The consistency rule is one of the most-missed terms in futures prop firm contracts. It usually applies at the payout moment, not during normal trading, and it can block a withdrawal even when every other rule was followed perfectly.
The standard 30% rule
Most firms use some version of this: at the time you request a payout, no single trading day's profit can exceed 30% of your cumulative net profit. If you have $3,000 of profit and $1,200 of that came from one day, that day is at 40%, above 30%, and the payout is either reduced or denied.
The standard fix is to add more balanced trading days until the big day drops below 30%. If your big day is $1,200, you need at least $4,000 of cumulative profit to make it compliant. The math is mechanical.
When the rule applies
- On evaluations: usually not enforced at most firms. Check the specific rule card.
- On funded accounts: usually enforced at every payout request.
- At scale-up: some firms apply a similar rule when promoting you to a bigger funded tier.
How to plan around it
- Know your target profit per trading day. If it's $400, cap a good day near $800 and bank the rest for tomorrow.
- Set a mental or hard stop when you're having an outlier session. Booking $2,000 on one day and $300 on the next five is worse than five $500 days.
- If you do catch an outlier, keep trading normally for another 3–5 days before requesting the payout.
A looser rule is worth real money
A firm with no consistency rule or a 50%+ rule saves active scalpers a meaningful amount of payout friction. See the scalper list for firms with the loosest rules.