Introduction

Imagine passing a 300K Apex evaluation, getting funded, building 20,000 in profit, and then having your entire payout denied. Not because you broke an obvious rule, but because of one rule most traders completely miss.

In 2026, Apex has clarified and tightened enforcement on several policies, and thousands of traders are now seeing payouts denied or accounts closed. The worst part is that most of them thought they were trading perfectly fine.

Below are the four Apex rules that cause the most payout denials, explained clearly with real examples so you do not learn them the hard way.

The Trailing and Intraday Drawdown

This is the easiest rule to understand, yet still the most commonly violated.

Here is how it works in plain English. If your account has a 2,500 drawdown and you take a trade that goes 2,000 unrealized profit, then price comes back and stops you out at breakeven, you did not lose money. However, you did lose 2,000 worth of drawdown.

That means your remaining drawdown is now only 500. One small loss afterward could end the account. Apex explains this fairly well on their website, but many traders ignore how unrealized PnL affects drawdown.

The buffer rule is important here. Once you reach the buffer, the trailing stops permanently. The buffer is simply your drawdown plus 100. On a 50K account, the buffer locks around 52,600. On a 150K account, the buffer locks around 165,100. Once locked, drawdown becomes static and you are safe as long as you stay above it.

The 30 Percent Consistency Rule

Almost every prop firm has a version of this rule. Your largest profit day cannot exceed 30 percent of your total profits.

Here is how to calculate it. If your biggest day is 3,000, divide 3,000 by 0.30. That gives you 10,000. This means you must reach 10,000 in total profit before requesting a payout.

The goal is to prevent traders from passing on one lucky trade instead of consistent performance. It is simple, but ignoring it is one of the fastest ways to get denied.

The 30 Percent Unrealized Loss Rule

This rule confuses more traders than almost anything else. Apex does not want traders risking their entire drawdown on a single trade.

You cannot lose more than 30 percent of your drawdown on one trade. This is per trade, not per day. For example, if your drawdown is 3,000, your maximum loss per trade is roughly 1,000.

Even if your account balance drops below the starting balance, the rule still applies to the original drawdown. Thirty percent of 2,500 is 750, even if your equity is lower.

There is an exception. If you double your drawdown buffer, the limit increases to 50 percent. For example, a 2,600 drawdown that grows to 5,200 allows a 2,600 maximum loss. This rule exists to enforce proper position sizing, not to punish traders.

The Risk to Reward Rule Everyone Misunderstands

This is the rule that causes the most emotional reactions. Apex is not limiting how much money you can make. They are limiting reckless risk.

Your stop loss cannot exceed five times your profit target. If your profit target is 10 ticks, your stop loss cannot be more than 50 ticks. If someone is targeting a 2,000 profit, their stop loss must be no more than 10,000. Going beyond that usually results in a soft breach and likely payout denial.

Valid examples include risking 2,000 to make 2,000, risking 2,000 to make 3,000, or risking 1,000 to make 2,000. What Apex does not allow is risking large amounts just to make very small profits. That behavior signals gambling, not trading. This rule rewards disciplined traders who manage risk correctly.

Final Recap

If you want payouts approved in 2026, you must respect trailing intraday drawdown, stay compliant with the 30 percent consistency rule, limit losses to 30 percent of drawdown per trade, and use reasonable risk to reward ratios. Apex rewards disciplined traders, not shortcut seekers. Master these rules before they cost you everything.