Does Topstep Have a Daily Loss Limit?
The Simple Answer
It is optional on the Trading Combine and the Express Funded Account, and automatic on the Live Funded Account. Topstep is explicit that triggering it is not a rule violation, it is a forced break for the rest of the session.
Below is a breakdown of how the Topstep daily loss limit applies across every account type the firm offers.
Daily Loss Limit by Account Type
Breakdown by Account Type
Trading Combine and Express Funded Account
On both of these the daily loss limit is optional. You can add it at checkout when buying a Trading Combine or activating or reactivating an Express Funded Account, and the figures are $1,000 on the 50K, $2,000 on the 100K and $3,000 on the 150K. A limit set at checkout is fixed and cannot be changed later, and it carries through to your Express Funded Account after you pass. Every other account rule and objective still applies alongside it.
Adding one manually instead
If you did not set one at purchase you can still add a Personal Daily Loss Limit through Risk Settings, including a trailing version. The difference matters: manual limits can be adjusted or removed at any time, which Topstep notes makes it easier to rationalise bad habits in the moment. Two exceptions lock it down. A limit set to Liquidate and Block cannot be removed, and Lock Out Settings for the Day freezes all settings for the rest of the session. Note that if you change the loss amount in risk settings, the amount lost so far that day resets to zero.
Live Funded Account
On the Live Funded Account the limit is not optional. It starts at $2,000 on a 50K, $3,000 on a 100K and $4,500 on a 150K. It also tightens automatically if your tradable balance falls: at $10,000 or below the limit becomes $2,000 with a maximum position size of 5 contracts, and at $5,000 or below it becomes $1,000 with a maximum of 3. These adjustments update on Fridays and return to standard levels once your balance recovers.
What happens when it triggers
During the trading day, which runs 5 PM CT to 3:10 PM CT, if net P&L hits or exceeds your limit then open positions are flattened, pending orders are cancelled and you cannot trade again until 5 PM CT the next session. Topstep states the account stays eligible for funding. Its own example: a $150K Combine with a $3,000 limit hits minus $3,000, auto-liquidates, and you are back at it tomorrow.
Why Topstep pushes you to use it
Topstep publishes the reason plainly, citing that over 63 percent of traders have lost an account in a single day. It also offers a Responsible Trading Discount for adding one at purchase on No Activation Fee Combines and Back2Funded reactivations: $10 off a 50K, $20 off a 100K, $30 off a 150K and $50 off reactivation fees.
Final Comments
Because the limit is optional on the Combine and Express accounts, the answer for your own account depends on what you chose at checkout. Check Risk Settings in your dashboard to see whether one is active and whether it is locked.
A daily loss limit is the rule most traders breach first, usually on a day they were already losing. Know your number before the session starts, and check it against your own platform rather than assuming the firm will stop you in time.
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FAQ
Does Topstep have a daily loss limit?
It is optional on the Trading Combine and the Express Funded Account, and automatic on the Live Funded Account. Topstep is explicit that triggering it is not a rule violation, it is a forced break for the rest of the session.
What is the daily loss limit on a Trading Combine 50K account?
Optional, $1,000 if added at checkout. On both of these the daily loss limit is optional. You can add it at checkout when buying a Trading Combine or activating or reactivating an Express Funded Account, and the figures are $1,000 on the 50K, $2,000 on the 100K and $3,000 on the 150K.
What is the daily loss limit on a Trading Combine 100K account?
Optional, $2,000 if added at checkout. If you did not set one at purchase you can still add a Personal Daily Loss Limit through Risk Settings, including a trailing version. The difference matters: manual limits can be adjusted or removed at any time, which Topstep notes makes it easier to rationalise bad habits in the moment.
What happens if I hit the Topstep daily loss limit?
Topstep publishes the reason plainly, citing that over 63 percent of traders have lost an account in a single day. It also offers a Responsible Trading Discount for adding one at purchase on No Activation Fee Combines and Back2Funded reactivations: $10 off a 50K, $20 off a 100K, $30 off a 150K and $50 off reactivation fees.
How can I track my Topstep daily loss during the session?
Most futures platforms show realised and unrealised profit and loss live, and commissions usually count toward the limit. Set your own alert well before the number rather than trusting the platform to stop you at it.