Trading Strategies, Practices and Methods - Effective from 21 October 2026
What is the Pay After Pass Challenge?
Pay After Pass is a funding model available exclusively on Pro TradingCult and is not available on standard TradingCult challenge accounts. It is designed to reduce the upfront cost of starting an evaluation.
Instead of paying the full challenge fee upfront, traders can begin their evaluation with a small $9.99 entry fee and only pay the remaining balance after successfully passing the challenge.
Pay After Pass is available on:
- 1-Step Evaluation Accounts
- 2-Step Evaluation Accounts
This model allows traders to prove their performance first before committing to the full program fee.
How Does Pay After Pass Work?
The process is simple:
- Pay a $9.99 entry fee to begin your evaluation
- Complete the challenge while meeting all trading objectives and risk rules
- After successfully passing the Pay After Pass evaluation, traders have 14 calendar days to pay the remaining program balance. Funded account credentials will only be issued once the outstanding balance has been received.
- Receive access to your funded account
Which Account Types Are Available?
The Pay After Pass Challenge is available as a 1-Step and 2-Step Challenge with each offering an 80% profit split in favour of the Trader.
1-Step Pay After Pass
The 1-Step Pay After Pass account consists of a single evaluation phase.
- Evaluation Rules
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Profit Target | 5% |
| Daily Loss Limit | 4% (Equity Based) |
| Maximum Loss | 8% |
| Minimum Trading Days | 1 |
- Funded Account Rules
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum Trade Duration | 30 Seconds |
| Trailing Drawdown Limit | 3% |
| Maximum Loss | 3% |
| Minimum Trading Days | 5 |
| Stability Rule | 25% |
2-Step Pay After Pass
The 2-Step Pay After Pass account consists of two evaluation phases.
- Phase 1 Rules
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Profit Target | 6% |
| Daily Loss Limit | 5% (Equity Based) |
| Maximum Loss | 10% |
| Minimum Trading Days | 1 |
- Phase 2 Rules
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Profit Target | 3% |
| Daily Loss Limit | 5% (Equity Based) |
| Maximum Loss | 10% |
| Minimum Trading Days | 1 |
- Funded Account Rules
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum Trade Duration | 30 Seconds |
| Trailing Drawdown Limit | 3% |
| Maximum Loss | 3% |
| Minimum Trading Days | 5 |
| Stability Rule | 30% |
What Is the Stability Rule?
The Stability Rule applies only to funded Pay After Pass accounts and is designed to encourage disciplined and consistent trading.
The rule measures your:
- Largest single trade, or
- Largest trading day
as a percentage of your total funded profits.
If this exceeds the permitted threshold, the account will be breached.
Stability Rule Limits:
- 1-Step Pay After Pass: 25%
- 2-Step Pay After Pass: 30%
This rule is designed to prevent reliance on a single oversized trade and encourage stable long-term performance.
Do Prohibited Trading Strategies Apply?
Yes, all Prohibited Trading Strategy rules and Terms & Conditions continue to apply at all times.
Any prohibited trading activity may result in:
- Account breach
- Payout denial
- Account suspension
- Permanent account closure
Traders are responsible for reviewing and complying with all prohibited trading strategy rules before trading. For more information regarding prohibited trading activity, please refer to the relevant section at the bottom of this FAQ page.
What Is the Trailing Drawdown Rule?
Pay After Pass funded accounts include a 3% trailing drawdown.
Unlike a static drawdown, the trailing drawdown follows your highest achieved account balance as your account grows.
If your equity falls below the trailing drawdown level at any time, the account will be breached.
What Is the Minimum Trade Duration Rule?
All trades on funded Pay After Pass accounts must remain open for a minimum of 30 seconds.
- The first violation will result in a warning
- The second violation will result in an account breach
This rule applies only to funded accounts.
What Are the Minimum Trading Day Requirements?
Funded Pay After Pass accounts require:
- A minimum of 5 trading days before a payout request can be submitted
A qualifying trading day must generate at least:
- 1% profit
How Is Pay After Pass Different From Standard Funded Accounts?
| Feature | Standard Funded | Pay After Pass Funded |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Trading Days | 1 (1-Step) / 3 (2-Step) | 5 |
| Minimum Profit Per Day | None | 1% |
| Maximum Loss | 8% / 10% | 3% |
| Trailing Drawdown | None | 3% |
| Minimum Trade Duration | None | 30 Seconds |
| Stability Rule | None | 25% / 30% |
Pay After Pass funded accounts include stricter risk controls in exchange for the lower evaluation entry cost.
Pay After Pass Pricing
1-Step Pay After Pass Pricing
Step 1:
- Pay a $9.99 entry fee to begin the evaluation.
Step 2:
- After passing, pay the remaining balance below to unlock the funded account.
| Account Size | Price After Passing |
|---|---|
| $5,000 | $77.99 |
| $10,000 | $142.99 |
| $25,000 | $272.99 |
| $50,000 | $428.99 |
| $100,000 | $701.99 |
| $200,000 | $1,299.99 |
| $300,000 | $1,699.99 |
2-Step Pay After Pass Pricing
Step 1:
- Pay a $9.99 entry fee to begin the evaluation.
Step 2:
- After passing both phases, pay the remaining balance below to unlock the funded account.
| Account Size | Price After Passing |
|---|---|
| $5,000 | $64.99 |
| $10,000 | $129.99 |
| $25,000 | $299.99 |
| $100,000 | $675.99 |
| $200,000 | $1,273.99 |
| $300,000 | $1,621.99 |
| $500,000 | $2,219.99 |
Are Add-Ons Available?
Yes, optional add-ons are available during checkout, including:
- Increased Profit Split
- Increased Daily Loss
- Increased Maximum Loss
- 3-in-1 Add-On Bundle
Please note:
- Add-ons must be selected during checkout
- Add-ons cannot be added after purchase
- Daily Loss and Max Loss add-ons apply to the evaluation phases only. They do not change the Funded Account conditions, which retain the standard 3% Trailing Drawdown and 3% Maximum Loss.
How Many Pay After Pass Accounts Can I Have?
- Pay After Pass (PAP) accounts are limited to 1 account per profile (lifetime).
- Each profile can purchase only one Pay After Pass account, regardless of whether the account is passed, breached, or otherwise closed.
What Happens If I Fail the Evaluation?
- If an evaluation account breaches any trading rule, the account will be considered failed and closed.
- The initial $9.99 entry fee is non-refundable.
Prohibited Trading Strategies include:
To promote consistent and responsible trading, all TradingCult accounts are subject to the Trading Rules below.
A violation of any of these rules will result in a breach of the account.
Where a trader consistently trades at or very close to the permitted limits, TradingCult reserves the right to review the account and, where appropriate, apply additional or adjusted risk limits on an individual basis. Trading activity that is deemed to be consistently structured to circumvent or remain marginally within the permitted limits may also result in a breach of the account.
1. Maximum Risk – 2% per Symbol and Direction
- The maximum risk on any individual symbol and direction must not exceed 2% of the account's Initial Balance.
- Risk is calculated as the potential loss, in USD, if the trade reaches its Stop Loss, expressed as a percentage of the account's Initial Balance. Trading costs, such as commissions and swaps, are not included in this calculation.
Multiple Positions on the Same Symbol
-
- Where multiple positions in the same direction on the same symbol are open at the same time, their risk is combined when calculating the 2% limit.
- Splitting a larger position into several smaller positions does not provide an additional risk allowance.
- For example, on an account with an Initial Balance of $100,000, the maximum permitted risk is $2,000 (2%) per symbol and direction.
- If a trader has three EURUSD Buy positions open at the same time with potential losses at their respective Stop Loss levels of $500, $700 and $600, the combined EURUSD Buy risk is $1,800 (1.8%) and remains within the permitted limit.
- Opening another EURUSD Buy position, or modifying an existing Stop Loss, so that the combined risk exceeds $2,000 (2%) would result in a breach.
- Positions on different symbols are assessed separately.
Hedged Positions
-
- Where both Buy and Sell positions are open on the same symbol, the Buy and Sell sides are assessed separately for the Maximum Risk rule.
- This means the combined risk of all open Buy positions on a symbol must remain within 2% of the Initial Balance, and the combined risk of all open Sell positions on the same symbol must also remain within 2%.
- For example, on an account with an Initial Balance of $100,000, EURUSD Buy positions may have combined risk of up to $2,000 (2%), while EURUSD Sell positions may separately have combined risk of up to $2,000 (2%).
When Is Risk Measured?
-
- Risk is measured when a trade is opened and is also reassessed if the Stop Loss is subsequently modified.
- Moving a Stop Loss further away from the entry price so that the individual or combined risk exceeds the applicable 2% limit will result in a breach.
2. Minimum Trade Duration – 30 Seconds
- Every trade must remain open for a minimum of 30 seconds.
- Trade duration is measured from the time the position is opened until the time it is closed.
- Any position that is closed less than 30 seconds after it was opened will result in a breach of this rule.
3. Trade Size Consistency – Maximum 5× Median
- Trade sizes must remain reasonably consistent with the trader's previous trading activity.
- Once an account has completed 10 trades, the Trade Size Consistency rule becomes applicable.
- A new trade may not exceed 5 times (5×) the trader's median historical trade size.
- Trade size is measured using USD exposure rather than lots. This allows trade sizes across instruments with different contract specifications to be measured consistently.
What Is the Median Trade Size? - The median is the middle value of the trader's historical trade sizes when the trades are arranged from smallest to largest based on their USD exposure.
- For example, if the trader's historical trade sizes are: $20,000 – $40,000 – $50,000 – $70,000 – $100,000, the median trade size is $50,000.
- The maximum permitted size of a new trade would therefore be: $50,000 × 5 = $250,000
- A new trade exceeding $250,000 in USD exposure would breach the Trade Size Consistency rule.
- Where there is an even number of historical trades, the median is calculated using the average of the two middle values.
- The median is based on the trader's trading history and may therefore change as additional trades are completed.
4. Mandatory Stop Loss – 2 Minutes
- Every trade must have a Stop Loss.
- A Stop Loss can be placed when the trade is opened or added within a maximum of 2 minutes from the time the trade is opened.
- If a position remains open for more than 2 minutes without a Stop Loss, the account will breach the Mandatory Stop Loss rule.
Stop Loss and the 2% Maximum Risk Rule - Adding a Stop Loss within the permitted two-minute period does not override the Maximum Risk rule.
- The Stop Loss must be positioned so that the potential loss remains within the applicable 2% Maximum Risk limit.
- Moving an existing Stop Loss further away from the entry price is permitted only where the resulting risk remains within the applicable 2% limit.
- If moving the Stop Loss causes the risk to exceed 2%, the account will breach the Maximum Risk rule.
What Happens If I Break a Trading Rule?
- A violation of any of the Trading Rules above will result in an account breach and failure of the account.
- The Trading Rules apply to trades opened after the relevant rule has been activated on the account.
Prohibited Trading Strategies, Practices and Methods – Applicable to Challenges Issued Before 21 October 2026
What is the Pay After Pass Challenge?
Pay After Pass is a funding model available exclusively on Pro TradingCult and is not available on standard TradingCult challenge accounts. It is designed to reduce the upfront cost of starting an evaluation.
Instead of paying the full challenge fee upfront, traders can begin their evaluation with a small $9.99 entry fee and only pay the remaining balance after successfully passing the challenge.
Pay After Pass is available on:
- 1-Step Evaluation Accounts
- 2-Step Evaluation Accounts
This model allows traders to prove their performance first before committing to the full program fee.
How Does Pay After Pass Work?
The process is simple:
- Pay a $9.99 entry fee to begin your evaluation
- Complete the challenge while meeting all trading objectives and risk rules
- After successfully passing the Pay After Pass evaluation, traders have 14 calendar days to pay the remaining program balance. Funded account credentials will only be issued once the outstanding balance has been received.
- Receive access to your funded account
Which Account Types Are Available?
The Pay After Pass Challenge is available as a 1-Step and 2-Step Challenge with each offering an 80% profit split in favour of the Trader.
1-Step Pay After Pass
The 1-Step Pay After Pass account consists of a single evaluation phase.
- Evaluation Rules
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Profit Target | 5% |
| Daily Loss Limit | 4% (Equity Based) |
| Maximum Loss | 8% |
| Minimum Trading Days | 1 |
- Funded Account Rules
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum Trade Duration | 30 Seconds |
| Trailing Drawdown Limit | 3% |
| Maximum Loss | 3% |
| Minimum Trading Days | 5 |
| Stability Rule | 25% |
2-Step Pay After Pass
The 2-Step Pay After Pass account consists of two evaluation phases.
- Phase 1 Rules
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Profit Target | 6% |
| Daily Loss Limit | 5% (Equity Based) |
| Maximum Loss | 10% |
| Minimum Trading Days | 1 |
- Phase 2 Rules
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Profit Target | 3% |
| Daily Loss Limit | 5% (Equity Based) |
| Maximum Loss | 10% |
| Minimum Trading Days | 1 |
- Funded Account Rules
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum Trade Duration | 30 Seconds |
| Trailing Drawdown Limit | 3% |
| Maximum Loss | 3% |
| Minimum Trading Days | 5 |
| Stability Rule | 30% |
What Is the Stability Rule?
The Stability Rule applies only to funded Pay After Pass accounts and is designed to encourage disciplined and consistent trading.
The rule measures your:
- Largest single trade, or
- Largest trading day
as a percentage of your total funded profits.
If this exceeds the permitted threshold, the account will be breached.
Stability Rule Limits:
- 1-Step Pay After Pass: 25%
- 2-Step Pay After Pass: 30%
This rule is designed to prevent reliance on a single oversized trade and encourage stable long-term performance.
Do Prohibited Trading Strategies Apply?
Yes, all Prohibited Trading Strategy rules and Terms & Conditions continue to apply at all times.
Any prohibited trading activity may result in:
- Account breach
- Payout denial
- Account suspension
- Permanent account closure
Traders are responsible for reviewing and complying with all prohibited trading strategy rules before trading. For more information regarding prohibited trading activity, please refer to the relevant section at the bottom of this FAQ page.
What Is the Trailing Drawdown Rule?
Pay After Pass funded accounts include a 3% trailing drawdown.
Unlike a static drawdown, the trailing drawdown follows your highest achieved account balance as your account grows.
If your equity falls below the trailing drawdown level at any time, the account will be breached.
What Is the Minimum Trade Duration Rule?
All trades on funded Pay After Pass accounts must remain open for a minimum of 30 seconds.
- The first violation will result in a warning
- The second violation will result in an account breach
This rule applies only to funded accounts.
What Are the Minimum Trading Day Requirements?
Funded Pay After Pass accounts require:
- A minimum of 5 trading days before a payout request can be submitted
A qualifying trading day must generate at least:
- 1% profit
How Is Pay After Pass Different From Standard Funded Accounts?
| Feature | Standard Funded | Pay After Pass Funded |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Trading Days | 1 (1-Step) / 3 (2-Step) | 5 |
| Minimum Profit Per Day | None | 1% |
| Maximum Loss | 8% / 10% | 3% |
| Trailing Drawdown | None | 3% |
| Minimum Trade Duration | None | 30 Seconds |
| Stability Rule | None | 25% / 30% |
Pay After Pass funded accounts include stricter risk controls in exchange for the lower evaluation entry cost.
Pay After Pass Pricing
1-Step Pay After Pass Pricing
Step 1:
- Pay a $9.99 entry fee to begin the evaluation.
Step 2:
- After passing, pay the remaining balance below to unlock the funded account.
| Account Size | Price After Passing |
|---|---|
| $5,000 | $77.99 |
| $10,000 | $142.99 |
| $25,000 | $272.99 |
| $50,000 | $428.99 |
| $100,000 | $701.99 |
| $200,000 | $1,299.99 |
| $300,000 | $1,699.99 |
2-Step Pay After Pass Pricing
Step 1:
- Pay a $9.99 entry fee to begin the evaluation.
Step 2:
- After passing both phases, pay the remaining balance below to unlock the funded account.
| Account Size | Price After Passing |
|---|---|
| $5,000 | $64.99 |
| $10,000 | $129.99 |
| $25,000 | $299.99 |
| $100,000 | $675.99 |
| $200,000 | $1,273.99 |
| $300,000 | $1,621.99 |
| $500,000 | $2,219.99 |
Are Add-Ons Available?
Yes, optional add-ons are available during checkout, including:
- Increased Profit Split
- Increased Daily Loss
- Increased Maximum Loss
- 3-in-1 Add-On Bundle
Please note:
- Add-ons must be selected during checkout
- Add-ons cannot be added after purchase
- Daily Loss and Max Loss add-ons apply to the evaluation phases only. They do not change the Funded Account conditions, which retain the standard 3% Trailing Drawdown and 3% Maximum Loss.
How Many Pay After Pass Accounts Can I Have?
- Pay After Pass (PAP) accounts are limited to 1 account per profile (lifetime).
- Each profile can purchase only one Pay After Pass account, regardless of whether the account is passed, breached, or otherwise closed.
What Happens If I Fail the Evaluation?
- If an evaluation account breaches any trading rule, the account will be considered failed and closed.
- The initial $9.99 entry fee is non-refundable.
Prohibited Trading Strategies include:
- Holding Shares during Earnings: Holding a Single Share Equity CFD position into an earnings release pertaining to that underlying equity. To avoid being in breach of this rule, you must close all such Single Share Equity CFD positions by 3:50 pm Eastern Time on the day of the release, if an aftermarket release, or on the preceding day, if a before market open release.
- Arbitrage and Latency: Using price differences or delays across platforms or data feeds to gain unfair profits is prohibited.
- System Exploits: Taking advantage of platform bugs, freezes, or server issues is forbidden. Report any technical problems to support.
- Hedging between accounts or profiles: Whether independently or in collaboration with others, as well as internal hedging (placing opposing positions on the same instrument within a single account), is strictly prohibited.
- High-Frequency Trading (HFT) and Tick Scalping: Strategies that place trades in rapid succession or aim to profit from very small price movements are not allowed.
- Sharing accounts: Giving someone else access to trade on your account, or managing another person’s account, is strictly prohibited.
- ALL in 1 Bet: Trying to reach the profit target with a single trade is not allowed as it does not demonstrate consistent trading behaviour. This rule applies to any trade where the profit generated from one position is equal to or exceeds the account’s profit target.
- Automated Trading (EAs, Bots, Algorithms): Use of any automated system, including Expert Advisors or bots, is not permitted. All trades must be placed manually.
- Copy Trading & Reverse Copy Trading: Mimicking trades from another account or using account management services is prohibited. All trading must be done independently.
- News Trading:
- Opening or closing trades within the restricted 10-minute window (5 minutes before and 5 minutes after any high-impact news event shown on our Economic Calendar) is strictly prohibited.
- You may hold existing positions during this time, but if a trade closes within the window, whether by Take Profit, Stop Loss, or manual action, it will still count as news trading. Any trade that opens or closes inside the restricted timeframe will be treated as a breach and will cause the Funded Evaluation to fail.
- Trading Gold (XAUUSD) during any high-impact economic news release from the European Union (including member states) or G7 countries (United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom) will result in a breach.
- Trading during any US high-impact news event will result in a breach across all instruments, including Forex, Metals, Indices, Stocks, and Crypto.
- Trading stock indices during high-impact news related to the country or region of the index may result in a breach. For example, trading a European index during high-impact European or relevant national news events, or trading any index during high-impact US news, will result in a violation.
- For currency pairs, trading during high-impact news related to either currency in the pair will result in a breach. For example, trading CADJPY during CAD or JPY news will result in a violation.
- Opening or closing trades within the restricted 10-minute window (5 minutes before and 5 minutes after any high-impact news event shown on our Economic Calendar) is strictly prohibited.
- Holding positions or trading (including crypto) over the weekend is prohibited.
- Inadequate Risk Management, Exploitation of Statistical Vulnerabilities, and Gambling-like behaviour: Trading strategies that involve poor risk management, gambling-like behaviour, or exploitation of statistical weaknesses are strictly prohibited. This includes but is not limited to:
- Excessive Risk-Taking: Taking on large, unjustified exposure in trades.
- All-In Trading: Committing a large portion or all of your capital in a single trade.
- Improper Use of Leverage: Over-leveraging by risking too much across one or several trades in the same direction.
- Inconsistent Strategies: Trading without a clear, repeatable approach within one or multiple accounts.
- Account Rolling: Continuously buying multiple evaluation challenges and trading recklessly to bypass rules.
- Binary Event Trading: Frequently placing trades immediately before major news releases to exploit volatility.
Failure to comply with these rules may result in the account being breached, the challenge being failed, and any profits becoming null and void.