A daily limit stops one bad session from ending an account that a trader has otherwise managed well, and it stops the firm carrying a position it never agreed to. It is also the rule that ends most evaluations, which is why it is published in dollars here rather than left as a percentage for you to convert under pressure.
Risk limits
The daily loss limit,in dollars.
The daily loss limit is the most you may lose in one trading day before the account breaches. It is 3% on Instant and 5% on 1 Step and 2 Step, which is $3,000 or $5,000 on a $100,000 simulated account. Floating losses, closed losses and trading costs all count toward it.
The rule
What is the daily loss limit?
Percentages are what the industry publishes. These are the same rules in dollars, worked on a $100,000 simulated account, so there is nothing left to convert.
- Instant daily loss limit3% of $100,000
- $3,000
The tightest limit we publish. It is the price of skipping the evaluation.
- 1 Step daily loss limit5% of $100,000
- $5,000
- 2 Step daily loss limit5% of $100,000
- $5,000
- 2 Step free retake3% of $100,000
- $3,000
A retake runs tighter than a first attempt. Worth knowing before you count on it.
- What counts toward it
- Everything
Open floating losses, closed losses, commission, spread and slippage all reduce the day's remaining buffer.
- Measured from
- The prior day's close
Not from your starting balance, so the limit moves with the account. The reset time is the one shown in your dashboard, not local midnight.
Plan applicability
Which programmesthis rule applies to
Our three programmes do not share one rulebook. This table is the part of the page to read before you buy.
- InstantApplies
3% ($3,000)
Instant runs the tightest daily limit of the three: 3%, or $3,000 on a $100,000 account.
- 1 StepApplies
5% ($5,000)
5% in both the evaluation and the simulated funded account that follows it.
Why it exists
The reasoning,stated plainly
Worked example
The same rule,as a number
A $100,000 simulated account, because that is the size most people are deciding about.
A losing day on a $100,000 1 Step account
You closed yesterday at $100,000. That closing balance, not your starting balance, is what today's limit is measured from.
- Today's loss limit
- $5,000
5% of the prior day's closing balance.
- Breach level for the day
- $95,000
Equity, not balance. An open trade sitting at this level breaches it.
- After a $3,000 realised loss
- $2,000 left
Commission and spread on the day come out of the same buffer.
If equity touches $95,000 at any point, even for a few seconds, the account is breached. A recovery later in the session does not reverse it.
Commonly misread
What tradersget wrong here
Every item below has cost somebody an account. They are published for that reason rather than for completeness.
“It resets at midnight in my timezone”
It resets at the time shown in your dashboard. Assuming local midnight is how traders end up opening a position into the last ten minutes of the old day.
“Only closed losses count”
Equity is monitored, so an open position in drawdown counts against the limit while it is still running.
“I went through it briefly but recovered”
A hard limit is absolute. Crossing it for seconds breaches the account, and a later recovery does not undo the breach.
The full cluster
Every questionabout this rule
The answers our support team works from, each on its own page.
What is the Daily Loss Limit?
The Daily Loss Limit is the maximum amount your account is permitted to lose within the defined trading day.
Does the Daily Loss Limit include open trades?
Yes - floating losses affect your equity, so an open position counts against the limit before you close it.
Do closed losses count?
Yes. Realised trading losses during the relevant calculation period form part of the account's daily performance.
Can commissions and trading costs affect my Daily Loss Limit?
Yes. Trading costs affect account performance and should be allowed for when managing your risk.
When does the Daily Loss Limit reset?
At the reset time shown in your trading environment and dashboard - do not assume it is midnight in your own timezone.
What happens if I exceed the Daily Loss Limit for only a few seconds?
If the account crosses a hard breach threshold it can be considered breached, even if the market reverses immediately afterwards.
Should I trade right up to the Daily Loss Limit?
We strongly advise against it.
Related rules
The rulesthat sit next to this one
What is maximum drawdown?
Maximum drawdown is 5% on Instant and 8% on 1 Step and 2 Step - $5,000 or $8,000 on a $100,000 simulated account, measured on equity.
What happens when I breach?
A hard breach closes the account and cannot be reversed by a later recovery. A soft breach is corrected rather than fatal. Which is which, by programme.
Is there a maximum lot size?
There is no single maximum lot size. Position size is bounded by leverage, margin and the risk limits - which is usually the tighter constraint of the two.
What does trading cost?
Commission is $3.50 per side, $7 per lot round turn on every programme, charged on the simulated account. It counts toward the daily loss limit.
Instant: the full rule sheet
Every objective on the Instant programme, in dollars, at all six account sizes.
1 Step: the full rule sheet
Every objective on the 1 Step programme, in dollars, at all six account sizes.
2 Step: the full rule sheet
Every objective on the 2 Step programme, in dollars, at all six account sizes.
Ready when you are
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