The Apex consistency rule in 2026: 50%, not 30%, and what it blocks
Checked against the firm’s published rules on September 14, 2026. Your firm’s dashboard is the record; if it disagrees with this page, it wins.
Search for this and half the results still say 30%. That was true. It is now a legacy rule. For current Performance Accounts the number is 50%, and the way it works is a little different too. This page is the current version, checked against Apex’s own help centre on the date at the top.
The rule
No single profitable trading day may account for 50% or more of the total profit earned since your last approved payout (or since the start, if you have not had one). If it does, the payout request option is simply not there until you have earned enough on other days to bring that one under half.
It does not fail the account. It does not apply during the evaluation. It is a gate on the money, and only the money.
The arithmetic
Best day divided by 0.5 is the minimum total profit you need. Best day of $1,200 means you need $2,400 of total profit before you can request, and, strictly, a hair more, since 50% exactly does not pass. If you have $1,800 today, you need another $600 spread over days that are each smaller than $1,200. If one of those days is itself bigger than $1,200, it becomes the new best day and the target moves.
Losing days count against you here, same as at every firm with a rule like this: they lower the total without lowering the best day.
What else has to be true
| Account | Qualifying days | Min profit on a qualifying day | Safety net | Min balance to request |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | 5 | $100 | $26,100 | $26,600 |
| 50K | 5 | $250 | $52,100 | $52,600 |
| 100K | 5 | $300 | $103,100 | $103,600 |
| 150K | 5 | $350 | $154,100 | $154,600 |
- Five qualifying days. Not consecutive, no deadline, but each has to hit the minimum profit for your size. A +$90 day on a 25K is a fine day and does not count.
- Safety net. Drawdown plus $100, and the balance must stay above it for the life of the account. Only the profit above it is payable.
- Minimum payout is $500 per request. The “min balance to request” column already bakes that in.
- Split is 100% on approved payouts.
- Six payouts maximum per Performance Account. After the sixth, the account closes and you qualify again through a new evaluation.
Payout caps by request
| Payout # | 25K | 50K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $2,500 |
| 2 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,500 | $3,000 |
| 3 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $3,000 |
| 4 | $1,000 | $2,500 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| 5 | $1,000 | $2,500 | $4,000 | $4,000 |
| 6 | $1,000 | $3,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 |
The legacy 30% rule, for the record
Older Performance Accounts had a 30% version: no day over 30% of the profit since the last payout, with the same formula (best day ÷ 0.3) and the same effect of delaying rather than failing. It ran until the sixth payout or a move to a live account. If your account predates the change your dashboard will tell you which rule you are on. When in doubt, trust the dashboard over any blog, ours included.
What to actually do with this
Know your best day and your running total before the open. If you are already near the line, a monster day is not a gift, it is a delay. That is a strange thing to have to hold in your head while trading, and we think it is the kind of number a screen should hold for you. Tapeworm is built for Topstep first; Apex is next on the list, and this page is where the numbers will come from.
Questions people search for
Is the Apex consistency rule 30% or 50%?
For current Performance Accounts it is 50%: no single profitable day may be 50% or more of the profit earned since your last approved payout. The 30% rule applies to legacy accounts only and Apex now files it under legacy rules.
Does the Apex consistency rule fail my account?
No. It gates the payout button. If one day is too large a share of the profit, the request option is unavailable until more profit brings that day under 50%.
What is the Apex safety net?
The drawdown amount plus $100. Only profit above the safety net can be requested, and the balance must stay above it for the life of the Performance Account.