# Frequently asked questions > 65 questions grouped by topic, from the first purchase to the Live account. Each answer stands on its own and every figure comes from the same catalogue as the pricing page. If a rule needs more than eighty words, the rule page has the full version. Source: https://startrading.io/faq ยท Updated 2026-09-08 ## Getting started ### What is StarTrading? StarTrading is a futures prop firm. You pay a one-time fee for an evaluation or a Direct account, trade CME futures on a simulated account with published rules, and once funded you keep 90% of the profit you withdraw. After five payouts the account moves to Live. ### Which account should I start with? Cycle if you want the standard structure with a soft daily limit and a buffer. Clear if you want no consistency rule and no buffer once funded. Stream if you want to withdraw every day. Direct if you want to skip the evaluation and can trade consistently. The home page configurator shows every parameter side by side. ### Which sizes exist? 25K, 50K, 100K and 150K for every account type. The size sets the profit target, the Max Loss Limit and the maximum position; the account type sets what happens around them. ### Do I need experience to buy an evaluation? No requirement. A 25K account with its $1,000 Max Loss Limit is the cheapest way to test yourself under the exact funded rules, which are all published before you buy. They do assume you already know how to trade futures. ### How long does an evaluation take? There is no minimum number of days and no time limit. A Cycle evaluation can be passed in one day. Clear and Stream evaluations apply a 50% consistency check, so two days is the realistic minimum. Direct has no evaluation. ### Can I hold several accounts? Yes. Each account has its own rules and its own limits. Trading opposite directions across accounts is hedging and leads to a permanent ban; copying the same direction is allowed. ### Is there a free trial? The 25K sizes are the lowest-cost way to trade under the exact rules of the funded program: one fee, no subscription, no time limit. A 14-day demo account is planned in addition. ### Where do I trade once I have bought an account? Your credentials arrive by email within minutes of payment. You connect through Rithmic with a front-end such as NinjaTrader, Quantower, ATAS, Sierra Chart or Bookmap, or through Tradovate on web, desktop, mobile or TradingView. ## Evaluation ### What is the profit target? $1,250 on a 25K, $3,000 on a 50K, $6,000 on a 100K and $9,000 on a 150K, for every evaluation type. Direct has no target because it has no evaluation. ### Is there a minimum number of trading days? No. You can pass a Cycle evaluation in a single day. Clear and Stream evaluations require the largest day to be at most 50% of the profit, which in practice means at least two profitable days. ### Is there a time limit? No. The evaluation stays open until you pass it or hit the Max Loss Limit. There is no monthly fee to keep it open. ### What fails an evaluation? Only the Max Loss Limit. The Daily Loss Limit pauses the day, the consistency rule delays the pass, flat time closes positions. None of those fails the account. ### What happens when I pass? The funded simulated account is activated 5 to 30 minutes after the target is reached, with the same size and the funded rules of your account type. There is no activation fee. ### Can I reset a failed evaluation? Yes, on the three families that have an evaluation. A reset restarts the same account at its starting balance with a fresh Max Loss Limit: $75 to $255 on Cycle, $55 to $240 on Clear, $75 to $255 on Stream. Direct is funded from day one, so there is no evaluation to reset. ### Does the Daily Loss Limit apply during the evaluation? On Cycle and Direct from the 50K size, and on Stream when you keep it on. Clear evaluations have none. It is soft everywhere: it pauses trading until the next session. ### What is the difference between intraday and end-of-day drawdown on a Stream evaluation? Intraday trails your open equity during the session and is the cheaper option. End of day trails your closed balance once a day. Once funded, every Stream account trails intraday whatever you chose for the evaluation. ## Funded accounts ### Is the funded account real money? No. Funded accounts are simulated until the Live stage. Payouts are real. After five payouts, or earlier on the risk team's decision, the account moves to a Live account backed by StarTrading capital. ### What is the buffer? On Cycle and Stream accounts, a balance that stays in the account before profit can be withdrawn: starting balance plus Max Loss Limit plus $100, so $103,100 on a 100K. Clear and Direct have no buffer. ### What is the consistency rule once funded? Cycle: the largest day may not exceed 40% of the cycle profit. Direct: 20%. Clear and Stream: no consistency rule once funded. The check happens at payout request and resets after each payout. ### Does the Max Loss Limit keep trailing once funded? Yes, until it reaches the starting balance plus $100, then it locks. On funded Stream accounts it trails intraday; on Cycle, Clear and Direct it trails at end of day. ### How does the Daily Loss Limit change once funded? On Cycle and Direct, once you are above the initial trail balance, it becomes 60% of your highest end-of-day profit and only ever rises. Clear keeps its fixed soft limit. Stream keeps the choice made at checkout. ### Can I trade the news on a funded account? Yes on Cycle, Clear and Direct. Funded Stream accounts must be flat one minute before and after red-folder releases such as NFP, FOMC and CPI; holding through is a hard breach. ### What happens if I hit the Max Loss Limit on a funded account? The account is closed. You can buy a new evaluation or a reset at the reset price. Payouts already sent are yours. ### Can I upgrade my account size? Not in place. Each size is a separate account. You can buy a larger account at any time and run both, in the same direction. ## Payouts ### What is the profit split? 90% to you on every payout, on every account type, from the first payout. ### What is the minimum payout? $500 per request. ### How fast are payouts? The amount is debited from your account within minutes of approval and the wire is sent within 2 business days. There is no fixed payout window. ### How are Cycle payouts capped? Only the first payout is capped, at $1,000 to $3,000 by size. Every payout after it takes the whole cycle profit above the buffer, with no cap. Each cycle has a profit goal of $250 to $1,000. ### How do Clear payouts work? Five separate days at or above the minimum daily profit ($100 to $250 by size) and a positive net for the cycle. You withdraw up to 50% of the cycle profit, capped at $1,000 to $3,000. ### How do Stream payouts work? Request on any trading day. Everything above the buffer is withdrawable from $500, with no cap per request, as long as your net since the last payout is positive. ### How many payouts before Live? Five on the simulated account. Then the account enters the Live review pool and, with at least one payout, moves to a Live account with daily payouts. ### What can decline a payout? A consistency ratio above the threshold, a balance below the buffer, a request under the minimum, or a review for a prohibited practice. You are told why and the cycle continues. ### How are payouts sent? By bank wire in US dollars. Other rails will be listed on the payouts page as they are added. Your payout details are entered once in the dashboard and stored encrypted. ## Rules ### What is the flat time? 4:15 pm ET on Rithmic, 4:45 pm ET on Tradovate, every weekday. Open positions are closed automatically and the account is not failed. Trading reopens at 6:00 pm ET Sunday to Thursday. ### Can I hold overnight or over the weekend? No, on any account including Live. Every position is flattened at the platform flat time. ### Is scalping allowed? Yes. An account is flagged only when more than half of its profit comes from trades held five seconds or less, which points to latency arbitrage. ### Are bots allowed? Yes, through Rithmic or Tradovate. High-frequency trading is not. A bot must respect flat time, the position limit and, on funded Stream accounts, the news window. ### Is copy trading allowed? Yes, across your own accounts or from an external signal, as long as every account trades in the same direction. Opposite positions across accounts are hedging. ### What is hedging and why is it banned? Holding opposite positions in the same or correlated products at the same time, in one account or across several. It turns two accounts into a free option. It is a permanent ban on every account involved. ### What is the maximum position? 2 minis on a 25K, 4 on a 50K, 6 on a 100K, 10 on a 150K, across all products. Micros count one tenth of a mini. ### Which products can I trade? CME Group futures available on your platform: equity indices (ES, NQ, YM, RTY and micros), energy (CL, MCL), metals (GC, MGC), rates (ZB, ZN), currencies (6E, 6J and others). The markets pages list specifications per product. ## Platforms ### Which platforms are supported? Rithmic and Tradovate. Rithmic is the default stack and connects to NinjaTrader, Quantower, ATAS, Sierra Chart, Bookmap and R | Trader Pro. Tradovate runs on web, desktop, mobile and TradingView. ### Which platform should I choose? Rithmic for order-flow tools, Windows front-ends, multi-account and automation. Tradovate for Mac, mobile, TradingView and a simpler setup. The account rules are identical; only the flat time and the tooling differ. ### Can I switch platforms later? The platform is set at checkout for the life of the account. Buy a second account on the other platform if you want both. ### Are data fees included? On the simulated accounts, yes: no exchange data fee is charged to you during the evaluation or once funded. Live accounts follow the data terms of the platform you trade on, Rithmic or Tradovate. ### Do I need a Windows PC for Rithmic? Most Rithmic front-ends are Windows applications. Quantower and R | Trader Pro run on Windows; Mac users usually pick Tradovate or run Windows in a virtual machine. ### Can I use TradingView? Yes, through Tradovate. TradingView charts and strategies route orders to your Tradovate account. ### What is the Tradovate order-rate limit? 5,000 actions per 60 minutes, enforced by the platform. Manual traders never reach it; high-frequency bots do, and those are not allowed anyway. ### Where are the servers? Rithmic is co-located at the CME Aurora data centre. Tradovate runs a cloud platform. Both are direct to the exchange; StarTrading never sits between your orders and the market. ## Pricing and payment ### How much does an evaluation cost? Cycle from $108 to $365, Clear from $79 to $347, Stream from $114 to $386, Direct funded accounts from $329 to $836. One-time, no subscription. ### Is there a monthly fee? No. You pay once. There is no subscription, no time limit, no data fee on the simulated account and no activation fee when you get funded. ### What does a reset cost? On Cycle: $75 for a 25K, $120 for a 50K, $190 for a 100K, $255 for a 150K. Clear runs $55 to $240, Stream $75 to $255. Direct has no reset at all, because it has no evaluation to fail. ### What do the Stream options cost? The cheapest combination is intraday evaluation drawdown with the Daily Loss Limit on. End-of-day drawdown and switching the limit off each add a surcharge shown in the configurator before checkout. ### Does Tradovate cost more? Rithmic is included in the list price, on every account type and size. Tradovate access is priced separately; the exact amount is shown in the configurator before checkout. ### Which payment methods are accepted? Card payments through a regulated payment provider and cryptocurrency. Details and any fees are shown at checkout before you confirm. ### Are prices in USD? Yes, everywhere. VAT is added at checkout where it applies, based on your country. ### Do you offer refunds? Evaluation fees are refundable before the first trade is placed. Funded accounts that reach the Live review with zero payouts get their evaluation fee refunded. The full terms are sent with the order confirmation and published before checkout opens. ## Account and compliance ### Which countries can sign up? Most countries. A short list is excluded for sanctions or regulatory reasons; it is shown at signup and on the country pages. You must be at least 18. ### Do I need to verify my identity? Yes, before the first payout, through a third-party verification provider. StarTrading does not store your identity documents. ### How do I log in? With a magic link sent to your email or with Google. There is no password to remember or to leak. ### Can I share my account? No. One person per account. Copying your trades to a friend's account in the same direction is fine; letting someone else trade your account is not. ### How is my data protected? Minimal data, encrypted where sensitive, sessions revocable from your settings, export and deletion available self-service. Identity checks are handled by a third-party provider; StarTrading does not store your documents. ### Is StarTrading regulated? Prop firm evaluations on simulated accounts are not a regulated investment service. Live accounts are traded through regulated futures commission merchants. The trust page lists the company, its partners and its audits. ### How do I contact support? From the dashboard or the contact page. Questions about a specific rule decision go to the risk team, who answer with the trades that were reviewed. ### Is this investment advice? No. Nothing on this site is a recommendation to trade. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for every person. Simulated accounts until Live. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss.